Origins of Buddhism in Japan

It has been said that religions are not static. They are the result of shifting social, economic, and political changes. Sometimes religions themselves cause cultural change. They may challenge outdated ideologies and during processes of conflict become altered to more suit the needs of the people they serve. During stable historical periods, changes in religions may appear imperceptible, but during times of political or social upheaval, religious changes are more obvious, and, in fact, may outdistance changes in other areas of life . The relationship between religion and culture is quite close, and it seems impossible to understand one without seriously studying the other. It is the purpose of this paper to discuss the early origins of Buddhism, particularly in the pre-Japan and Japan era, the affects of Buddhism on the Japanese culture, and the position of Buddhism in Japan at the present time.

Buddhism was introduced from India into China during the first century A.D., and it was largely under the influence of Buddhism that China flourished in its age of the T'ang dynasty. Buddhism found great numbers of followers in China and came to be regarded as virtually inseparable from the centralization of the institutions of that country, particularly the visual arts. Buddhism moved from India into China due to the greatly expanding economy and the socio-economic and political changes which occurred as India moved from the pastoralism of an earlier ti

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otoku. It was partly destroyed by fire in 670 and rebuilt early in 700. Temples of this time period were laid out in patterns known as garan. Common features of the garan included a roofed square gallery, an entrance gate on the southern side, a golden hall which housed images of devotion, and at least one pagoda (a building which contained the relic of a Buddhist saint). The arts that developed between the time of the Taika Reform of 645 until the founding of Nara, the great capital city, in 710 is usually called the Hakuho period after a calendar term. Under emperor Temmu and his successors, Buddhism received the official financial patronage of the court. Previously it was patronized by aristocratic individuals. Under this governmental sponsorship, a series of great temples were constructed during the late seventh and eighth centuries. Frescoes, sculptures, and paintings of this time period are admired for their sensuous curves and great linear skill. Unlike the Chinese, the Japanese construction talents did not extend to walled cities. Nara, the first truly Japanese urban city, probably had a population of about two hundred thousand in the eighth century, but it was a city of open spaces. During the time of the hei

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