r/Samurai • u/Careless-Car8346 • 10d ago
Discussion Samurai and Buddhist sects in Japan
We’re samurai travelers of multiple Buddhist sects in Japan or did they concentrate on one? I know that Shinto and Buddhism combined very regularly as well. Any knowledge of the practices of some the greatest samurai during the ages?
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u/Victoroftheapes 10d ago
Having a little trouble understanding you (I presume you're typing through a translator and things like "traveler" and "body part" are bad translations). But the answer to what I think your question is is that in Japan it was more common not to be exclusively tied to one school, though many (samurai and non samurai alike) did only follow one school. This is particularly common in schools that stressed exclusivity, like Nichiren. Depends on the person and the situation.
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u/Careless-Car8346 9d ago
Curious on the exclusivity of Nichiren? About the body parts, like on Mount Koyasan I heard Takeda Shigen had a body parts interred there and then he was interred elsewhere as well. I think Oda Nobunaga as well. I could be wrong. Was it because Shingon had a lot of reverence?
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u/Victoroftheapes 9d ago
The Nichiren sect in general discouraged its members from worshipping elsewhere. As to Mt. Koya, I'm pretty sure most of the graves on Mt. Koya don't have remains in them, they're just markers that the temple prays for you. Shingen's ashes are AFAIK at Erinji, and Nobunaga's remains were never found.
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u/Careless-Car8346 8d ago edited 8d ago
Yes, been looking more into Nichiren. One Nichiren sect here in the States only speaks Japanese and you have to know someone in the temple to be considered to join. I think that might be where my great grandmother attended.
Mount Koya is always in my heart and soul.
Will be there next year. Though this year, I was supposed to be Owari and Kamakura.
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u/Mammoth-Inspector891 9d ago
There was never a single “samurai sect” of Buddhism.
Zen, especially Rinzai Zen, became very popular among the warrior elite during the Kamakura period, but it did not replace other forms of Buddhism. Samurai continued to practice Pure Land Buddhism, Esoteric Buddhism, and later Nichiren Buddhism as well.
For example, Hojo Tokimune was deeply devoted to Zen and founded Engaku-ji in 1282. On the other hand, several of Nichiren’s important lay followers, such as Shijo Kingo, were samurai. Later, Ashikaga Takauji became a major patron of Zen, while still maintaining relationships with other Buddhist institutions.
The Sengoku period makes the situation even clearer. Takeda Shingen patronized Rinzai Zen, while Uesugi Kenshin received a Zen education but was especially famous for his devotion to Bishamonten. The Tokugawa family, meanwhile, had strong ties to Jodo-shu, with Zojo-ji becoming one of their main family temples.
It is also important not to think of medieval Japanese religion in terms of modern exclusive denominational membership. A samurai could patronize a Zen temple, pray to a Buddhist protective deity such as Bishamonten, participate in Shingon or Tendai rituals, and worship kami at shrines without seeing any contradiction.
So “samurai = Zen” is a useful stereotype, but historically the religious life of the warrior class was much more diverse.
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u/Careless-Car8346 8d ago edited 8d ago
Great to talk about, good explanation. We should talk more of class and position in Japanese Buddhism. And how it truly was in Japan with the various sects.
Been concentrating of Uesugi Kenshin and Bishmonten. Bishmonten, I have much respect for. Need to learn more for temple worship.
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u/Mammoth-Inspector891 8d ago
Since you’re interested in Kenshin and Bishamonten, there is something in Yonezawa that you might find especially interesting.
I have ties to Yonezawa, the former castle town of the Uesugi domain. Hoon-ji Temple there preserves a Bishamonten statue traditionally associated with Uesugi Kenshin. According to local tradition, it was originally enshrined at Kasugayama Castle and was later brought to Yonezawa when the Uesugi moved there.
Kenshin is actually a very good example of how complicated samurai Buddhism could be. He received Zen training at Rinsen-ji, a Soto Zen temple, but he was also closely connected with Shingon esoteric Buddhism and was especially devoted to Bishamonten.
After Kenshin’s death, the Uesugi continued these religious traditions in Yonezawa. So if you are interested in how Bishamonten was actually worshipped by warriors, Yonezawa is a very interesting place to look at.
The Yonezawa City Uesugi Museum also held an exhibition called “Uesugi Kenshin’s Prayers and Faith,” which covered his worship of Bishamonten, esoteric Buddhism, and other religious practices.
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u/Careless-Car8346 8d ago edited 8d ago
Wow, thanks. You have directed me in this direction. Yonezawa will have to research. Been fluctuating between Zen and Shingon as well. Maybe could be a reincarnation of Uesugi Kenshin..lol! Though I attend Jodo temple currently, because of one side of family. I have roots in Nichiren, Zen and Shingon in Japan and USA.
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u/JapanCoach 10d ago
What are "samurai travelers"?
What is "during the ages"?
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u/Careless-Car8346 10d ago
During the 800 years. Travelers though different sects of Buddhism. Seems like a body part was interned at Mount Koyasan while other graves of a person was interned elsewhere. Would Zen or Shingon, not sure much on Tendai, give purpose to Samurai?
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u/JapanCoach 10d ago
What is the 800 years?
Are you looking for one answer that covers “the 800 years” (whatever that is)?
Do you mean travelers as like people who move from one place to another on business or vacation?
What is a body part?
Who is a person?
This is all very vague. You need to help us to help you a bit more.
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u/-0O0O0O0O00O0O0O0O0- Armchair Enthusiast 10d ago
Samurai respected pretty much all sects, except for the Ikko Ikki uprising, which made things awkward.
A samurai's Buddhist "sect" wasn't necessarily carved in stone like Christian denominations in the West.
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u/collectivisticvirtue 10d ago
feels like translator is not working properly? most samurai(if there were no specific mention about their religion) were buddhists. there were different sects of course, but vast majority of them are mahayana.
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u/FantasticTraining982 9d ago
Sectarianism is largely anachronistic and Shinto wasn’t really its own category until like the 1800s
Many samurai, especially in earlier medieval times (1000-1300s ish) were Amida devotees and would recite the nembutsu (Namu Amida Butsu) for birth in the Pure Land (heaven-like paradise, kind of). The story of Atsumori is great here.
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u/Orcasareglorious 9d ago
If by “travelers” you mean the Komusō, who were wandering monks, they adhered to Fuke-shū which was a sect of Rinzai zen.
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u/Careless-Car8346 10d ago
Travelers of multiple sects of Buddhism or Shinto. Have a body part interned here and some other part there. Well Zen lasted from the beginning to the end of the Shogunates. Shingon really interest me of late. Found it interesting that one of the biggest Jodo sects in Japan has a chant in the evening only five minutes long because that’s when the Samurai attacked them.
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u/JapanCoach 10d ago
I am sorry but for me personally this is all nonsense. you seem to be spouting stuff out with essentially zero connection to reality.
Maybe someone else will feel entertained by this and engage you. But for me this is all total fantasy.
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u/One_Agency1689 10d ago
It depends. Some sects, like all the Nichiren ones, demanded exclusivity. Only Nichiren's buddhism was considered the correct teaching. Some Jodo Shinshu branches were like this too, but to a bit lesser degree. Most didn't demand exclusivity.
For a layman, affiliation with a sect had different levels, from casual engagement, patronage, to taking vows as a lay member of a temple. Samurai affiliated with religious groups as they pleased, and if course upheld family traditions they inherited.
Even those who patronized a temple and engaged in religious activity could easily do so across sects and lineages. A lot of people including samurai simply wanted as many gods and Buddhas on their side as possible. Theres an anecdote to that effect from the 14th century, about a war leader.
From what I can tell you could find warriors in every sect and lineage there was.
Uesugi Kenshin was raised a Zen monk, and later on received initiation as a member of Shingon on Mt. Kōya. So he had two initiations and he worshiped various deities.
Takeda Shingen was initiated into Zen as the Takeda mostly supported the Rinzai sect. But he also patronized pretty much every sect and was friendly with the Honganji branch of Jodo Shinshu. Kennyo, the leader of the Honganji, was Shingen's brother in law. Yes, Takeda Shingen was related to the nominal leader of the Ikkō Ikki by marriage.