Zen War Stories (Routledge Critical Studies in Buddhism) - Hardcover
Book 39 of 77: Routledge Critical Studies in Buddhism
Synopsis
Following the critically acclaimed Zen at War (1997), Brian Victoria explores the intimate relationship between Japanese institutional Buddhism and militarism during the Second World War.
Victoria reveals for the first time, through examination of the wartime writings of the Japanese military itself, that the Zen school's view of life and death was deliberately incorporated into the military's programme of 'spiritual education' in order to develop a fanatical military spirit in both soldiers and civilians. Furthermore, that D. T. Suzuki, the most famous exponent of Zen in the West, is shown to have been a wartime proponent of this Zen-inspired viewpoint which enabled Japanese soldiers to leave for the battlefield already resigned to death. Victoria takes us onto the naval battlefield in the company of warrior-monk and Rinzai Zen Master Nakajima Genjô. We view the war in China through the eyes of a Buddhist military chaplain. The book also examines the relationship to Buddhism of Japan's seven Class-A war criminals who were hung by the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal in 1948.
A highly controversial study, this book will be of interest, first and foremost, to students of Zen as well as all those studying the history of this period, not to mention anyone concerned with the perennial question of the 'proper' relationship between religion and the state.
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About the Author
Brian Daizen Victoria holds a M.A. in Buddhist Studies from Soto Zen sect-affiliated Komazawa University in Tokyo, and a Ph.D. from the Department of Religious Studies at Temple University. Brian entered the Soto Zen priesthood in 1964 and. following training at Daihonzan Eiheiji, pursued graduate studies in Buddhism at Soto Zen sect-affiliated Komazawa University in Tokyo. At present, Brian is a Senior Lecturer in the Centre for Asian Studies at the University of Adelaide in South Australia
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Zen War Stories (Hardcover)
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Taylor & Francis Ltd, London, 2002
ISBN 10: 0700715800
ISBN 13: 9780700715800
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Hardcover. Condition: new. Hardcover. In 1997 Brian Victoria's book Zen at War sent shock waves through Zen circles in the West, for it revealed how Japan's leading Zen masters and scholars had supported militarism, claiming that the killing of millions was a manifestation of Buddhist compassion' and the true Buddha Dharma'. Unlike the broad survey approach used earlier, Victoria's new book focuses on discrete events and persons to demonstrate the close relationship that existed between Zen and Japanese militarism. Chapter Four, for example, looks at the career of S=gen Oomori, founder of the Chozenji International Zen D=j= in Hawaii, and an early advocate of the unity of Zen and the sword', while Chapter Five explores Zen Master Haku'un Yasutani's connection to leading a Nazi residing in Japan. Zen War Stories encompasses everything from depictions of enlightened' Zen warrior-priests on the battlefield to the influence of Zen monasteries on the organizational structure of the Imperial military. It clarifies the way in which Buddhist doctrine was employed to console the war bereaved and describes the daily life of Buddhist chaplains on the battlefield.The heretofore unknown connection between some of Japan's top war criminals and Zen is also included. Finally, this book depicts the Imperial military's deliberate incorporation of such classic Zen teachings as the non-self', non-attachment', and the unity of life and death' into its program of morale-building spiritual education'. Newly discovered documents in Imperial Army archives show how these teachings produced a fanatical willingness to die on the part of Japanese soldiers and civilians alike. Controversially, Victoria maintains that in light of this Zen-inspired fanaticism, the use of atomic weapons actually saved the lives of countless Japanese who would otherwise have sacrificed themselves at the time of an Allied invasion. The book will be of interest not only to scholars and students of Zen Buddhism and Japanese studies, but also to anyone interested in Buddhism generally, in the history of the 2nd World War and in the relationship of religion to violence, war and fanaticism. This work covers the intimate and supportive relationship between Japanese institutional Buddhism and militarism during World War II. Based on wartime writings, it shows that the Zen school's view of life and death was deliberately incorporated into the military's programme of "spiritual education" This item is printed on demand. Shipping may be from our UK warehouse or from our Australian or US warehouses, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9780700715800
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