| Revision as of 19:52, 28 February 2015 editAuric (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers186,636 edits →top: fill in cite← Previous edit | Revision as of 03:16, 2 April 2015 edit undoHijiri88 (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users37,389 edits Massive overhaul per extensive discussion on on talk page and here. Balanced structure based on Britannica with material mostly verified in others.Next edit → | ||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| '''Kokuchūkai''' |
The {{nihongo|'''Kokuchūkai'''|国柱会||extra="Pillar of the Nation Society"<!-- "Pillar of the Nation Society" is sourcable in both Keene and Stone. "National Pillar Society" sounds like a union of masonry workers or a nationwide group of people with WAY too much free time on their hands who enjoy talking about pillars. -->}} is a lay-oriented ] organisation.<ref name=Britannica>''Britannica Kokusai Dai-hyakkajiten'' article "Kokuchūkai". 2007. Britannica Japan Co.</ref> It was founded by ] in 1880 as {{nihongo|'''Rengekai'''|蓮華会||extra="Lotus Blossom Society"}} and renamed {{nihongo|'''Risshō Ankokukai'''|立正安国会}} in 1884 before adopting its current name in 1914.<ref name=Britannica/><ref name="Otani 115">Eiichi ?tani, ("A Comparative Analysis of Buddhist Nationalism in Asia"). ]. p 115</ref> | ||
| Originally based in ], the group shifted its head office to to ], ]/], ] and ] before finally moving back to Tokyo.<ref name=Stone>Jacqueline I. Stone, . IN: Steven Heine; Charles S. Prebish (ed.) ''Buddhism in the Modern World''. New York: Oxford University Press. 2003. ISBN 0195146972. pp 197-198.</ref> The group is currently based in Ichinoe, ].<ref name=Britannica/> | |||
| Kokuchūkai's teachings are based on ] with a strong emphasis given to a nationalistic interpretation of the teachings of ] and the notion of ].<ref name="Tanaka1935">{{cite book|author=Chigaku Tanaka|title=What is Nippon Kokutai?: Introduction to Nipponese National Principles ...|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=mNnMRAAACAAJ|year=1935|publisher=Shishio Bunko|oclc=15279654}}</ref> Its membership reached its peak with 7,000 adherents in 1924 and 23,000 in 1950. Nevertheless the organisation is mentioned as an example of how Nichiren's teachings were interpreted in a nationalistic fashion, also referred to as ], and influenced Nichiren Buddhist based ] in terms of propagation.<ref>Jacqueline I. Stone, By Imperial Edict and Shogunal Decree: politics and the issue of the ordination platform in modern lay Nichiren Buddhism. In: Steven Heine; Charles S. Prebish (ed.); Buddhism in the Modern World, New York: Oxford University Press, 2003. ISBN 0195146972, p. 198</ref><ref name="Wessinger2000">{{cite book|author=Catherine Wessinger|title=Millennialism, Persecution, and Violence: Historical Cases|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=s8BvgFul4MEC&pg=PA269|year=2000|publisher=Syracuse University Press|isbn=978-0-8156-2809-5|page=269}}</ref><ref name="Isomae2014">{{cite book|author=Jun'ichi Isomae|title=Religious Discourse in Modern Japan: Religion, State, and Shintō|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=ok33AwAAQBAJ&pg=PA189|date=6 June 2014|publisher=Brill Academic Pub|isbn=978-90-04-27268-2|page=189}}</ref><ref name="Emmanuel2013">{{cite book|author=Steven M. Emmanuel|title=A Companion to Buddhist Philosophy|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=HWPpk8eDPf4C&pg=PT620|date=22 January 2013|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-1-118-32388-5|page=620}}</ref> | |||
| The Kokuchūkai's teachings are based on ] with a strong emphasis given to a nationalistic interpretation of the teachings of ] and the notion of ].<ref name="Tanaka1935">{{cite book|author=Chigaku Tanaka|title=What is Nippon Kokutai?: Introduction to Nipponese National Principles ...|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=mNnMRAAACAAJ|year=1935|publisher=Shishio Bunko|oclc=15279654}}</ref>{{Primary source-inline}}<!-- I have my doubts as to whether this source verifies the claim to which it is attached, as well. It would need to name the Kokuchūkai specifically and state that it is based on a nationalistic interpretation of Nichiren's teachings and Tanaka's notion of the Kokutai -- wording that Tanaka, who believed he was getting back to the original teachings of Nichiren, would almost certainly not have used himself. --><!-- Also removed unsourced claim about 23,000 members in 1950, which is contradicted by Stone, and following poorly-written (I couldn't understand exactly what it was trying to say) sentence sourced to Stone but apparently not saying the same thing she was. --> | |||
| ==Teachings== | |||
| Among the group's principal teachings are to return to the teachings of the founder of Nichiren Buddhism, the 13th-century monk ] and unite the various sects of Nichiren Buddhism.<ref name=Britannica/> The group's teachings are characterized by a strong form of ].<ref name=Britannica/> | |||
| The group's sacred text is the ]<ref name=Britannica/> and their main object of reverence is the {{nihongo|''Sado Shigen Myō Mandara''|佐渡始原妙曼荼羅||extra=]}}, a ] supposedly made by ] on the island of ].<ref name=Britannica/><ref name="Kokuchukai origin"> on the Kokuchūkai's official website.</ref> | |||
| ==Membership== | |||
| At its height in 1924, the group's membership was estimated at over 7,000.<ref name=Stone/> | |||
| The literary figures ]<!--To balance with Kenji, a source about Takayama here would be nice. --> and ]<ref name=Keene>{{citation|last = Keene|first = Donald|author-link = Donald Keene|year = 1999|title = A History of Japanese Literature: Volume 4: Dawn to the West &mdash Japanese Literature of the Modern Era (Poetry, Drama, Criticism)|place = New York|publisher = Columbia University Press|page = 285<!-- Not ENTIRELY sure about this page number, but it's quoted here: https://en.wikipedia.org/search/?title=User_talk%3ACatflap08&diff=649251638&oldid=649227334 -->|isbn = 978-0-2311-1439-4}}.</ref> were members of the Kokuchūkai for a time. The group's official website continues to claim them,<ref name="Kokuchukai Takayama"> on the Kokuchūkai's official website.</ref><ref name="Kokuchukai Kenji"> on the Kokuchūkai's official website.</ref> but they ultimately rejected Tanaka's nationalistic views.<ref name=Stone/> | |||
| ==Publications== | |||
| The groups publications include the monthly magazines {{nihongo|''Nichiren-shugi''|日蓮主義||extra="]"}} and {{nihongo|''Shin-sekai''|真世界||extra="True World"}}.<ref name=Britannica/> | |||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
| {{reflist}} | {{reflist}} | ||
| <!-- The following three sources were piled onto a sentence that didn't make much sense to begin with, so Iremoved them. But what they have to say about the group could probably be summarized and used to improve the article at some later date. Hijiri88, 2014/04/02. | |||
| <ref name="Wessinger2000">{{cite book|author=Catherine Wessinger|title=Millennialism, Persecution, and Violence: Historical Cases|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=s8BvgFul4MEC&pg=PA269|year=2000|publisher=Syracuse University Press|isbn=978-0-8156-2809-5|page=269}}</ref> | |||
| <ref name="Isomae2014">{{cite book|author=Jun'ichi Isomae|title=Religious Discourse in Modern Japan: Religion, State, and Shintō|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=ok33AwAAQBAJ&pg=PA189|date=6 June 2014|publisher=Brill Academic Pub|isbn=978-90-04-27268-2|page=189}}</ref> | |||
| <ref name="Emmanuel2013">{{cite book|author=Steven M. Emmanuel|title=A Companion to Buddhist Philosophy|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=HWPpk8eDPf4C&pg=PT620|date=22 January 2013|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-1-118-32388-5|page=620}}</ref> | |||
| --> | |||
| ==External links== | ==External links== | ||
| * (Japanese) | * (Japanese) | ||
Revision as of 03:16, 2 April 2015
The Kokuchūkai (国柱会, "Pillar of the Nation Society") is a lay-oriented Nichiren Buddhist organisation. It was founded by Tanaka Chigaku in 1880 as Rengekai (蓮華会, "Lotus Blossom Society") and renamed Risshō Ankokukai (立正安国会) in 1884 before adopting its current name in 1914.
Originally based in Yokohama, the group shifted its head office to to Tokyo, Kyoto/Osaka, Kamakura and Miho, Shizuoka before finally moving back to Tokyo. The group is currently based in Ichinoe, Edogawa-ku.
The Kokuchūkai's teachings are based on Nichiren Buddhism with a strong emphasis given to a nationalistic interpretation of the teachings of Nichiren and the notion of Kokutai.
Teachings
Among the group's principal teachings are to return to the teachings of the founder of Nichiren Buddhism, the 13th-century monk Nichiren and unite the various sects of Nichiren Buddhism. The group's teachings are characterized by a strong form of Nichirenism.
The group's sacred text is the Lotus Sutra and their main object of reverence is the Sado Shigen Myō Mandara (佐渡始原妙曼荼羅, Japanese Misplaced Pages article), a mandala supposedly made by Nichiren on the island of Sado.
Membership
At its height in 1924, the group's membership was estimated at over 7,000.
The literary figures Chogyū Takayama and Kenji Miyazawa were members of the Kokuchūkai for a time. The group's official website continues to claim them, but they ultimately rejected Tanaka's nationalistic views.
Publications
The groups publications include the monthly magazines Nichiren-shugi (日蓮主義, "Nichirenism") and Shin-sekai (真世界, "True World").
References
- ^ Britannica Kokusai Dai-hyakkajiten article "Kokuchūkai". 2007. Britannica Japan Co.
- Eiichi ?tani, ("A Comparative Analysis of Buddhist Nationalism in Asia"). International Research Center for Japanese Studies. p 115
- ^ Jacqueline I. Stone, "By Imperial Edict and Shogunal Decree: politics and the issue of the ordination platform in modern lay Nichiren Buddhism". IN: Steven Heine; Charles S. Prebish (ed.) Buddhism in the Modern World. New York: Oxford University Press. 2003. ISBN 0195146972. pp 197-198.
- Chigaku Tanaka (1935). What is Nippon Kokutai?: Introduction to Nipponese National Principles ... Shishio Bunko. OCLC 15279654.
- Risshō Ankoku no jitsugen e on the Kokuchūkai's official website.
- Keene, Donald (1999), A History of Japanese Literature: Volume 4: Dawn to the West &mdash Japanese Literature of the Modern Era (Poetry, Drama, Criticism), New York: Columbia University Press, p. 285, ISBN 978-0-2311-1439-4.
- "Takayama Chogyū" on the Kokuchūkai's official website.
- "Kenji Miyazawa" on the Kokuchūkai's official website.
External links
- Official website (Japanese)