Here's an interesting article on the death of Buddhism in Japan. Until recently the Japanese have been connected to Buddhism mainly through funerals but even that tie is breaking:But the move to funeral homes has sharply accelerated in the last decade. In 1999, 62 percent still held funerals at home or in temples, while 30 percent chose funeral homes, according to the Consumers' Association. But in 2007, the preferences were reversed, with 28 percent selecting funerals at home or in temples, and 61 percent opting for funeral homes.
In addition, an increasing number of Japanese are deciding to have their loved ones cremated without any funeral at all, said Noriyuki Ueda, an anthropologist at the Tokyo Institute of Technology and an expert on Buddhism.
The article seems to blame the finical practices of the temples, saying that the funeral cost is at the discretion of the family but pressuring them to give generously. But it sounds like the problem started when people became "funeral Buddhists" which sounds similar to the C& E Christians (Christmas and Easter). You know there's a break in a religion when the next generation isn't interested in continuing it.
So, what will replace it? I'm thinking that it's probably materialism and/or agnosticism. It's generally what you fall into when you are no longer rooted in a religion. They might even retain some of Buddhism teachings but not follow it's traditions, sort of inoculating them from following another religion, that's another path the younger generation follows. Just like those who call themselves Christians because they were raised as Christians but really don't belong to a church.
Posted by Michele McGinty
3 comments:
Michele,
Anybody that's lived in Asia can tell you that, many times, western behaviors and institutions there don't run very deep. Many times trends are cosmetic.
Funeral Buddhists and other parasitic practitioners have been an issue since the lay Buddhist organization, Soka Gakkai, formed around World War II. The Soka Gakkai is a lot like the Reformation in Europe, but on a smaller scale factoring in the affected Japanese population.
There are also many lay Zen organizations forming. That can be further explored via Brad Warner's oddly titled book, HARDCORE ZEN PUNK ROCK MONSTER MOVIES & THE TRUTH ABOUT REALITY. (Brad taught English in Japan)
Anyhow, if Buddhism falters on the Japanese islands - it's certainly got a welcoming western audience. Christianity is full of parasites on our side of the Pacific.
Japan started moving away from Buddhism after it lost the big war because the very notion of spirituality seemed linked with defeat. And secularism has done it well in their minds, so there is little use for religion of any kind in the Japanese mentality outside of the rural areas.
The interesting thing is that the form of Buddhism that first took serious root in the US was Zen, brought over from Japan and it is the form that still has the most appeal to Americans, largely because the Zen environment fits in very well with the Protestant esthetic, plain, simple and uncumbered with froo froo.
I agree with New Age Cowboy. I lived in Japan for a number of years, and many of them will have a "Christian" or Shinto wedding and a Buddhist funeral. A friend of mine who was a Japanese Baptist minister said that most Japanese today are essentially materialists and/or agnostics, or they have some vague belief in "honor" or "fate" or some naturalistic belief rooted in Shintoism, that doesn't impact their behavior. But they still cling to certain religious forms out of tradition, such as ancestor worship.
A notable exception are Japanese Christians. Being an extreme minority, and, like most Japanese, forming connections and making decisions MUCH more carefully than most Americans, they tend to be very strong in their beliefs and and communities. Our minister friend's wife was, for example, descendant from Christian Samurai, with the somewhat unusual surname "Yamaga" (as opposed to Yamada) Which is recognized as a Samurai name. The castle that her ancestors occupied still stands, and it has crosses laid into the roof tiles rather than more traditional Buddhist symbols. It dates from the 16th century.
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