Learn How Import Buddhism in Japan (1).

Introduction

I want to put the concept of civil society to the right post to do means we can properly evaluate about Buddhism in the Japan, civil society is often understood as public arenas exists between the State and the market for people to argue about the issues of common interests "and" pile "(common interest contribution for 2004 Hardacre, p. 391).

This shows that the dominant standards of civil society is--i.e., civil society interested in forming ethical behaviour and interests between people with each other, so the concept of civic virtues are the foundation of civil society. This is similar to the concept of civil society that the Greeks and Romans had understood: "a society ruled by law, where the law was seen as the expression of General ethics, ... and in which the rulers put the common good above individual interests" (Anheier, Glasius, and Kaldor 2001, p. 12). However this concept is not only limited to the place of Greece and the West. Rather, I think the concept of "genetic property" of this civil society is found in every human culture, in the social scope, of which only a function field of human relations are guided by the standard of conduct.

The concept of civil society move to translate this is linked with the religious organizations, that throughout history, even though well how bad, tried to set up a religious community based on the teachings of their church. Although the modern civil society shows the difference by the secular nature of it, the more it still emphasizes the type of ethics behave, backing the secular and modern concepts like democracy and human rights. In terms of history, the roots of the modern civil society in the West seems to have started with the reform of the Protestant and the efforts that followed of the new Christian denominations vary in order to create a true community of ethical and moral views. The struggles that make up civil society in the modern method is an attempt to reconstruct the moral relations of the community disintegrating due to rapid changes in combat caused by modern science and technology, the development of the urban population, and the collapse completely the Church's theological system Christianity (David Loy 2002).

Many scholars, such as Ama Toshimaro of Meiji University Gakuin University, have questioned whether modern Japan there is a civil society as the society in Europe or South America or not. Although the Japanese can really lacked a strong sense to the modern concept of civil society as a social area separated from the State and the market, I think they still have a sense for a fixed concept of civil society. Clear, Pure, or the radical Union of Japanese Emperor reign Kumakura (1192-1333) showed a pattern of civil society movements when the cult was based on the religious standards which they value on both the social community. During the reign of Muromacchi (1333-1573), the cult had as the basis for the entire populace of the Pure (Ikko-ikki) and the pious Union of Japanese Buddhism (Hokke-ikki) stand up in insurrection.

In Japanese, the term civil society just as Shimin-shakai (市民社会). These characters included the shimin literally means "town" (市) and "people" (民). This suggests that the Japanese concept of civil society is a natural result of urban culture. However, the Ama notes that this concept is not most people, who tend to see society limited term seken (世間) which literally means "the world" or "the public", fully understand. Different understanding of civil society refers to a public-sector separate from the State and the market, with Japanese counterpart seken , the broader and function only for things that people do not try to change but try to adjust accordingly. The development of modern civil society in Japan have been slowed by bureaucratic control of the State and its power to replicate the container for the urban masses (394, 395-Hardcare). However, the frequent intrusion of the world concerned from the modernization beginning in the Meiji era (1868-1912) were gradually breaking down the traditional concept of them. This can be seen directly in the field of religion, particularly of the new religious movements (shin-shukyo) of the 1920s and a second wave of the new religion (shukyo shin-shin) of the the eighties TWENTIETH century. The Group has sought to talk up the growing discontent of the Japanese, and floating in an ever-changing world and the moral values are not transparent.

The central role of the moral standards of morality, which they usually are laying the foundation of religious places and as the basis for creating civil society, can help us understand the social activities of religious organizations in contemporary Japanese society and to assess the scope of a Buddhist movement in real world. Accordingly, the problems were set out in this article are: a movement or a pile of Japanese society benefits contributes to morally? And a question perhaps is more important: the purpose of the organization or the individual is gathered piles of welfare contributions to civil society-that is for the general public – or there are other problems included in this activity? The final question to note are: the Buddhist organization succeeding go followed and indicate a pattern of indigenous civil society strongly rooted in religious standards and ethics in the Buddhist tradition, rather than from the humanist Christian influence of Western civil society?

A Buddhist system, enter the

With the issues raised above, I want to make a real appreciation for the overview of the patterns of social activity which the Japanese Buddhists have joined. I think we should be careful here to not try to assign to an organization as relevant only with this model or other patterns, but rather should see different examples, as is the action method model in which a single institution can affect alleither a couple or not influencing anybody at all. Therefore, we can use this system to a deeper understanding of the complexity of the action of a group, rather than using it as a book to sort them.

1. relief operations

This is the traditional activities of the religious organizations as of them as the heart of civil society. For example, in early modern Japan, particularly during the Tokugawa or Edo period (1600-1868), can find temples in every village and monks are always involved in all kinds of different activities to support the community, such as operating the schools (terakoya 寺子屋) or infrastructure projects supported by the community. During the period of modernization beginning with the Meiji era, the infiltration of Western ideology, together with the development of the modern and secular organizations have made the threat against the traditional social role of monks and monasteries. To cope with this crisis, Buddhist monks started to look out in other countries, not just in the West but also in the Buddhist country in Asia, and they developed the Social Welfare Act and later, as the centres and kindergartens today, in the Taisho era (1912-1926).

A notable example is the work of the monks in the pure land Buddhism Shiio Benkyo (1876-1971). He formed the movement of Kyosei (kyosei-kai 共生会) in Pure tones. Kyosei essentially translated as The Symbiosis, and this idea had Benkyo on the doctrine of pratītyasamutpāda (pratitya-Samutpada) of Buddhism. He explained the doctrine of pratītyasamutpāda on human society and stressed that people need to recognize the salvation of A-di-da's in the society and everyday life. This movement has led many monks in the pure land Buddhism set the maintenance center and school right in the temple or pagoda in the garden, or participate in the activities of social interest. This shows that the first important step in the progress of civil society development has been placed on the concepts of Buddhism. The development of such a universal topic associated with the practice of everyday life as a vehicle for their introspective and social transition is also the school of Buddhist studies to appear in this era as well as the Pure tone done (Stone 2003). However, such movements do not become the official activities are the promotion as the "social welfare" (shakai fukushi 社会福祉) until after the war, and as such has limited private initiative of the monks. In addition, here shows the nature of morality and ideology of these activities there are a few limitations because they never developed into a movement to challenge the growing nationalism of the Government and society. Although the original Benkyo shows is, but he is still a member of Parliament and as a religious leader in favor of the war until its end (Eisawa 2002).

So I attributed the first field is "Salvation," because of the nature of social action is not taken to challenging dimension of social structures are current, particularly in terms of politics, which maintain it by way of relief or help people. Certain extent, these activities can be viewed as a part of civil society, because they focus most personal effects in order to act in a positive way and that the ethics of the social sector. However, in another point of view, we could not view them as the true civil society because, with the emphasis on the personal effects they usually ignore the injustice, which became publicly agreement with oppressive power (Stone 2003).

This is seen clearly through the Tokugawa Shogunate used temples to monitor the population registration system Japanese pagodas (danka seido); and in the modern era, clearly defined places for religious organizations through the creation of the public corporation in religion (shukyo koeki 公益法人 hojin), that our legal position may be the Government abolished (Hardacre, p. 395). Taisho era, aggressive nationalism of the Buddhist monks would absorb the concept of public service, but it is also a method of the Buddhist tradition in order to maintain their position in a fast-changing world and the dangers of modern Japan's first time with the secular and the Divine affection (Shinto), as well as the birth of the new Buddhist sects. Because of that, but this model doesn't really keep up the thought of civil society because they are not given a choice other than State power. In the worst case, they can make a true sense of distorting civil society while maintaining state ideology as the embodiment of civil society and by cleaning up the protests against oppression and injustice caused by an oppressive State created through their economic activities.

2. missionary activities

These activities are the tasks that all religious organizations are doing, the task of building a mass movement. Traditionally, these activities so as to send the mission to the new locale to spread the tenets and then building temples at the site. In modern times, especially among the new Buddhist organization in Japan, this has been expanded and included the formal establishment of the new body within Japanese society by building schools, universities and hospitals. etc. These activities have sought interests and supply not only the spiritual needs of the community, but also the physical demands. As such, this popular activity and the new relief work mentioned above has shown modern trends in the Spotlight focused on the interests of the people as well as their spiritual benefits.

I attributed to these activities as "preacher", because although there may be ethical purpose is doing good things for other people, then there's motivation "egoist" lies behind these activities is to build target, the power and prestige of the organization. Therefore, can not be attributed to these activities is the true civil society because the priority is the interests of the Organization and the development only in the inside group, rather than on the larger society as a whole. As such, we can realize economic activity through the construction of a nursery school because of a traditional temple and missionary activities through the construction of a school by a new Buddhist Organization carried out a fundamental difference in the engine, which previously used the defensive measures in order to maintain the position in society, while later models had to attack to get the position in the society. "Attack" nature of these activities can also manifest itself as a challenge to society, and in the case of the Buddhist organisation, of course is a challenge for power in mutual of the traditional Buddhist sect and the State Government. From the ideological stance, these organizations are able to resort to the doctrine of his belief in the secular laws of the State. The resort to such things is a prominent feature of his teaching in the Federal Diary (Nichiren), who applied the philosophy of U.s. economy while using his religious role to challenge State and Buddhist organizations. It looks like a coincidence that most of the most famous Buddhist institutions of modern Japan are derived from the flow, Soka Gakkai, Japan's Reiyukai Union as Rissho Koseikai, and the Nipponzam Myohoji.

In terms of civil society, the Buddhist organisation, Soka Gakkai is the most visible, has proposed an alternative model of social order, a kind of libertarian social reform, other both capitalism and communism, and is based on the desire of the masses to second during the period of modernization and economic growth. In the period of social transformation fast fighting scenes of war, people need some development support the spiritual and social support, and Soka Gakkai obviously meets their needs, based on Buddhism. This is clearly a kind of civil society were State controlled, which it somehow in order to rearrange the scope of the public through political representation structures. So Soka Gakkai was founded in 1964, Kōmei party advocates transparency and welfare, which both are absence during this unprecedented economic development. So, look for a spiritual order-new society by the new Buddhist organization may represent the true spirit of civil society when making a base of power for the power issue. However, missionary activity and the ability to "attack" of such organizations can often create the new compromise with the additional power of the civilian pilots, such as market power, for the other extreme that civil society is said to offer an alternative. In Japan's capital strength after the war, the funeral industry development due to the traditional Buddhist groups, the marketing activities and build masses of new Buddhist groups have made Buddhism come to agreement with the financial power. As such, it is difficult to call these activities are the true civil society as crucial goal of them is not the moral and social development, which is the main financial development of their organization.

3. reforms

These activities fit in with what I call the civil society is fully developed and fully, and also what I called a Buddhist movement in the mature. Along with this, and here's a recipe template that it can't be done piecemeal anywhere except in the Buddhist organization consists of all classes. There are two key features of this movement.

1. the first is a critique of the ideology of power system in current society. One such critic, will establish a solid foundation as a part of the true civil society, that it gives a different view of society outside of Government and commercial standards. This is a key factor where the Buddhist movement added that in other parts of Asia in Thailand and Sri Lanka, the criticism is thoroughly interested in problems of violence and the moral bankruptcy of modern development while advocating a particular Buddhist models for growthsuch movement "Awakening" of Sarvodaya in Sri Lanka and the concept of "socialism in France" (Dhammic Socialism) was proposed by the Thai Bhikkhu Buddhadasa pretentious-(Queen and King, 1996).

2. a second characteristic is a pair with this ideological critics with a movement for progressive social action; things to see in Sri Lanka through the rural development movement of Sarvodaya scale and the work of the Bhikkhu-hamstring muscles in Thailand.

The key point when you specify for this field is "reform" because that was part of the ideology and social action mutual influence is profound and creates a dialectic tension prevents either going to change. According to the Buddhist point of view, we can understand these two features as the dialectic between wisdom and compassion. Wisdom without compassion can be cold and was instrumental, while the compassion that the intellectual deficiency may cause starvation itself within the application.

For example, a movement that it brings more hits on the thought system to lose its approach in social welfare activities, chiefly that through which it provides moral sentiments. A critic thought the system lose the reach thus may become too with míu with criticism of its power and its engagement with power, as it is easy to be affected by the same appeal to authority. As harmless incense, this manifests itself in place of the Buddhist organization that refers to social services because of their high-priority is given to development of power which the destination is the server incentives group. The direction is bad, the critics thought the will become a divisive political movement which itself can stick with with "major changes" where State power and trade. This is clearly seen in Sri Lanka, where the movement to increase the age re redefine itself to combat the threat of Western modernism, has turned it into a form of nationalism is based on the merging of the State and religion. To the Japanese, this trend can be references again in Nichiren movement. Nichiren himself made a profound ideological analysis of Japanese politics in his famous commentaries on setting up proper and safe nation (Rissho Ankoku-ron). However, in times of war, criticizing the State of Nichiren were deformed into a consolidation of his religious ideology to the State to support Japan's imperialism. This is called Nichiren-shuti (Nichiren) and had previously been the monks Chigaku Tanaka's Nichiren precursors (1861-1939) has said. Chigaku Tanaka who established the secular organization Rissho Ankoku-kai in favor of Nichiren-shuti (Stone 2003). Today, the Soka Gakkai serves downright confusing in this area. While advocating world peace by numerous international activities, on the domestic front, they form the backbone of the system thought Kōmei powerhouses and conservative current that it sided with Japan supported the American intervention in the Middle East. This policy is aligned with the movement to send troops abroad and its peace Constitution, a Constitution that leader of the Soka Gakkai Daisaku Ikeda's has taken is to make Japan "fully qualify as pioneers to mobilize all the forces of peace in the world, assumed the leadership position, and aroused public opinion in the world through the UN (Stone 2003, p. 86). The Soka Gakkai's continued absence of the initiatives of civil society and peace regarding Buddhism and the religions within Japan has strengthened these suspicions, and that fits with their overall philosophy about non-cooperation with other religious groups, whether Buddhist or not Buddhist.

On the other hand, a movement that lacked the ideological critics and only focus on social action then tends to resemble the relief activities of many Buddhist organizations. This is obviously present in most of the Buddhist organization that provides social work in Japan today. A large part of the group the slopes involved in "activities of international cooperation", which included various forms of international aid to Africa, the Middle East, South and Southeast Asia Also have some large professional tennis alone about peace. I use the word "goals alone" because most everything is setting up workshops, publication and proclamation, while almost no criticism of the compromise Japan's political and economic situation of conflict around the world. The Japanese people have been taught to blame these problems for the United States, instead of researching the needs of oil and energy in the underground as well as the lifestyle of their consumption of piles of a key role in maintaining U.s. hegemony in the world.

From a Buddhist point of view, Burma could be a clear example of the agreement and the lack of essential social analysis. Burma, a country where Buddhism is the main staple, was subjected to a harsh military dictatorship over forty years. But the Buddhist organization in Japan did not enforce the systematic effort to educate the public on this matter and to bring to a recent campaign decided against the trade of Japan and the Japanese foreign aid which she covered in that Government. While several Buddhist magazines in Japan advertise the offered Burma's teak wood used for the reconstruction of the temples, the Western Christians continue to be the leader in the relief and trade were to boycott Burma's army. Need to remember that the Buddhists in South and Southeast Asia also can not change the views of the Government of Burma. However, Japan clearly differ in the level of economic development and democratic accountability where it with;

1 conclusions

That is why at this point that I raised the issue of why the Japanese Buddhists should develop a strong ideological critics of themselves are based on the teachings of Buddhism that it harmonize with a kind of social activity in favour of a true civil society as general moral areas separated from State and commercial power. One can explain that because Japan was not Western colonialism, domination and so it never has to seek and develop indigenous values, such as Buddhism, filled the role for a revolutionary struggle. However, Thailand would also not be in Japan, but has developed into one of the world's most extensive entry Buddhism as an option instead of the power of Western modernism. Another explanation may be the long-term role of Buddhism in the nationalist ideology from the beginning of it to Japan, as we see in the activities of "Salvation", Buddhism in Japan is tightening with the State. Accordingly, the intimate relationship of the Tokugawa Shogunate had played a key role in getting himself turned down it during the early period of Meiji dynasty. Professor Jun Nishikawa of Waseda University came up with to explain that the modern era and post-war period marked the diverse systems reviews the people of Japan so Japan has developed a model of modernization of color more heavy-duty secular incomparison with the Buddhist society in South and Southeast Asia long after that, when the country entered a period of modernization, said that Buddhism was firmly back in the event more than once is a native to serve the needs of the local reforms. Also it should be noted that the nature of the Japanese Buddhist sect were given a lack of homogenous ideologies on society compared to the Theravada tradition of co-operative common in South and Southeast Asia.

Therefore, the Japanese civil society has deeply influenced the secular concept (humanism) and materialism (socialism). Thus, Buddhism is generally not seen as an argument that is a source of comfort. I would like to tell a story about an old friend that it has impacted me. She's been working hard for many years for a non-governmental organization and civil society activities, and is also a fervent Buddhists in Japan The tribe. The Organization implemented the project on development and its peaceful resolution. This organization as well as several non-governmental organizations actively supportive of the March, there was a basis for Marxist ideology. Ended up as she had found herself unable to work for them anymore because sometimes the public has to squeeze nghét beliefs and her internship. I personally own, while working several years in Thailand for a non-governmental Buddhist organization, I always feel an incredibly intimate from the people when they understand my job. In the meantime, I found things much as opposed to Japan, where they often suspect that I'm with a group of worship, even if there is a presence of Buddhist sects, such as pure land Buddhism.

This common perception about Buddhism and society in modern Japan has had a tremendous impact in slowing the growth of a strong world import Buddhism in Japan The overall secularization and privatization practice Buddhism in modern Japanese have also slowed the development initiatives of the monks of social interestthey always have trouble convincing their followers on what action they would take. Moreover, when the secular culture, in particular in education, have come more quickly than culture of Buddhist tradition, monks are rarely seen as the intellectual leaders in society. The choice of a secular lifestyle by the monks, the remarkable thing in Japanese Buddhism, also have their posterity the moral authority that a rising singer and reached there in the past (Tomatsu, 1995). The Buddhist monks and a few zealous adherents often participate in the activities of civil society, but has always been "in a small room" Buddhism. This has created the condition for a Buddhist movement in the sealed, where many individuals trying to create democratic and social activities are still very little international understanding each other. To find the remedy for this situation is that the Buddhist network of NGOs was formed in 2002. (more). END=VIETNAMESE TRANSLATE ENGLISH BY THICH CHAN TANH.MHDT.WORLD VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST ORDER=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUNS=GOLDEN LOTUS MONASTERY=AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.28/10/2012.NAM MO SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).