Buddhism Safeguards The Nation

Japanese Buddhism took on a strong tint of politics since it entered Japanese; this is the same whether in ancient, medieval or modern times. On the one hand, Buddhism approve to politics actively. On the other hand, the government in history hooked different sects of Buddhism as their own spiritual support. It can be said that Japanese Buddhism existed and developed in the combination with political culture. Japanese Buddhism regards safeguarding the nation as its prominent feature. This embodied the spirit of entering the world actively, which had profound thought and sutra foundation. The thought of Buddhism safeguarding the nation is the offspring of Praj(n|~)(a|-) which was used in practice; the King of Glorious Sutra, the Sutra of the King Who Protects His Country, Wonderful Dharma Lotus Sutra and so on, were acting as the sutra of protecting country by the government and the Buddhist monks. And under the effect of this sutra of protecting country, Japanese monks wrote and compiled many books to promote the thought of safeguarding the nation of the Buddhism.The feature of safeguarding the nation of Japanese Buddhism embodied in two aspects. One is the function of the Buddhism to the government; another is the Buddhist movement of the governor. Since Prince Sh(o|-)toku Taij established the Seventeen Constitution, who put the Buddhism on the position of governing and teaching in fact. The occurring of Taika-Reform, after that, from Nara Period, Heian Period to Shogunate Period, each time the social politics took place a great reform, Buddhism took part in it and had a profound effect on the strengthening of imperial power, political struggle of the power group, controlling people strictly within and suppressing Catholic Church without. Equally, the ruling class showed strong utilitarian political purpose during the early age of Buddhism spread in Japanese. A large number of the royal aristocracies even convert to Buddhism and built many temples. What the ruling class made much of the Buddhism is the large numbers of the earthly interests of Buddhism which can not be taken the place for maintaining the ruling.Of course, the close relation between Japanese Buddhism and the politics has complex historic and realistic reasons. For example, the dual spirit of entering and outing of the world of Buddhism decide the content, which is the Buddhism must confirmed the actual politics and served it; the weak control of center government and the mainstream position in the realm of ideology made the Buddhism can capable of exerting the function of safeguard the nation; at the same time, Buddhism has occurred metamorphosis and gone for native because of the effect from Shintoism; finally, the mighty supporting of vested benefits and the relaxation of the commandment is the reality reason which caused Japanese Buddhism take part in the politics and contain close relation with the politics.