Shinbutsu Shugo awakens from a 152-year slumber

[FiveSkandhas]

Shinbutsu Shugo refers to the hybrid blending of Shinto and Buddhism that was the norm though most of Japanese history. In the medieval and early-modern eras, Shinto Shrines and Buddhist temples intermingled casually in both physical and doctrinal space. Positions such as "shrine priest" melded the two liturgically and ritually as well. Images and symbols of Buddhism festooned Shinto spaces, and vice-versa. The doctrines used to explain this synchronism were multiple and complex, changing over time.

All this changed in 1868 when the new, hyper-shinto Meiji Government declared that Shinto needed to be "purified" of all Buddhist influence, which took place with great violence. Shrine-temple multiplexes where physically wrenched apart; buildings were leveled, hybrid prelates were defrocked, much ancient and priceless yet newly-heterodox art and statuary was destroyed.

While both sides suffered from the disorganized and disorienting shift, the brunt of the hammerblows fell on the Buddhists. As piles of Sutras went up in flames and temple bells were smelted into cannon-barrels by the militarists, some 40,000 Buddhist temples were closed or destroyed before the dust settled.

Ever since, the two religions have gone their own separate ways...until now.

A new organization has sprung up called the Shinbutsureijou, seeking to revive the old shared ethos:

https://shinbutsureijou.net/index.html

It's hardly a fringe group, either: the leadership and membership roll is stuffed with high-ranking prelates from some of the nation's largest and most famous religious institutions, on both sides of the isle:

https://shinbutsureijou.net/organization.html

A glance through the site shows an overwhelming number of prestigious shrines and temples that may not be rushing out to swap iconography, but at least seemingly don't object to being associated with the movement.

Interestingly, the Shinto names behind the group outnumber the Buddhist ones. There is currently widespread and deepening acrimony between individual Shinto Shrines and the Jinja Honcho, the umbrella organization that plays the role of a sort of "Shinto Vatican." It administers the staneardized ordination and training regime for Shinto priests, and often involves itself in shrine politics by appointing or refusing to accept the heads of large shrines, for example. Plagued by recent scandals, accused of corruption, squeezing shrines for money and micromanaging them while giving very little back, in recent years several high-profile shrines have formally broken with the Jinja Honcho and declared themselves independent -- unthinkable even a decade ago. Perhaps this new alliance with the Buddhists is another way to express their dissatisfaction.

Be that as it may, what say you, DharmaWheel: a refreshing return to ancient and natural Japanese tradition, or a loathsome eruption of heterodoxy that can only serve to pervert the Dharma?

[karmanyingpo]

piles of Sutras went up in flames and temple bells were smelted into cannon-barrels by the militarists, some 40,000 Buddhist temples were closed or destroyed before the dust settled.

Can you imagine the karma of this???
As for what I think... Depends on how the mixing is done. I have only heard a bit about shinbutsu shugo from some You Tube videos and it seemed alright based on the interpretations I heard. As long as it doesn't make people veer into rejecting core truths like no self I think it is not that bad. What do you think personally?

Edit oh and I will add it seems heluva lot better then SHINTO CHAUVINISM which I have seen out there! Crazy world we live in

KN

[FiveSkandhas]

piles of Sutras went up in flames and temple bells were smelted into cannon-barrels by the militarists, some 40,000 Buddhist temples were closed or destroyed before the dust settled.

Can you imagine the karma of this???
As for what I think... Depends on how the mixing is done. I have only heard a bit about shinbutsu shugo from some You Tube videos and it seemed alright based on the interpretations I heard. As long as it doesn't make people veer into rejecting core truths like no self I think it is not that bad. What do you think personally?

Edit oh and I will add it seems heluva lot better then SHINTO CHAUVINISM which I have seen out there! Crazy world we live in

KN

I think it is more or less fine, given that it was Japanese tradition for well over a thousand years. I gather there are many different "flavors" of shinbutsu-shugo, some more Buddhist than others.

On a practical level, Japanese people mostly go to both Buddhist temple s and Shinto Shrines anyway, so it probably isn't that big of a leap. It also might help the temples and shrines support each other in harder economic times. It's worth remembering that simlar long-standing "blends" of folk religion and Buddhism exist all over Asia.

[Redfaery]

I think Shinbutsu Shugo is just fine. I would not have come to the Dharma without it, and I certainly would not be a Buddhist.

[Queequeg]

The hangups are from the (State) Shinto/political side. On the Buddhist side kami have not been abandoned as protectors and/or avatars of bodhisattva and buddha. The whole affair stinks of nationalist politics now and while the right is as strong as ever, they don't wield the same coercive hold on the Japanese mind. Maybe they can get back to the nature-man integrated world view. It would be a good medicine for the consumerist nightmare they have now.

[karmanyingpo]

The hangups are from the (State) Shinto/political side. On the Buddhist side kami have not been abandoned as protectors and/or avatars of bodhisattva and buddha. The whole affair stinks of nationalist politics now and while the right is as strong as ever, they don't wield the same coercive hold on the Japanese mind. Maybe they can get back to the nature-man integrated world view. It would be a good medicine for the consumerist nightmare they have now.

Makes sense.. I have seen some nasty stuff form that side including making fun of war crimes. Sad. I know it doesnt have to be this way since there are plenty of people who partake in Shinto who are kind and compassionate.

KN

[Queequeg]

The hangups are from the (State) Shinto/political side. On the Buddhist side kami have not been abandoned as protectors and/or avatars of bodhisattva and buddha. The whole affair stinks of nationalist politics now and while the right is as strong as ever, they don't wield the same coercive hold on the Japanese mind. Maybe they can get back to the nature-man integrated world view. It would be a good medicine for the consumerist nightmare they have now.

Makes sense.. I have seen some nasty stuff form that side including making fun of war crimes. Sad. I know it doesnt have to be this way since there are plenty of people who partake in Shinto who are kind and compassionate.

KN

Those people are Japanese MaJaGA-tards. They're not worth listening to, and nobody does, except some LDP politicians who pander to that voting block.

[karmanyingpo]

The hangups are from the (State) Shinto/political side. On the Buddhist side kami have not been abandoned as protectors and/or avatars of bodhisattva and buddha. The whole affair stinks of nationalist politics now and while the right is as strong as ever, they don't wield the same coercive hold on the Japanese mind. Maybe they can get back to the nature-man integrated world view. It would be a good medicine for the consumerist nightmare they have now.

Makes sense.. I have seen some nasty stuff form that side including making fun of war crimes. Sad. I know it doesnt have to be this way since there are plenty of people who partake in Shinto who are kind and compassionate.

KN

Those people are Japanese MaJaGA-tards. They're not worth listening to, and nobody does, except some LDP politicians who pander to that voting block.

Sad stuff I hope that they will soon find a more peaceful path...

KN