"Japan is a country of Buddhism and Shinto!" I hear this all the time. Especially from the far right.
Evidence that some people didn't bother staying awake in History Class . . .
Buddhism is a foreign import, and during the Meiji Restoration in 1868 the Japanese government launched a campaign called, "Haibutsu Kishaku" (Abolish Buddhism! Destroy Shakyamuni Buddha!)
Thousands of Temples were destroyed.
Statues were beheaded.
Sacred Sutras were burned.
Monks were forced to return to secular life.
. . . not foreign radical extremists doing this. The Japanese Government. Japan obviously didn't feel that Japan was a country of Buddhism during Meiji.
The Meiji Government wanted to build a National Identity around the Imperial Family. And so, the Modern Shinto religion was innovated by mashing together a mix of beliefs and customs that played into the political narrative that the Emperor was a direct descendent of the Gods (specifically Amaterasu)
And what of the shrines and traditions that didn't play into the narrative?
Modern Shinto isn't a spiritual religion. It's a National Propaganda tool built to prop up the Imperial Family during the Meiji Revolution.
Modern Japan isn't defined by Buddhism or Modern "Shinto"
But Shinto continues to work as a strong political tool especially in these times of anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim rhetoric.
But actually that's not what the video I made is really about ー
The question I ask is, what happens when we forget about politics?
What happens when we take a look purely at the beliefs and the spiritual evolution of Japanese Buddhism?
Once we put politics aside is it possible that the next most natural step in this evolution is Islam?
Video drops tonight at 9PM JST.
There was too much to cover in one video, and I don't feel like I've done this topic justice. Undoubtedly there will be some historians out there angry that I didn't include everything (but since I was trying to make a 10 minute video, I think I did pretty good haha) At least it gets the conversation started, in sha Allah.
The Muslim Minority of Japan
"Japan is a country of Buddhism and Shinto!" I hear this all the time. Especially from the far right.
Evidence that some people didn't bother staying awake in History Class . . .
Buddhism is a foreign import, and during the Meiji Restoration in 1868 the Japanese government launched a campaign called, "Haibutsu Kishaku" (Abolish Buddhism! Destroy Shakyamuni Buddha!)
Thousands of Temples were destroyed.
Statues were beheaded.
Sacred Sutras were burned.
Monks were forced to return to secular life.
. . . not foreign radical extremists doing this. The Japanese Government. Japan obviously didn't feel that Japan was a country of Buddhism during Meiji.
The Meiji Government wanted to build a National Identity around the Imperial Family. And so, the Modern Shinto religion was innovated by mashing together a mix of beliefs and customs that played into the political narrative that the Emperor was a direct descendent of the Gods (specifically Amaterasu)
And what of the shrines and traditions that didn't play into the narrative?
Defunded. Marginalized. Decommissioned. Forced abandonment.
Modern Shinto isn't a spiritual religion. It's a National Propaganda tool built to prop up the Imperial Family during the Meiji Revolution.
Modern Japan isn't defined by Buddhism or Modern "Shinto"
But Shinto continues to work as a strong political tool especially in these times of anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim rhetoric.
But actually that's not what the video I made is really about ー
The question I ask is, what happens when we forget about politics?
What happens when we take a look purely at the beliefs and the spiritual evolution of Japanese Buddhism?
Once we put politics aside is it possible that the next most natural step in this evolution is Islam?
Video drops tonight at 9PM JST.
There was too much to cover in one video, and I don't feel like I've done this topic justice. Undoubtedly there will be some historians out there angry that I didn't include everything (but since I was trying to make a 10 minute video, I think I did pretty good haha) At least it gets the conversation started, in sha Allah.
3 weeks ago | [YT] | 386