JAPAN: From Petty Kingdom to Buddha Land

This article endeavours to explore some characteristics of the world view held by the Buddhist elite ofJapan during medieval times. It distinguishes between a geographical and a cosmographical level, but also indicates how closely linked both were. Continental culture offered the Japanese two different contexts: a secular one, based on the Chinese world view, in particular China-centered geography, and a religious one, embedded in the Buddhist Scriptures. The latter was much bigger in scope and time-span, and amounted to an elaborate cosmology. Making reference to the imported world-views the Japanese positioned themselves within this wider context. In medieval Japanese writings we often come across the term henchi zokusan or zokusan hendo, petty kingdom, denoting Japan. This idea is furthermore often associated with the Mappō idea. The age of Mappō, viz. the degenerate Dharma, was to set in two thousand years after Buddha's parinirvāna. The combination of being born in an age of degeneration and in a peripheral land was the worst possible scenario for someone who would aspire to reach liberation. Gradually, however, the Japanese start to reappraise their small country. Although it is admittedly small, it enjoys the protection of the Kami, the Buddhas and the Bodhisattvas. The idea of henchi zokusan was consequently substituted by the idea of Sangoku (Tenjiku, Shintan and Honchō), literally three countries, meaning India, China and Japan. This idea of Sangoku redeemed Japan from its miserable position on the periphery. The rivalry between the proponents of Amidism and the older sects seems to reflect a different appraisal of "this world" and "the other world". Surely , one could turn to another universe, in particular to the Western Paradise, where Amida resides, and set all one's hopes on rebirth in that universe, but some Nara monks looked for something closer to home. There were a few alternatives, that were not as remote from this world as Amida's paradise. There was Śākyamuni who had indeed entered nirvāna, but had at least left us his teachings and his relics. There was the future Buddha, Maitreya, who was readying himself for his final rebirth. And there was Avalokiteśvara, who resided in a realm which was the first gate to the Western Paradise, but much closer to our world. Nichiren, however, is much more radical in asserting the pre-eminence of Śākyamuni over Amida. He identified himself with Jōgyō Bosatsu, and promoted Japan to the chosen place from where he would save all living beings.