How Did Buddhism And Neo-Confucian Influence On Japanese Culture

Japan has three dominate religious that have had a great impact on the culture and the Japanese people. Two of these religions are non-native to Japan. Buddhism and Neo-Confucianism were brought to Japan by either foreign visitors or natives who traveled to foreign lands and decided that Japan needed to adopt these religio-philosophical ideas and traditions. Shinto, however, is the only one out of the big three belief systems that are native to the Japanese people. Buddhism and Neo-Confucianism although originating from countries outside of Japan, when these two belief systems entered the Japanese’s religious tradition they took on distinct Japanese characteristics. Japan and the Japanese people’s ideology are reflected by these three religions.

Religion and politics have been interconnected since early Japan
Buddhism, Neo-Confucianism, and Shinto are interconnected and affected each other’s development. Shinto the native and ancient religion of the Japanese was divided by region. This was due to Shinto’s close relation to clan ancestries and the importance of family. Ancestors worship the belief that ancestors were Kami or gods created a separation between clans. Clan leaders would have the ability to communicate with the Kami. This ability allowed for the rise of a Japanese royal family, which introduced Buddhism to Japanese culture. Buddhism has had many evolutions in Japanese society. When first introduced, Buddhism was mainly practiced by aristocrats and clan leaders. Then by the Heian period, Buddhism started to spread to other social classes. By the Kamakura period, Buddhism was being practiced by the poor and lower classes. With the warrior class rising to power in Japan the state needed a new religion that reflected this. So, the Tokugawa regime adopted Neo-Confucianism as the new state ideology. Neo Confucianism complemented the way of the warrior ideology that the Samurai/Bushi class followed. This ideology would later be combined with Shinto to form a metaphysic religion that was meant to be the way of the ruler. Neo-Confucianism combining with Shinto allowed for Shinto to have a revival in late Tokugawa Japan.
Human perfection is seen throughout the three dominating Japanese religions. In early Shinto, there are no strong ethical codes. Shinto followers were to pay respect to kami and follow out their responsibilities to the spirits, and ancestries. Human perfection is respecting the ancestors and actions that are impure. Human perfection in Japanese Buddhism is the exact same as other Buddhism religions. People can become perfect by realizing the four noble truths and following the way to Buddhahood. While the different school of Buddhism has different pathways that a person could take to reach enlightenment, human perfection is a common belief. The Neo-Confucian idea of human perfection is to follow the five relationships like in the original Chinese ideology except the Japanese added an idea of having four classes that are encouraged to have courage and loyalty to the lord of their area.
When a human being becomes perfect that is them reaching the ultimate and transcendence. The Shinto religion does not have a transcendence. The Shinto religion is more concerned with the living world than the afterlife. Human agency, however, is just as important without transcendence being involved. People are meant to pay offerings to their ancestors. If they do not appease the ancestries, nature can be thrown into chaos. Buddhism idea of human perfection directly plays a role in an individual reaching transcendence. Human nature and human agency is a part of the main teachings of Buddhism. Human desires that are caused by ignorance create the suffering in the world. Human perfection then in Buddhism does not contain these human desires. By not being held down by these human desires a person would be able to reach transcendence. In China, the goal for Neo-Confucianism is to achieve the highest good (beyond good and evil) and follow your hearts decisions without transgressing what is right. In Japan, there is a focus on self -cultivation and the combination of knowledge and action. Nakae Toju, a follower of Wang Yang-ming Neo-Confucianism, stated that in the innate knowledge of good, all human beings are able to have the divine light of heaven. Shushi’s Neo-Confucianism focuses on the importance of the Five Relationships and humans obligations in relation to it.
Rituals play a large part in Japanese society. In the native religion of Japan, Shinto had many rituals that deal with purification. Paying respect to the Kami was performed in a purification ritual. Cleaning oneself with water (Misogi) and chasing out evil spirits (Harai) are both purification ritual used by followers of Shinto. Buddhism rituals are not as defined as in Shinto. The different Buddhist meditations and forms of self-cultivation could be viewed as a ritual. Then is a Japanese Tea Ceremony a ritual in its own way. By making and drinking tea an individual can become one with nature. Neo-Confucianism in China and Japan has rituals. Rituals are needed to open mind-heart and they are also needed in the interactions between the Five Relationships and Four Classes. The rituals play into Japanese social commitments and moral ethics.
There is an importance in social ties in Japanese culture since its first religion.

Shinto has strong connections to ancestor worship. Pleasing the ancestors who are considered to be a Kami is the religions main focus. Clan importance was popular in early Japan and many regions had different Kamis. Social commitments were then directed to the Clan leader. After the Shinto revival, there was a larger focus on Japanese nationalism. Japanese Buddhism just like Buddhism outside of Japan, there is an emphasis on compassion and unbiased. However, unlike Buddhism outside of Japan, Japanese Buddhism has been viewed as the protector of Japan. No matter what Japanese Buddhist Sect, Buddhism has always been used as a way to unite the Japanese. Neo-Confucianism in Japan is just like Chinese Confucianism when dealing with social commitments. The Japanese have the Five relationships just like the Chinese but the Japanese Five relationships are in relation to the Four Classes. Everyone is meant to follow the five relationships in the order of with social class in mind. For example, everyone is meant to have loyalty to the ruler but peasants who are second in the social class and also suppose to have respect for the samurai, first class, since the samurai are high up on the scale. Social commitments can have a role in the methods of

self-cultivation.
The Japanese have many methods and means to achieve self-cultivation. Followers of Shinto are meant to actively carry out purification rituals or rituals, in general, to communicate with the Kami. Depending on what Buddhist sect an individual is in depends on what type of method they use. Followers of the Kegon (Flower Garden) Sect are to confess their sins and practice self-sacrifice. Tiantai Buddhism states that one can reach moral perfection through good work, meditation, and faith while following the lotus sutra. The Pure Land sect of Buddhism is considered an easy salvation. By simply stating in one faithful invocation of Amida’s name one could achieve self-cultivation. Each method in Japanese Buddhism is different and unique. Neo-Confucianism enforces the belief that to achieve human cultivation a person must be loyal and have courage. To achieve this an individual must be following the five relationships.
Natural and the physical environment relates to all three of the major Japanese religious belief of self-cultivation. Shinto belief in nature is important in the development of the religion. Shinto followers believe in animism and celebrate nature. Nature is the kami and humans. When humans throw it out of balance they must pay respect to the kami in order for the world to become stable again. Some sects of Buddhism have an idea that the natural world is an illusion. That in order to reach enlightenment one must see through this screen of illusion. In Hojoki a Buddhist poem nature is a destructive force that is very much real and that is very much a part of human suffering. This suffering can help rid people of there sinful hearts. Neo-Confucianism has an idea that the universe is a whole and hierarchical structure. A belief that is shared in both China and Japan. There is also an idea of material force Ki connected to the yin-yang and five elements. A Neo-Confucian called Hayashi Razan wanted to interrelate Shinto with the neo-Confucianism ki material forces, in order to create a metaphysics that would be viewed as the way of the ruler. So later in Neo-Confucianism the incorporation of Shinto beliefs of nature was adopted.