淨土=Pure Land; 淨土宗=Pure Land Buddhism=Shin Buddhism
摘要
The seventh and eighth centuries were a time of unprecedented change in Japanese history. During this time, the Japanese court actively embraced Chinese civilization in an attempt to recreate their nation along continental lines. The wholesale adoption of Chinese culture reached its zenith in the Nara period (710-794), which takes its name from the new capital city built in imitation of the Chinese seat of government. One of the most important, and most enduring, aspects of the continental culture imported to Japan at this time was Buddhism. Buddhism, though born in India, had become a major presence in the Chinese religious scene by this time, and the Japanese quickly adopted it as the most advanced spiritual system then available. While the so-called “Six Nara Schools”1 are usually cited as the representative schools of Buddhism during the Nara period, it is important to note that the Pure Land teachings also was transplanted to Japan during this time. Even though the Pure Land schools (specifically the JØdo 浄土 and JØdo Shinsh¨ 浄土真 宗 schools) constitute some of the largest Buddhist institutions in contemporary Japan, there has so far been no study in English describing how it was transmitted to Japan and how its developed in the pre-Nara and Nara periods. It is hoped that this study will help redress this deficiency.
目次
The Introduction of Buddhism to Japan 1 Prince ShØtoku and Pure Land Buddhism 3 The Introduction and Growth of the Amida Cult 8 Pure Land Buddhism and the Quest for a Blissful Afterlife 10 ChikØ and the Study of Pure Land Texts 13 Concluding Remarks 17
