Between the late seventh and early ninth centuries, Japan changed from a land largely without Buddhism to a country where Buddhist ideas, images, and practices were everywhere. The introduction of Buddhism transformed the social and intellectual life of the provinces. Regions that once lacked temples suddenly had so many that virtually every village had a place of worship nearby. People began to understand their world in new ways, imagining previously inconceivable possibilities for themse...

For nearly two decades, the Nanzan Guide to Japanese Religions has served as a valuable resource for students and scholars of religion in Japan. This exciting update expands the audience to include non-specialists of Japan while also complicating the notions of “Japan” and “religion.” Asking the provocative question “why study Japanese religions?” the editors argue that studying Japan is vital for the academic study of religion writ large and make a case for the continued importan...

Ritualized Writing takes readers into the fascinating world of Japanese Buddhist manuscript cultures. Using archival sources that have received scant attention in English, primarily documents from an eighth-century Japanese scriptorium and colophons from sutra manuscripts, Bryan D. Lowe uncovers the ways in which the transcription of Buddhist scripture was a highly ritualized endeavor. He takes a ground-level approach by emphasizing the activities and beliefs of a wide range of in...

Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction introduces the reader to the teachings of the Buddha and to the workings of Buddhism in daily life. Damien Keown looks at the distinctive features of Buddhism, examining who the Buddha was and what his teachings were. By considering how Buddhist thought has developed over the centuries, Keown considers how contemporary dilemmas can be faced from a Buddhist perspective. In this new edition Keown provides new perspectives on Buddhist thought, incl...

In The Japanese Mind, Roger Davies offers Westerners an insightful guide to understanding the unique aspects of Japanese culture.Readers of this book will develop a comprehensive grasp of Japanese society and the core values that remain at its foundation.Among the topics explored are:aimai (ambiguity), amae (dependence upon others' benevolence), and amakudari (the nation's descent from heave...

The Tibetan Buddhist tradition has known over thirteen centuries of continuous development. During that time, it has spread among the neighboring peoples - the Mongol, Himalayan, and Siberian peoples, Manchus and Chinese. At its height is has been practiced in regions as far west as the Volga river and to the east in Beijing. Its capacity for creative adaptation is demonstrated by its recent growth in Europe and America. At the same time, it is at the center of political contestation in et...

First published in 1776, the nine gothic tales in this collection are Japan's finest and most celebrated examples of the literature of the occult. They subtly merge the world of reason with the realm of the uncanny and exemplify the period's fascination with the strange and the grotesque. They were also the inspiration for Mizoguchi Kenji's brilliant 1953 film Ugetsu.The title Ugetsu monogatari (literally "rain-moon tales") alludes to the belief that mysterious be...

Paganism is a polytheistic religion that connects the worlds of myth and reality, the heavens and the Earth, life and death, persona and planet. This book draws together the diverse styles of one of today's fastest growing religions and gives a clear overview of many traditions: Garnerian Witchcraft, Huna, Wicca, Dianic, Faerie, Fam Trads, Druidism, Santeria, Ceremonial Magick, Norse Paganism, and many more.

An introductory guide to the beliefs and key concepts of Pure Land Buddhism, the most widely practiced form of Buddhism in East Asia.Pure Land is a brief introduction to the history and practices of Pure Land Buddhism, a popular and growing global tradition. Pure Land practices center on Amitābha Buddha, rebirth in his pure buddha-land, and the guaranteed attainment of buddhahood. It constitutes the dominant tradition of most Buddhists in East Asia and is ...

Elegant representations of nature and the four seasons populate a wide range of Japanese genres and media—from poetry and screen painting to tea ceremonies, flower arrangements, and annual observances. In Japan and the Culture of the Four Seasons, Haruo Shirane shows how, when, and why this practice developed and explicates the richly encoded social, religious, and political meanings of this imagery.Refuting the belief that this tradition reflects Japan's agrarian origins ...

This study identifies paganism as a viable religion, exploring its practices and theology as they are expressed in religious communities across the world.Long dismissed as a miscellany of fringe ideas and practices, Paganism is one of the fastest-growing spiritual orientations in the West. In Pagan Theology, Michael York reframes Paganism as a world religion. He provides an overview of pagan theology and practice while expanding on the concept of paganism ...

Get a glimpse of what it means to be a Buddhist in today's world.Buddhism: All that Matters follows the daily lives of four fictional characters who represent four Buddhist traditions (Theravada, Chinese Pure Land, Japanese Zen and Tibetan), describing what being a Buddhist today entails. Discover the religious and devotional practices, dietary requirements, ethical principles, and religious and philosophical beliefs.Grounded in the latest scholars...