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Why did Buddhists in Japan support war and nationalism?

BuddhaOdinBuddhaOdin
edited June 2010 in Buddhism Basics
Why did Buddhists in Japan support war and nationalism? :confused:

Comments

  • EngyoEngyo
    edited June 2010
    Some did, some didn't. Some went to prison protesting the war.

    Buddhists are not monolithic! We all have different opinions about things, and different reactions to events happening in our world.
  • patbbpatbb Veteran
    edited June 2010
    I told the story of my Japanese friend who had their home blessed by a Buddhist monk for 30 years near Tokyo.

    This family always had a tiny dog or two.

    Every years the monk would come, they had to hide the dogs otherwise the monk would be terrified.

    And these kind of fear are very basic conditionings...

    This is not the only similar story.


    Ajahn Chah said that if one practice seriously with a good teacher, with 6 years this person should have seen enough enlightenment to be able to continue on his own and teach others.


    So it lead me to believe that some of the Buddhism in Japan must be more a religion than a practice.
  • SherabDorjeSherabDorje
    edited June 2010
    BuddhaOdin wrote: »
    Why did Buddhists in Japan support war and nationalism? :confused:

    One has to ask one's self if that's really a Buddhist thing to do or not. Maybe in that area of their lives they weren't really Buddhist.

    It's sort of like the Crusades, which supposedly took place in the name of Christianity to rid the "Holy Land" of the "Infidels". The Crusades were really about land and property and trade and trade routes.

    Hey- I avoided talking about Sarah Palin, didn't I? :D
  • NiosNios Veteran
    edited June 2010
    The observations being made can be seen in all forms of Buddhism in all parts of the world. Why? Because "buddhism" is made up of individuals, full of defilements. We are all full of defilements. For some, getting rid of defilements will take months, some years, some a lifetime (or more?). We should not judge others, especially when we are ourselves defiled.

    Like Engyo said, we are all individuals with our own opinions (this forum is testiment to that). There are Buddhists in all countries that support war, many of them by free choice.

    Nios.
  • RichardHRichardH Veteran
    edited June 2010
    It has been mentioned that a heartless version of "emptiness" may have allowed Zen practitioners to participate in the Nanking atrocities. "He who wields the sword and he who is beheaded are both "empty".

    ....and old fashion racial nationalism.
  • jinzangjinzang Veteran
    edited June 2010
    The same reason Buddhists in America do.
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