Japan Beliefs and Values Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism
Buddhism Began in India about 2500 years ago Started by Prince Siddhartha Guatama Achieved a state of nirvana meaning perfect peace Became known as the Buddha which means ‘enlightened one’ Many Japanese accept both Shinto and Buddhism
Buddhism’s Four Noble Truths All life involves suffering Suffering is caused by desire Desire can be overcome The way to overcome desire is to follow the Noble Eightfold Path
The Eightfold Path
Buddhist Temples Made of unpainted wood Often included a bell tower and a pagoda Some were simple but some were richly decorated
Zen Buddhism Zen Buddhism involves study of texts and meditation A Zen teacher may present a riddle or short story known as a koan for the follower to mediate on using intuition rather than reasoning to solve in a sudden flash of insight called satori A very famous and short Koan “What is the sound of one hand clapping? Is actually part of a longer story.
Five elements of the Buddhist Universe Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, Space
Christianity Brought to Japan by Portuguese missionary Francis Xavier in 1549 Some daimyo even converted but later Christians were persecuted by Japan’s military rulers Today only about 2 percent are Christian
Confucianism Generally considered a philosophy rather than a religion It is a set of rules based on teachings of Gong Qui (Confucius to English speakers) In some ways it meshed well with Shinto Loyalty , obedience and duty to parents and also to authority are important
Review Reading : History Alive 8 - Section 8.7 Questions In what ways are Shinto and Buddhism different? List four activities that take place in a Shinto shrine. Explain what Zen Koans are and what they are used for. All life is sacred in Buddhist beliefs. How might this affect the eating habits of Buddhists?