The Dynamics of Religious Change and Development within a Japanese Buddhist Sect

In this article I will focus on some on practical aspects of religious hie in Japan.How do Japanese make religious decisions and changes?What religious concepts or precepts have an effectual appeal to Japanese people?Where is the intersection be tween re1igous values and everyday hie?I would 1ike to deal with these questions by centering some observations around the theme of the dynamics of religious change and development among Japanese Buddhists.I wil1 report on observations on how certain Japanese Buddhist leaders try to motivate people toward stronger belief, and how they present Buddhist teachngs as the answer to people's practical everyday problems.I wil1 do this by reporting on a spechic case study of a twentieth century Buddhist sect, Nssho Kbseikai.Although I did this study a number of years ago, the parts of it which I will present in this paper seem stil1 relevant to the religious scene today.We wi11 especialy focus on the Nssho Koseikai thereafter, RK), activity called Hoza, which RK translates as "group counseling'.Anyone is free to attend a Hoza group, and there present any kind of problem for discussion by the group, and solution by the trained group leader.There leaders also function as teachers.I have personahy attended many Hoza sessions, taking carefu1 note of the points of teaching and problem-solving made by the group leaders.I wi11 share with you a number of verbatirn reports which are erccepts from these sessions.After this survey of Hoza conversations, we will briefly take up some points of interpretation from a psychological and Christian perspective.In this wM be included interpretations by my colleague Dr. Susumu Akahoshi, who is a Christian psychiatrist Lastiy some evaluations of the Buddhist approach to religious change and deveF opment, and comParisons with the approach of the Japanese Christian church wil1 be made. I. A REPORI' OF OBSERVArllONS OF RISSHO KOSEIKAI A PROBLEM-SOLVING IN HOZA OF RISSHO KOSEIKAIThe ofichlly stated purpose of hoza is to apply the teachings of fundamental Buddhism to everyday ure problems, to help people solve any and all the problems of their ure by a proper application of Buddhist doctrine to specMc situations.This process is called" musubi" in RK terminology, which literally means "tying together."The teaching is tied in with the everyday problem; i.e., the problem is solved in the light of the Buddhist Law.Perhaps the most characteristic thing about the handling of problems brought to hoza is the use of a stereotyped answer for them.Generally speaking, problems are not handled as individual, unique experiences which require an individual, unique solution.Rather, they are seen as merely a particu1ar manifestation of a universal problem common to everyone.Therefore the solution required is a general, universally applicable one.The comprehensive answer will be stated in the form of an inclusive formula at the end of this section.Firsq cases from hoza conversations will be presented to rnustrate the various aspects of this formula. D Manijestation ofhannaIn RK the idea of suffering as a manifestation of karma, that is, the Buddhist teaching that the ethical consequences of one's acts determine future fate, either in one's own ure, or in the experience of future generations, is a presupposition basic to the understanding of ad human problems.The following is a typical ruustration.Mrs.