XD True including the guy who wnted to marry and found ir too impractical and to be fair the corrupting and fogiving sins and exploit people financial by using religions and split at the end. Thought of that too.
I was thinking to myself 'why does the sound like Christianity?' Salvation if you call on the name (faith that once saved, always saved) vs a life of works
In the pure land Buddhist texts like "the larger pure land sutra" (सुखावतीव्यूहोमहायानसूत्रं in sanskrit), its believed that we lived in a world "Saha" of Gautama buddha which is a unpure and unclean and not quite possible to reach nirvana in this world, so we need to rebirth in another world "Sukhavati" of Amitabha/Amitayus buddha ( Amida in Japanese) and attain nirvana in that world. And this belief becomes quite popular throughout the south asian continues. Although there exists thousands of Pure lands besides "Sukhavati" but for some reason it become popular.
ROFL as a person that tries to apply study, interpret and apply Buddhist philosophy, I love learning this stuff from you. YOU ARE HILARIOUS AND EXCELLENT!!!! I think perhaps an Arhat
I love how your contents are highly informative and honest , yet still fun to watch; not just like the average youtube history or documentary videos with some repeated phrases or words with no new information. Your sarcasm and sense of humor are especially addicting! I’ve subscribed to you since forever and will keep being around as long as you are, too. :)
Pretty good. The most important part of nembutsu is to chant the name with respect, as a child, willing to do anything his father wills if he would receive him back into his home. This is non different from chanting hare krsna and I'd say the recommended mood for most religion's mantras. The avatars are different so are their heavenly planets they own but they are all simply different forms of the original father; creator of all souls. Good video, I'm sure you've earned a place in the pure land; don't lose it lol
@@sonupaul._.11 jaya prabhu. Im just an American devotee but would love to see bharat varsha one day with all my heart. From what I understand, buddhism is a religion for kali yuga, where it is difficult for men to understand the vedas. By the will of lord chaitanya though, the whole world will be illuminated and restored to to a state similar to saya yuga by chanting the names of God. Japan is a hotbed for bodhisattvas though and it appears buddhism has evolved to the point where we have seen a type of honorable ksatriya type of warrior emerge; the tip of that sword being miyamoto musashi lol.
@@sonupaul._.11 Haha, that's because I'm starving for spiritual knowledge in America lol. Really, I'm native American, or American Indian lol, and our government promises freedom of religion to everyone except for our tribes. Even demon worship is allowed but we can't do our ghost dance, which is Christian based (!), or other ceremonies. Are sacred sites are deliberately desecrated. America encourages material freedom at the cost of spiritual freedom. They would crucify jesus today because he was a non conformist. So we are allowed to have religion but not if it reveals the demonic ways of our greedy government. But I have come to know the vedas as the original religion. Christianity, islam, buddhism etc are predicted in the vedas to help barbaric or atheist people. But when one becomes God conscious, he readily accepts the authority of the vedas. It just logically makes sense. So thank you for your compliment. Where in India do you live? I miss Indian food but fortunately I have yellow Dahl to make today. Haribol!
This video kind of makes it sound like Pure Land Buddhism began in Japan, but viewers should know that it began long before Honen Shonin in China and Central Asia. Honen actually got the idea from the writings of a Chinese master named Shandao.
@@ferretyluv No, Shinran started the True Pure Land School ("Jodo Shinshu"). Honen started the Pure Land School ("Jodo Shu"). It's confusing to talk about in translation. But yes, Pure Land practices existed before either Honen or Shinran. Which you'll notice is what I said.
I find it very interasting how buddhism started as a religion of the elite with shinto being for the commoners only for this to be reversed much later on with the edo shogunate and then reversed again with the imperial goverment
I support you in making more videos about Japanese Buddhism. I recently listened to a lecture from a Jodo Shinshu priest and learned some of the commonly used terms/practices as part of my translation job. It's really interesting how the Japanese seems to be bending the rules of Buddhism and create their own sects of spiritualism that is possible to be practiced by commoners without sacrificing a significant amount of worldly vices. Chanting the Buddha's name repeatedly is said to be the most important way to salvation. I thought, that's the simplest way to salvation I've ever heard from any religion! Very interesting.
Reminds me of the history of Protestantism. Martin Luther saw gods grace his teachings: called in Latin:"Sola fide, Sola gracia and solus christus" Mostly in modern belives it ends with Sola fide, means only through belive. All other than lutheran protestand have other mostly harder to follow teachings. Funny how similar religious Evolution is.
Namu Amida Butsu? In the Sailor Moon manga during the Dreams arc, Rei's (Sailor Mars) grandfather becomes sick and gets a fever to the point that he believes that he will pass away and says those words: Namu Amida Butsu. Rei scolds him saying that their religion is Shinto, not Buddhism.
One thing I've noticed is just how far you've come in video content. In your first videos it was mostly illustration after illustration, now it's illustration and real time images with a lot of visual effects. It's really amazing to see how far you've come, keep it up ☺️ (Restraining excitement on seeing Japanese Buddhism videos FINALEMENT)
Similar to how Christianity displaced Norse religion in part because the requirements to get into Valhalla were way harder than for heaven. Edit: This is an explanation I heard some time ago. I found it fitting with this video, but right now I can't find any sources that mention this, so [citation needed].
@@internetdrifter3856 It's a while since I heard this explanation. But as I understood it, one of the factors that lead to the Scandinavian people going along with the abandonment of the old pagan beliefs and adoption of Christianity, aside from the usual factors of outside cultural pressure and autocratic leaders ordering them to, was that paradise became a lot more attainable. To enter Valhalla, you had to die in battle from a wound to the front (if the wound was on the back, the gods or Valkeries would apparently figure you were trying to flee). By comparison, Christianity's rules for entering heaven were easier to follow for most people. Again, heard this a while ago, so I might have gotten some things wrong.
@@internetdrifter3856 After you asked, I googled around a little but found no sources that mention it. In the interest of "spreading the knowledge", I'll edit the original post.
I mean, from a Danish perspective the main reason was political. We were right on the border of the holy Roman empire and not only does that mean we faced a major threat from being at the wrong end of a Crusade but in peace time many Christian nations were also our trade partners and converting made trade easier. Still Jesus was seen as weak by many so the depictions of the time don't have him hanging like you usually see but he basically stands upright and stares straight at you. Many people simply bileved in both, as they would carry both a cross and a thors hammer around their neck.
Joe Shmobunaga . . . the ultimate fusion of east and west from the end of the sengoku jidai until Linfamy appears. Cosmopolitanism is the best Ice Cream, imho. You got the Japanese Cherry, the British Vanilla, and that distinctive Shmobunaga cultural Chocolate middleman that binds them together! Dang! Now I'm hungry for ice cream again!
"Sleeping on our park benches . . ." It is my firm philosophical conviction that I will achieve Heaven . . . because Heaven need guys to sweep those streets of gold.
@@ritawing1064 I think Hinduism has always been more about Karma. Bhagvat Gita is a good example of it. Going to older times, people who didn't believe in any sort of supernatural were tolerated too. It's about there being different ways to salvation, including the way of not giving a crap about it at all, lol. Medieval Hinduism is, to me less about spirituality and more about the political shit going on in the land. When you had to pay extra tax or interest simply for being Hindu, the people are bound to lash back. Hence the emergence of sub-schools like Sikhism (which later diverged to become a separate religion), Swaminarayan sect etc. which have some Abhramic elements as they were useful in binding people together. Faith became more important for such cases, but Karma continues to be the focus still.
Neat! Love how faith vs practice is always in everywhere. When I am studying for the uni, I always put too much effort on the theory part, leaving me with no time to practice. So, looks like I am kinda a faith boy.
@@Linfamy well, yes but actually, nop. Hahaha. In Inge things there is no much room for faith, but we got theory for that! We can make a lot of assumption to believe that our models are good, but in reality, or practice, things are not so good. Hahaha.
This has so many similarities to Christianity it’s quite impressive. In Christianity you don’t even have to say anything, just believe Jesus died for all your sins.
This isn’t wholly true. While faith alone is a popular doctrine, faith vs good works was a big motivator for the Protestant Reformation. As an Episcopalian, we place a lot of emphasis on what we do and how we live our lives.
@@dstinnettmusic The point is for some sects (Buddhist or Christian) just saying I believe opens heaven`s door for you. But other sects practice/actions also matter. So the point is true (what is not true is that all sects guarantee paradise based on belief).
Yeshua said, go and sin no more. And; If you love me, you will obey my teachings. Love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you, bless those who curse you. Hmmm, sounds like a lot more than just “believe I existed”.more like believe what I am telling you and do it. Why else would He tell people after they said to Him, Lord Lord, we cast out demons and performed miracles in your name! He replies; Depart from me you who are lawless…I never knew you.
Adding to @David Stinnet, Catholic Christians also put a great deal on actions, which prove your faith through your love for your brethren, according to James' Epistle 2:14-26: "What [is] the profit, my brethren, if any one say he have faith, but have not works? Can faith save him? Now if a brother or a sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one from amongst you say to them, go in peace, be warmed and filled; but give not to them the needful things for the body, what [is] the profit? So also faith, if it have not works, is dead by itself. But some one will say, thou hast faith and I have works. Show me thy faith without works, and I from my works will show thee my faith. Thou believest that God is one. Thou doest well. The demons even believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Thou seest that faith wrought with his works, and that by works faith was perfected. And the scripture was fulfilled which says, Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness, and he was called Friend of God. Ye see that a man is justified on the principle of works, and not on the principle of faith only. But was not in like manner also Rahab the harlot justified on the principle of works, when she had received the messengers and put [them] forth by another way? For as the body without a spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead."
I find it interesting all the different interpretations of Buddhism. To be honest at least from what I have seen, Buddhism is at its best when kept as simple as possible. There is this idea that if you don't know the meaning of the mantra you are saying but understand the jist of it that it is more pure, not sullied by trying to interpret meaning where there is none. I dunno, saying "om mani padme hum" seems to calm me down and clear my mind. I also have divided my workout sets like prayers, going in multiples of 9 and with the goal of achieving 108. Even if I'm just tricking my brain into being more clear headed by breathing better I don't particularly mind.
got into this stuff recently (the Heian period of Japan and modernization during late Shogunate period) as a vehicle for solving some of the major themes and potential plot twists of the ongoing "Boruto" manga series, and these videos are super useful, man. You come across as having the same level of knowledge about this stuff as the authors of the various JSTOR articles I read, even though you don't really present yourself that way
Looking forward to more! I'm particularly interested in consciousness-only Buddhism and zen Buddhism in Japan. Also, the Patron celebration song was impressive. Good show.
Also I have come to generally respect all the different families/sanghas branches as their own paths up the mountain (some longer thn others for most...but diversity of options because diversity of life. My fav tho, are Shingon Vajrayana fam with the OG wu Tang Dynasty connect via O-Daishi Sama. Gotta keep that Vajra on ya. Vajra strong AF , love the vajra-yana
I’ve been diving into Buddhism for a while now and luckily there’s a Jodo Shinshu Temple in my city. However, I seem to align myself more with the “practice” side of pure land. What are today’s schools that follow that?
Pretty similar to the protestant reformation, Martin Luther was like 'f good deeds, just have faith'. And, at the time, Catholicism was quite political.
He semed pretty fed up with corruption and selling forgiving of sins to build shiny domes, not that the domes arent shiny still, but it was corruption and exploitation. I am sure that was the real reason why th conflict escalated. He wanted to reform corruption and exploitation. The wife nun was a bonus later. Thats why it was called reformation period. He also did translate th bible into common language to have less gatekeeping what it actually says on paper. Because monestaries did gatekeep that for the most part. Big taboo. Which won him also a lot support from common folk. It was about more that "good deeds" it was about fighting corruption and exploitation.
And Calvin went further: “fuck faith and good deeds, they’re pointless. The only people going to heaven have grace. If you weren’t born with grace, sucks for you.”
Buddha's path really isn't for everyone, although, different from most religion it has a strong focus, if not the central pilar, on the ethics, so the aspect of meditation to be present in every moment of your life. I don't remember who said it, but there is a saying from Zen that is like: When you finish sitting meditiation you get up with satori (ilumination). In the Theravada school there are also a similar saying. You eat with sati (mindfulness), you sleep with sati, you take a bath with sati, you use the toilets with sati. Anyway, it's something that's present every moment of you life. At least for these two sects, if I'm not mistaken, the idea of just chant a mantra or meditate for a couple of hours hoping some kind of magical transformation to occur or to attain a good reborn in the next life (if you believe in it) will never be enough. Most of the central idea of buddhism finds echoes in the stoic philosophy which has the same focus on what you think and do during your daily life interactions. Once a theravada monk said that during training as a monk you learn to really take seriously everything you think. 'cause they learn that every thought on your head need to be objectively manifested in the world, so first of all you have to be careful with your desires, your passions. Then, if you have to wake up early, you'll wake up early. You have to study, you'll study. If have to sit and meditate, you'll sit and meditate and so on, every moment of your life. Don't argue with your self, just do what you have to do. When have to wake early, don't ask your sleepy body if you have to, if you can sleep just more 5 minuts. It probably will say no, you don'thave to get up, that you deserve sleep more, that you can study later and so on. If have to do, just do it. Marcos Aurelius, the stoic, says something like that on his diary Meditations.
"When I carefully consider the vow that Amida Nyorai spent five kalpas to make, I realize that it was the will of salvation for me, Shinran alone." -Shinran The most important concept of True Pure Land Buddism is the theory of 悪人正機(akunin shoki). Shinran taught that he himself was the greatest evil and therefore could be saved.
Reminds me of Monty Pythons' Life of Brian. Either you follow the shoe or the gourd. It's easy peasy because he really didn't layout any rules or promises of salvation. The followers made everything up. It was much easier than the other option of rules and practices necessary for salvation.
@@raphaelcarvalhobezerra6913 ok, I do love Japanese history and though I've looked around, I knew I hit it right on when I wen to my 1st bon dance at a hongwanji. Do these other schools celebrate the obon festival?
Oh My Orange, Now I know why some Buddhist are different from others because they can’t follow the Buddha teachings or they don’t like the original teachings so they change it on their own. That why there are many types of Buddhism. All Buddhist should watch this so they understand why their Buddhist is different from original or other types of Buddhism. Thank you for creating this video learn a lot
So, that's why Ikko-ikki was so popular among peasants, ronins and others. In age of chaos, you just need to join a group in temple and you will be salvated without spirit training everyday or reading a number of boring scrolls?
The part about the precepts reminded of Ikkyu. You should do a video about him, or mention him when you cover zen. Definitely one of the most interesting Japanese monks and one of my personal favorites (after Uchiyama Gudo)
Another aspect of inaccuracy is that PureLand Buddhism wasn't invented in Japan. Nor China. Nor Northern Bacturia. It hails as a blended religion from India.
Its an interesting because the text which Pure Land was pulled from actually had a very elaborate ritual for obtaining birth in the pure land. One that would take several days/weeks. From that formed the essential of just reciting three words. Namo=refuge Amida: Amitabha Buddha Butsu=land (pure land) Thusly "I take refuge in Amitbha's Pure Land" Then from ceaseless recitation came the belief you need only recite it once. Boiled down even more to mere micro moment one has primordial intent to take refuge in Amitabha one is saved. Thusly chanting is just a form of thanks and not even one is recitation is needed.
Very educative. I do research on how Buddhism disappeared in Bihar. I realized it never disappeared from Bihar. Buddhists simply failed to research Indian Buddhism. They looked at Buddhism through the sphere of their own cultures searching for only the Buddha. Buddha had a myriad of names in different villages according to his teachings there. Example. His favorite teaching was 'Lust and desire causes pain. Remove lust and desire, and pain is removed'. Translated into Bihari (where the Buddha story took place) it is DHUKH HARAN meaning to remove dukha. Three dozen villages pray to DUKH HARAN Baba. Its clear that DUKH HARAN Baba is none other than the Buddha. Problem is Buddhists are searching only for the Buddha. In the real Vaishali the Buddha begged for alms. The locals there pray to 'BHIKHAINI' Baba (Beggar Baba). Bhikhaini was mispronounced by Buddhists as Bhikshu. Who is BHIKHAINI Baba. The Buddha no doubt. But people are searching for a man called Buddha. In the real Vaishali, in Beluha the Buddha suffered a sickness and felt he had grown old. The locals pray to 'BURHA' Baba (Old Baba). Who is BURHA Baba. The Buddha no doubt. In the real Vaishali the Lichavies pressurized Buddha not to die. They trailed him to Bandagawan pressurizing him not to die. To put pressure in Hindi is DABESHWAR. Three dozen villages around the stupa where Buddha gave the Lichavies his patra, the villagers pray to Baba 'DABESHWAR NATH' meaning the man who won the pressurizing game. It was the the Buddha no doubt as he gave the Lichavies his patra and succeded in sending them back. But Buddhists are searching for the Buddha. Forgive me for commenting out of the topic. I just wanted to impart this information to you.
Cool video...A couple of things though. In a way, Shinrin is right. Amitabha's PureLand of Ultimate Bliss is code for Nirvana. The Buddha in Nirvana (somewhat) has the thought process of the insentient. The Buddha in Nirvana doesn't have a deliberate thought seeking process, like the insentient. So, when you die, you acquire that thought process... Although, you don't attain it whilst alive either, which is very much a key tenet of Buddhism.
Wait, Pure Land Buddhism didn’t “originate” in Japan. Hōnen was an innovator and founder of the Japanese sect of Pure Land, the idea and practice had existed 8th century in China at the latest. Though, from my understanding, there were more moral requirements.
i don't know if you've already done but you should make a video series about the buddhas (not just gautama but all the others since there were others). of course you could summerize their stories so ppl who wanna learn more would have to go study it all more deeply.
I recall a scene in one Imamura movie (Insect Woman?) where we see an old lady practicing a more contemporary but now almost extinct variant of Pure Land wherein she'd be constantly chanting the Nembutsu over and over again. You see her in the bus quietly whispering the Nembutsu countless times as a sort of charm or protection. People who feel scared or powerless will find solace where they can.
There is a tantric Dharani, directly associated with Pureland Buddha, called Plugged Karma or Birth Away Dharani. Right in the beginning is the proper name of the Pureland Buddha in Sanskrit. Nama Amitabha ya Thatagata ya... translate to Japanese speaking: Namo Amida Nyorai 南無阿弥陀如來.
Love Buddhism wish there was scientific evidence of their many supernatural claims but yeah it seems like one of the few good ones with actual thought put into it
1:14 You disappoint me Linfamy! After saying "[...] of a monk named Hounen", you couldn't start the next sentence with "As a shounen" instead of "As a boy"?
Wait so, in order to obtain enlightenment you have to abandon all desire, but that includes the desire to obtain enlightenment, so in pursing enlightenment you have to not pursue enlightenment or pursue not pursing enlightenment...is this a cosmic joke? I've been pranked before an this really feels a lot like that.
"Do you seek enlightenment?" "Yes." "You are not ready." "Do you seek enlightenment?" "No." "Well I guess you wouldn't want this shiney Buddha statue cast in your image." "Wait, I actually do want that." "Still, you are not ready." This is a joke right? It's literally a catch-22...this is why the Buddha statue's always laughing.
Perhaps do things that would lead to enlightenment, not because you want to reach enlightenment, but because you want to do those things for other reasons?
@@Linfamy damn bro you stay vigilant on your comment section, I don't even know if I'm subscribed to youor not but if not then that's about to change. Good looking out Sensei
Exactly! And also comfortably forgetting that the old sinful and harmful ways have to be given up and changed into good ways, moral and ethical good ways, if not you're a hipocrite and you won't get saved.
Interesting. It's almost as if mutating a belief system to reduce individual commitment and to increase the importance of faith inherently makes it more transmissible, viral, and eventually prevalent in a population. Are all faiths doomed to convergent evolution towards the end state of "belief is salvation" and "you got to convert people though"?
"Amida Butsu" itself looks like distortion of "Amitabha Buddha". "Mit" in Sanskrit means limited or numbered adding "A" in front becomes it's opposite so "Amit" means Infinite or unlimited "Ābh" means radiant. So Amitabh means "Amitabh" means one who is infinitely radiant. According to Sutras, he was king who vowed to become Buddha, and after he became Buddha, he created Pure land named "Sukhavati" He guaranteed that one who take his name maximum 10 times, will born in his pureland as a Bodhisattva and eventually get salvation. That is why it also became popular in place now known as Afghanistan.
