Japan

Chinese History 05Chinese Buddhism, Thought and History

History of China 05: The Collapse and Expansion of China: Wei, Jin, and the Northern and Southern Dynasties" - The Liangwu Emperor, who brought about the rise of Buddhism, also made an appearance!

Although it would face oppression in the future, the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties period, which is the subject of this work, had a great impact on the development of Buddhism in China. Religion is not only about religion. Various social factors were also involved in its transmission to the people.

This work, "History of China 05: The Collapse and Expansion of China: Wei, Jin, and Southern and Southern Dynasties," is recommended to learn more about the historical background and the connection to Buddhism.

Why not pick one up?
Chinese History 04Chinese Buddhism, Thought and History

History of China 04: The World of the Three Kingdoms, Later Han Dynasty, Three Kingdoms Period" - Recommended reference book to learn the differences between "The History of the Three Kingdoms Yanyi" and historical facts.

The Three Kingdoms period was not only a stage for spectacular great men, but also a period of great significance in terms of ideology and culture.

It was during this period that Buddhism took root in China and eventually flourished greatly. This book was a very interesting study of Buddhism. It also reaffirmed for me that the Three Kingdoms is an interesting read. The novel "The History of the Three Kingdoms" is interesting, of course, but the historical facts themselves are also dramatic and interesting.
Chinese History 03Chinese Buddhism, Thought and History

The History of China 03: The Legacy of the First Emperor, The Qin-Han Empire - Recommended for learning about the birth of the Chinese emperors and their historical background.

In the previous work, "History of China 02: From City States to China, Shang and Zhou, Spring and Autumn Warring States," we looked at the period leading up to the birth of Qin Shi Huangdi, and now the flowery stage of Chinese history is finally beginning.

In this book, you will learn about the history of Qin, where the First Emperor was born, and the Han and Later Han dynasties, which also appear to have connections with Japanese history.

In this book, you can learn the background of the prehistory of the Three Kingdoms Period. It is precisely because of the existence of the Qin and Han dynasties that the epic battle to unify all of China took on a realistic form.

I was also pleased to learn about how history has been compiled in China. It is often said that the First Emperor was a "burning books and burying Confucian scholars," and I appreciated learning the background of this discourse.
Bhagavad GitaIndian thought, culture and history

Synopsis and Comments on "The Bhagavad Gita" - Hinduism's deepest secrets that live on today! And its connection to Mahayana Buddhism!

The Bhagavad Gita is quite compact, about 140 pages in paperback. Katsuhiko Uemura's translation is very easy to read, and there are more than 50 pages of commentary at the end of the book, which is very helpful.

In this book, more and more ideas are discussed that are very close to the teachings of Mahayana Buddhism.

I strongly felt that, after all, Buddhism was also born within the framework of Indian thought and culture. Of course, this is not a one-way passage from Indian mythology to Buddhism, but rather a mutual influence.

This was also significant in my study of Buddhism. No, it was a gem of a scripture that opened my eyes not only to Buddhism, but also to religion and human beings themselves. I find myself more and more attracted to Indian thought and culture.
Discovering Buddhism in BritainBuddhism in India

F. C. Almond's "The Discovery of Buddhism in England" - Buddhist Studies was born from a desk in England! The roots of Mahayana Buddhism criticism come from here.

In this work, a shocking fact is told. In "New Asian Buddhist History 02 India II: The Formation and Development of Buddhism," which was previously introduced in this blog, the problems of Western-derived Buddhist studies are discussed, and this book is truly a work that can be called a work in its own right.

Reading this book, it is easy to understand why critics say, "Go back to primitive Buddhism. It is easy to understand why some critics say, "Go back to primitive Buddhism, Japanese Buddhism is corrupt. I have never been able to understand the criticisms of Mahayana Buddhism until now, but now I can understand why some people say, "Oh, I see! I see! I see!" I am discovering more and more about the criticisms of Mahayana Buddhism that I had never been able to understand before. When you follow the background of these criticisms, you will discover some extraordinary facts. This is a very exciting book. It is a tremendous work. Please read it! I am sure you will be shocked.
The History of Indian Buddhism as a CultureBuddhism in India

Yasuaki Nara, "History of Indian Buddhism as 'Culture'" - A great book that I highly recommend to monks who are troubled by criticism of funeral Buddhism!

I highly recommend this book to "those who are struggling with how to be a monk".

It is clear that Buddhism is not only a doctrine written in literature, but has walked with the people who live there. I myself received a lot of courage from this book. I feel that Buddhism will surely lead to the power to live even today.

Even non-monks interested in the meaning of rituals in Buddhism will find much in this work.

This is a great book that I would highly recommend. It was a wonderful book that conveys the author's beliefs.
Mahayana Buddhism in AsiaBuddhism in India

Mahayana Buddhism Series, Volume 10: Mahayana Buddhism in Asia" - Indian Buddhism also practiced funerary Buddhist bone worship, bone storage, and memorial services.

This work is a unique collection of essays that looks at Mahayana Buddhism through its connections with Hinduism, Islam, and Chinese culture.

And in the book, the following points are made

Roughly speaking, it is known that funerary Buddhist elements have been strongly at work in actual Buddhism since India. It has often been claimed that the original Buddhism of India taught a better way of life for the living and not for the dead, a discourse that has been used to denigrate Japanese funeral Buddhism, but it has been shown unequivocally that this is not the case at all."

This is a recommended reference book for reading these stimulating papers by Schopen. We encourage you to pick up a copy.
The Abyss of the Mahayana BuddhaBuddhism in India

Tomomichi Nitta, "The Abyss of the Buddha in the Mahayana" - There was no mythologizing of the Buddha! What is Gen Nakamura's Critique of the Historical View of Buddha? From "Series on Mahayana Buddhism, Volume 5: Buddha and Pure Land - Mahayana Buddhist Scriptures II

This work is very interesting to me as a Jodo Shinshu monk because it teaches about the Pure Land scriptures.

The second chapter, "The Abyss of Mahayana Buddhism" by Mr. Tomomichi Nitta, was particularly shocking. This is a paper that should be read by all students of Buddhism.

The "Series on Mahayana Buddhism" reflects the latest research as of the early 2010s. It was a first-hand experience of how the once mainstream understanding of Buddhism is no longer valid.

The Series Mahayana Buddhism Volume 5: Buddha and the Pure Land - Mahayana Buddhist Scriptures II, which contains the shocking treatise by Tomomichi Nitta, is a tremendous book that I recommend to all students of Buddhism. It is by far the most impressive work in this series.
Series on Mahayana Buddhism, Volume IVBuddhism in India

Series Mahayana Buddhism Volume 4: Wisdom/World/Words Mahayana Buddhist Scriptures I - Recommended for studying the formation and development of the Prajnaparamita Sutra, Kegon Sutra, and Lotus Sutra.

The book details the formation and development of each of the Prajnaparamita, Kegon, and Lotus Sutras.

Frankly, it is far beyond the level of an introductory book on Buddhism. I would not recommend this book to anyone seeking an introduction to Buddhism.

But for those who want to learn more about these scriptures in depth, this is a very useful reference book.

The Prajnaparamita Sutra, the Kegon Sutra, and the Lotus Sutra are the fundamental texts of Japanese Buddhism. This book, "Mahayana Buddhism Volume 4: Wisdom/World/Words: Mahayana Buddhist Scriptures I," is based on the latest research into how these sutras were born and how they developed.
The World of the Bhagavad GitaIndian thought, culture and history

Katsuhiko Uemura, "The World of the Bhagavad Gita: The Salvation of Hinduism" - A masterpiece that also provides insight into Japanese culture and its connection to Mahayana Buddhism!

It is no exaggeration to say that the Japanese are, so to speak, "hidden Hindus. One of the purposes of this book is to show that."

It's a shocking word, isn't it?

But in this book, these words feel all too real. The connection with Japanese culture and Mahayana Buddhism is explained very clearly.

As a commentary on the Bhagavad Gita, this book may be difficult to access. However, I suggest that you switch your perspective and look at this book as a Buddhist book.

The book is designed to be read without any knowledge of ancient India or Indian thought. At the same time, the work is easy enough to understand that it can also serve as an introduction to Buddhism. This is a great book.