Warrior Monks

[OneoftheLost]

Sohei Warrior Monks

This is a generalized link regarding something that baffles me. While I don't consider myself Buddhist, I am trying to understand what the Buddha taught. Its all quite complex, and sometimes I take a break and look over various other Buddhism related things. One thing that continues to confuse me would be Japan's approach to Buddhism. I understand the transition from Shinto, what I don't get is how these monks turned to violence.

As far as I can tell, violence in Buddhism is extremely frowned upon. To the point where one would be enduring Karma (as I understand it.) for many lives to come. (in the more traditional sects.) Ive always understood Buddhism to be a very pacifist thing unless provoked to the point where survival instinct becomes priority, or someone loved is threatened.

I came across some more writings by a famous Samurai named Mushashi Miyomoto. He writes for the separation of religious and combat ideologies, or more precisely, to ignore religion when in battle.

Yet these monks seemed to fight other sects of Buddhists and among themselves. I don't really understand it at all. Sure the era was a civil war, but its just not clicking.

Am I missing something glaringly obvious? Or did these monks choose not to follow the Buddha's teachings as closely as some, and instead formed their own ideologies? Like a cult, or offshoot sect?

Just genuinely curious about some things.

[Engyo]

Hi, OOTL -

To understand this would require a lot of study of Japanese culture in general, with emphasis on bushido and related concepts as well as Japanese history.

All Asian cultures are much more group-oriented than ours is here in the US, but Japan takes that to the highest level. Add in the understanding that this one particular lifetime isn't all that important in the grand scheme of things (according to one way of understanding Buddhist teachings), and you can end up with the Sohei monks and similar things.

I know this isn't really all that informative, but I have been practicing a Japanese form of Buddhism for 30 years and I don't understand it very clearly myself.

[OneoftheLost]

Thanks for the reply. I actually read it a while back, but its something Ive been thinking about as I study the various sects of Buddhism. I asked a Buddhist I know, and they told me that in regards to the Buddha's teachings, that this was a corruption if it was taught. I don't know enough about the Japanese version, but I assume that they didn't encourage or teach the art of killing.

I don't know. Its just a small footnote that really confused me, an outsider looking in at the Buddha's teachings. She (the friend.) compared it to other religions where various groups or sub-groups have strayed from the original intended path. She knew about as much as I did on the subject, so she may just be uninformed like myself. Its hard to tell.

Anyway, enough rambling! Thanks for the reply!

[DreadFish]

Yeah, people have found Buddhism easy to mix with their own cultural traits, and Japan has been a historically militant warrior oriented culture, I suppose it was inevitable that some people would find a way to mix the teachings of the Buddha with fighting.

Since monasteries in Japan held political power, some eventually formed their own armies, and fought other monasteries for power. Some monasteries even joined forces with clans to fight other clans.

Ultimately, violence is prohibited by the basic lay vows of Buddhism, so this is doesn't reflect on the nature of Buddhism so much as the nature of the political structure and culture of Japan at that time.


EDIT: I think there have also been some militant groups in China that claimed Buddhist identity, but ultimately had their own agenda to accomplish.

People just like to use religion in gaining their objectives

[The Rev]

If Christianity can get from Jesus' admonition to "turn the other cheek" to the Spanish Inquisition, then it's safe to say that literally any act can be rationalized to abide faithfully with any religion.

[Magog]

...indeed...or the Crusades...or the Sri Lankan civil war...

The citation of Buddhism for the Japanese within WWII is well documented.

As with all these examples, the actions of people may be claimed to be in the name of a great teacher, but are in fact grossly misguided.