| e whole, Japanese Buddhism still maintains its strength | | | | whole population, and with about 80,000 Buddhist |
| in the intelligentsia and the rural population. Zen is | | | | temples attended by 200,000 priests, Japan is rightly |
| associated with the culture preserved among the | | | | called a Buddhist country. Through the variety of |
| highly cultured people, is the spiritual strength of the | | | | Buddhist movements and efforts toward a revival, |
| nation, and has a strong appeal to the intellectuals | | | | Japan of the postwar period has thus experienced |
| and the modern Western mind. For the rural people, | | | | Buddhist vitality in various ways. There has grown a |
| the popular sects of Amida and the Lotus offer | | | | deepened religious concern through works of |
| stronger appeal, especially the Shin sect which has | | | | Buddhist scholars devoted to the reinterpretation of |
| the greatest number of adherents. Superstitious | | | | Buddhist ideas. There have been increased Buddhist |
| beliefs and practices are also widely accepted. As a | | | | social and political roles through lay people taking a |
| characteristic of Japanese modernity, the many new | | | | more active part in Buddhist organizations. With the |
| religions have emerged to meet the modern religious | | | | coming of the new-born sects, there has been a |
| needs of the middle class. | | | | reawakening to the Buddhist social ideal to make up |
| Movements have grown among the Buddhists | | | | for the faded social ethics of the old traditional sects, |
| tdwards cooperation and unification, and lay Buddhists | | | | and a starting on a new course of the development |
| have taken a more active part in religious activities. | | | | of political power. So far, the energies of the |
| This has resulted in the organization of the Japan | | | | Japanese Buddhists have been directed “not |
| Chapter of the World Federation of Buddhists, the All | | | | so much to the revival of the Buddhist culture as to |
| Japan Young Buddhist Federation, and the Japan | | | | the attempt to preserve and consolidate it amidst |
| Buddhist Women’s Association. | | | | the essentially alien and hostile environment of |
| Representatives have been sent by the different | | | | modern life.” |
| sects to observe conditions, practices and activities in | | | | Internationally, Japan’s great contribution to |
| other Buddhist countries. There are many universities, | | | | the progress of Buddhism cannot be underestimated. |
| colleges and schools operated or supported by | | | | Through the works both of the Japanese and of the |
| Buddhist sects. Research activities have been | | | | Western scholars, the message of the Buddha has |
| conducted actively in universities and research | | | | been carried to the West. There, in the light of |
| institutions such as the Nippon Buddhist Research | | | | modern studies, the interest has been ever |
| Association and the Japanese Association of Indian | | | | increasing, both in the doctrine and in the practice, |
| and Buddhist Studies, by scholars using modern | | | | especially in Zen psychology and meditation. If a |
| methods, on the whole field of Buddhist literature in | | | | special form of the religion called Western Buddhism |
| Sanskrit, Pali, Tibetan, Mongolian and Chinese. Studies | | | | is ever developing in the West, it is Japanese |
| in the Indian Buddhist sources and international | | | | Buddhism that has made a great contribution to the |
| contacts have also inspired a strong urge to return to | | | | process of the development. And it is this |
| original Buddhism. | | | | contribution that, as a repayment, has helped to |
| Statistically, with a Buddhist population of | | | | keep for Japan a dignified and respected place in the |
| approximately 75 million, or about 85 percent of the | | | | realm of international relations. |