Zen At War

Author : Brian Daizen Victoria
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
ISBN 13 : 1461647479
Total Pages : 304 pages
Book Rating : 4.78/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Zen at War written by Brian Daizen Victoria and published by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. This book was released on 2006-06-22 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A compelling history of the contradictory, often militaristic, role of Zen Buddhism, this book meticulously documents the close and previously unknown support of a supposedly peaceful religion for Japanese militarism throughout World War II. Drawing on the writings and speeches of leading Zen masters and scholars, Brian Victoria shows that Zen served as a powerful foundation for the fanatical and suicidal spirit displayed by the imperial Japanese military. At the same time, the author recounts the dramatic and tragic stories of the handful of Buddhist organizations and individuals that dared to oppose Japan's march to war. He follows this history up through recent apologies by several Zen sects for their support of the war and the way support for militarism was transformed into 'corporate Zen' in postwar Japan. The second edition includes a substantive new chapter on the roots of Zen militarism and an epilogue that explores the potentially volatile mix of religion and war. With the increasing interest in Buddhism in the West, this book is as timely as it is certain to be controversial.

Author : Brian Daizen Victoria
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN 13 : 1538131676
Total Pages : 389 pages
Book Rating : 4.71/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Zen Terror in Prewar Japan written by Brian Daizen Victoria and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2020-02-14 with total page 389 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written by a Zen priest, this book explodes the myth of Zen Buddhism as a peaceful religion. Can Buddhism, widely regarded as a religion of peace, also contribute to acts of terrorism? Through an insider’s view of right-wing ultranationalism in prewar Japan, this powerful book follows a band of Zen Buddhist–trained adherents who ardently believed so. Brian Victoria, himself a Zen priest, tells the story of a group of terrorists who were responsible for the assassination of three leading political and economic figures in 1932. Victoria provides a detailed introduction to the religious as well as political significance of the group’s terrorist beliefs and acts, focusing especially on the life and times of the band’s leader, Inoue Nisshō. A deeply troubled youth, Inoue became a spy in Manchuria for the Japanese Army in 1909, where he encountered Zen for the first time. When he returned to Japan in 1921, he determined to resolve his deep spiritual discontent through meditation practice, which culminated in an enlightenment experience that resolved his long-term doubts.After engaging in “post-enlightenment training” under the guidance of Rinzai Zen master Yamamoto Gempō, Inoue began a program of training the “patriotic youth” who formed the nucleus of his terrorist band. After the assassinations, Inoue and his band were sentenced to life imprisonment, only to be released just a few years later in 1940. Almost unbelievably, Inoue then became the live-in confidant of Prime Minister Konoe Fumimaro, a position he held through the end of WWII. In the postwar era, Inoue reinvented himself again as the founder and head of yet another band of ultranationalists known as the “National Protection Corps.” His eventful life came to an end in 1967. Victoria concludes with an assessment of the profound impact of the assassinations, which culminated in Japan’s transformation into a totalitarian state and set the stage for Pearl Harbor. The author also examines the connection of Buddhism to terrorism more broadly, considering the implications for today’s Islamic-related terrorism.

Author : Marianne Elliott
Publisher : Sourcebooks, Inc.
ISBN 13 : 1402281129
Total Pages : 352 pages
Book Rating : 4.29/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Zen Under Fire written by Marianne Elliott and published by Sourcebooks, Inc.. This book was released on 2013-06-04 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: I am about to be left in charge of the office. I'm not sure I'm ready for the responsibility, so I double-check with my boss. He reassures me. "You'll be fine, Marianne. As long as no one kills Amanullah Khan, you'll be fine." By midday, Amanullah Khan is dead. Marianne Elliot is a human rights lawyer stationed with the UN in Herat when the unthinkable happens: a tribal leader is assassinated, and she must defuse the situation before it leads to widespread bloodshed. And this is just the beginning of the story in Afghanistan. Zen Under Fire lays bare the struggles of a war-torn region from a uniquely personal perspective. Honest and vivid, her story reveals the shattering effect that the high-stress environment has on Marianne and her relationships. Redefining the question of what it really means to do good in a country that is under siege from within, Zen Under Fire is an honest, moving, at times terrifying true story of a women's experience at peacekeeping in one of the most dangerous places on Earth. "This is an amazing book, kind of like if Eat, Pray, Love had happened in Afghanistan and the stakes were life and death."—Susan Piver, New York Times bestselling author of Wisdom of a Broken Heart

Author : Christopher Ives
Publisher : University of Hawaii Press
ISBN 13 : 0824862961
Total Pages : 289 pages
Book Rating : 4.61/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Imperial-Way Zen written by Christopher Ives and published by University of Hawaii Press. This book was released on 2009-07-08 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During the first half of the twentieth century, Zen Buddhist leaders contributed actively to Japanese imperialism, giving rise to what has been termed "Imperial-Way Zen" (Kodo Zen). Its foremost critic was priest, professor, and activist Ichikawa Hakugen (1902–1986), who spent the decades following Japan’s surrender almost single-handedly chronicling Zen’s support of Japan’s imperialist regime and pressing the issue of Buddhist war responsibility. Ichikawa focused his critique on the Zen approach to religious liberation, the political ramifications of Buddhist metaphysical constructs, the traditional collaboration between Buddhism and governments in East Asia, the philosophical system of Nishida Kitaro (1876–1945), and the vestiges of State Shinto in postwar Japan. Despite the importance of Ichikawa’s writings, this volume is the first by any scholar to outline his critique. In addition to detailing the actions and ideology of Imperial-Way Zen and Ichikawa’s ripostes to them, Christopher Ives offers his own reflections on Buddhist ethics in light of the phenomenon. He devotes chapters to outlining Buddhist nationalism from the 1868 Meiji Restoration to 1945 and summarizing Ichikawa’s arguments about the causes of Imperial-Way Zen. After assessing Brian Victoria’s claim that Imperial-Way Zen was caused by the traditional connection between Zen and the samurai, Ives presents his own argument that Imperial-Way Zen can best be understood as a modern instance of Buddhism’s traditional role as protector of the realm. Turning to postwar Japan, Ives examines the extent to which Zen leaders have reflected on their wartime political stances and started to construct a critical Zen social ethic. Finally, he considers the resources Zen might offer its contemporary leaders as they pursue what they themselves have identified as a pressing task: ensuring that henceforth Zen will avoid becoming embroiled in international adventurism and instead dedicate itself to the promotion of peace and human rights. Lucid and balanced in its methodology and well grounded in textual analysis, Imperial-Way Zen will attract scholars, students, and others interested in Buddhism, ethics, Zen practice, and the cooptation of religion in the service of violence and imperialism.

Author : Duncan Ryuken Williams
Publisher : Belknap Press
ISBN 13 : 0674986539
Total Pages : 401 pages
Book Rating : 4.34/5 ( download)

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Download or read book American Sutra written by Duncan Ryuken Williams and published by Belknap Press. This book was released on 2019 with total page 401 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The mass incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II is not only a tale of injustice; it is a moving story of faith. In this pathbreaking account, Duncan Ryūken Williams reveals how, even as they were stripped of their homes and imprisoned in camps, Japanese-American Buddhists launched one of the most inspiring defenses of religious freedom in our nation's history, insisting that they could be both Buddhist and American.--

Author : Robert Aitken
Publisher : Macmillan + ORM
ISBN 13 : 1466895233
Total Pages : 184 pages
Book Rating : 4.32/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Taking the Path of Zen written by Robert Aitken and published by Macmillan + ORM. This book was released on 2015-12-15 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There is a fine art to presenting complex ideas with simplicity and insight, in a manner that both guides and inspires. In Taking the Path of Zen Robert Aitken presents the practice, lifestyle, rationale, and ideology of Zen Buddhism with remarkable clarity. The foundation of Zen is the practice of zazen, or mediation, and Aitken Roshi insists that everything flows from the center. He discusses correct breathing, posture, routine, teacher-student relations, and koan study, as well as common problems and milestones encountered in the process. Throughout the book the author returns to zazen, offering further advice and more advanced techniques. The orientation extends to various religious attitudes and includes detailed discussions of the Three Treasures and the Ten Precepts of Zen Buddhism. Taking the Path of Zen will serve as orientation and guide for anyone who is drawn to the ways of Zen, from the simply curious to the serious Zen student.

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 4 pages
Book Rating : 4.62/5 ( download)

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Download or read book INside EDition written by and published by . This book was released on 1993-08 with total page 4 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Author : Brad Warner
Publisher : ReadHowYouWant.com
ISBN 13 : 1458783693
Total Pages : 274 pages
Book Rating : 4.91/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Hardcore Zen written by Brad Warner and published by ReadHowYouWant.com. This book was released on 2010-07 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is not your typical ''Zen'' book. Brad Warner, the young punk who grew up to be a Zen master, spares no one - just like Reality itself. This bold new approach to the Why of Zen Buddhism is as strongly grounded in the tradition of Zen as it is utterly revolutionary; Warner's voice is hilarious, and he calls on the wisdom of everyone from punk and pop culture icons a to the Buddha himself to make sure his points come through loud and clear. The subtitle (and the cover!) say it all; there has never been a book like this one.

Author : Michael Jerryson
Publisher : OUP USA
ISBN 13 : 0195394836
Total Pages : 270 pages
Book Rating : 4.32/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Buddhist Warfare written by Michael Jerryson and published by OUP USA. This book was released on 2010-01-08 with total page 270 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book offers eight essays examining the dark side of a tradition often regarded as the religion of peace. The authors note the conflict between the Buddhist norms of non-violence and the prohibition of the killing of sentient beings and acts of state violence supported by the Buddhist community (sangha), acts of civil violence in which monks participate, and Buddhist intersectarian violence.

Author : Matthew Bortolin
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 0861718283
Total Pages : 226 pages
Book Rating : 4.83/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Dharma of Star Wars written by Matthew Bortolin and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2012-06-18 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Is Yoda a Zen Master? What might Jedi training be like? Is the story of Luke Skywalker a spiritual epic? The answers--as well as excitement, adventure, and a lot of fun--are here! The Dharma of Star Wars uses George Lucas' beloved modern saga and the universal discoveries of the Buddha to illuminate each other in playful and unexpectedly rewarding ways. Bortolin even reveals satisfying depths to the second trilogy of movies-the ones that met with what can understatedly be called a less-than-warm critical reception. The Dharma of Star Wars gives you an inpsiring and totally new take on this timeless saga, from A New Hope all the way up to 2005's Revenge of the Sith. Great fun for any Star Wars fan. Imagine The Power of Myth... with lightsabers! Includes instruction in The Jedi Art of Mindfulness and Concentration and The Padawan Handbook: Zen Contemplations for the Would-Be Jedi. Fun for all ages, The Dharma of Star Wars is also a perfect way for Buddhist parents to bridge the generation gap.