Comments on: D.T. Suzuki praising Shin Buddhism? http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2008/03/02/dt-suzuki-praising-shin-buddhism/ My life as a father, Buddhist and Japanophile. Sat, 11 Jun 2011 01:53:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: K http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2008/03/02/dt-suzuki-praising-shin-buddhism/#comment-1759 K Wed, 15 Oct 2008 10:44:33 +0000 http://nihonshukyo.wordpress.com/?p=49#comment-1759 'parallelsidewalk', Don't get me wrong there are plenty of problems with Suzuki's work but to be fair Brian Victoria greatly exaggerated Suzuki's involvement in Japanese Imperial Fascism. For a more balanced view see: http://www.nanzan-u.ac.jp/SHUBUNKEN/publications/nlarc/pdf/Rude%20awakenings/Kirita.pdf Victoria has done good work bringing to light some of the abuses of Buddhism in Japanese history but it has been claimed that his scholarship is sensationalist and sloppy - see for example the following critiques: http://www.globalbuddhism.org/5/metraux04.htm http://www.globalbuddhism.org/3/miyata021.htm ‘parallelsidewalk’, Don’t get me wrong there are plenty of problems with Suzuki’s work but to be fair Brian Victoria greatly exaggerated Suzuki’s involvement in Japanese Imperial Fascism. For a more balanced view see:
http://www.nanzan-u.ac.jp/SHUBUNKEN/publications/nlarc/pdf/Rude%20awakenings/Kirita.pdf

Victoria has done good work bringing to light some of the abuses of Buddhism in Japanese history but it has been claimed that his scholarship is sensationalist and sloppy – see for example the following critiques:
http://www.globalbuddhism.org/5/metraux04.htm
http://www.globalbuddhism.org/3/miyata021.htm

]]> By: Gerald Ford http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2008/03/02/dt-suzuki-praising-shin-buddhism/#comment-1758 Gerald Ford Tue, 14 Oct 2008 14:38:31 +0000 http://nihonshukyo.wordpress.com/?p=49#comment-1758 (responding 7 months late...) Yeah, notice I used the term "free spirit" to refer to Mr. Suzuki. I think he does hit upon some points though with regard to corruption and degeneracy on the Zen priesthood at the time, and the stodginess of the establishment. I think with Shin Buddhism, he found a way to get around the ritualism and allow seekers of truth more room to move. I couldn't comment on his belief that more Shin followers found enlightenment than Zen though; that's a bit of a bold statement and without much to back it up. But I do agree with his statement that beneath the surface, Shin Buddhism is both profound and difficult. That has been my experience for years now. :P (responding 7 months late…)

Yeah, notice I used the term “free spirit” to refer to Mr. Suzuki. I think he does hit upon some points though with regard to corruption and degeneracy on the Zen priesthood at the time, and the stodginess of the establishment. I think with Shin Buddhism, he found a way to get around the ritualism and allow seekers of truth more room to move. I couldn’t comment on his belief that more Shin followers found enlightenment than Zen though; that’s a bit of a bold statement and without much to back it up.

But I do agree with his statement that beneath the surface, Shin Buddhism is both profound and difficult. That has been my experience for years now. :P

]]> By: parallelsidewalk http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2008/03/02/dt-suzuki-praising-shin-buddhism/#comment-1757 parallelsidewalk Sun, 02 Mar 2008 07:34:30 +0000 http://nihonshukyo.wordpress.com/?p=49#comment-1757 Reading Brian Victoria's Zen At War gave me a pretty unfavorable idea of Suzuki. He was not just a participant but an active rallier of Japanese Imperial Fascism, who started singing quite a different tune after the war. I could never understand 2/3 of what the guy was saying anyway. Reading Brian Victoria’s Zen At War gave me a pretty unfavorable idea of Suzuki. He was not just a participant but an active rallier of Japanese Imperial Fascism, who started singing quite a different tune after the war.

I could never understand 2/3 of what the guy was saying anyway.

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