Buddhism is a religion that has its origins in India in the ancient time of 6th century B.C. Gautama Siddhartha or Lord Buddha is the enlightened man who preached the religion. The Mahayana branch or the Greater Vehicle spread all over Japan. The religion reached the land of Japan through the influence of the Korean kingdom of Kudara in the 6th century B.C. Although this religion was readily welcomed by the noble population of the land, the common mass took some time to embrace it owing to the complexities of the religion. Japanese Buddhism exists with Shinto, the native religion of the land, and the two beliefs complement each other.
Buddhism is important due to its teachings of love and peace that promote well-being of the followers. The religion talks of sacrifice and the journey to attain salvation by finding fulfillment in life. It was during the Nara Period that the Buddhist monasteries gained very strong political support. Again, during the Heian Period, two new sects of the religion reached Japan through China. The Tendai sect was introduced in 805 by Saicho, while the Shingon sect was introduced in 806 by Kukai. With time, many other branches of the Tendai sect emerged in Japan. These are the Jodo sect, the Zen sect and the Lotus Hokke sect.
However, the journey of Buddhism in the land of Japan was not that smooth. The religion faced impediments as the Buddhist institutions were attacked by Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the late 16th century. Again, the Meji period saw attacks on Buddhism.
Nevertheless, the religion has stood the test of time and civilization. Now, almost 90 million people are Buddhists in the country of Japan. Thus, the religion is intertwined with the culture of the Japanese society owing to its years of influence and preaching that have influenced the way of life of the people.
Works Cited
“Buddhism.” japanguide.com. n.p., n.d. Web 11 Nov. 2014.
