ealc review part 6

8/2/2019 Ealc Review Part 6

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Part 6

Genpei War ()- War between Taira() and Minamoto() clans

- Late-Heian period of Japan (lasted for five years and was concluded with

a decisive Minamoto victory in the naval Battle of Dan-no-ura.)

- Taira clan lost, and Kamakura shogunate was established under

Minamoto Yoritomo in 1192

Mappo (latter days of the Dharma)

- one of the three ages of buddhism, in which practice becomes difficult dueto self-centeredness, distractions, confusion and inter-personal conflict.- Dharma means Law or Natural Law and is a concept of centralimportance in Indian philosophy and religion. Dharma may encompassideas such as duty, vocation, religion and everything that is consideredcorrect, proper or decent behavior.

Pure Land Buddhism

- A broad branch of Mahayana Buddhism and one of the most populartraditions of Buddhism in East Asia.

- focus on Amitabha Buddha.- In Mahyna Buddhism, there are many buddhas, and each buddha has a

pure land. Amitbha's pure land of Sukhvat is understood to be in thewestern direction, whereasAkobhya's pure land ofAbhiratiis to the east.

Amida

- Amida is the Japanese name for Amitabha- Amida is the principal Buddha in the pure land sect, a branch of Buddhism

practiced mainly in East Asia.

- Amida is known for his longevity attribute and the aggregate ofdistinguishing (recognition) and the deep awareness of individualities. he

also possesses infinite merits resulting from good deeds over countless

past lives as a bodhisattva named Dharmakara. Amida is translatable asinfinite Light, so Amida is often called as The Buddha of infinite

Light.

Jiriki (self power; Ji=self, Riki=power; )

- Japanese Buddhist term for self power, to enable one self to liberate orspiritually enlighten themselves, in other words, to reach nirvana. (nirvana

is the state of being free from suffering.)

- the attempt to do absolutely nothing (meitate)Tariki (other power)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akshobhyahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akshobhyahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akshobhyahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akshobhyahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akshobhyahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abhiratihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abhiratihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abhiratihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abhiratihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akshobhya


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- The power of Amitabha Buddha. (we can reach nirvana if we rely on thepower of Amitabha Buddha)

Mujo (impermanence;)

-

one of the essential doctrines or three marks of existence in Buddhism.(three mars of existence are three characteristics shared by all sentient

being, namely: impermanence, suffering or unsatisfactoriness, and non-

self.

- the term expresses the notion that all of conditioned existence, withoutexception, is in a constant state of flux.

Six realms (rokudo)

- The god realm- The jealous god realm- The human realm- The animal Realm- The hungry ghost realm- The hell realm

Hungry ghosts (gaki)

- referring to those beings in the hungry ghost realm, they are not fullyalive; not fully capable of living and appreciating what the moment has to

offer.

Expedient means (Hoben)

- One of the chapters in the Lotus Sutra (2nd chapter)Recluse literature

- Japanese literary movement that rose to its peak in the late Heian Periodand Kamakura Period of Japan. It was started by men who, choosing the

isolated life of a recluse over that of the busy urban dweller, acquired the

freedom to explore and subsequently express their reflections without the

restrictions of normal life.

Zuihitsu (follow the impulse of the brush; )

- is a genre ofJapanese literature consisting of loosely connected personalessays and fragmented ideas that typically respond to the author's

surroundings. The name is derived from two Kanji meaning "to follow"

and "brush", and thus works of the genre should be considered not as

traditionally planned literary pieces but rather as casual or randomly

recorded thoughts by the authors.

The Five Obstacles

- the view that a woman cannot become a Brahma, a devil king, a wheel-turning king, or a Buddha.

- it is mentioned in the devadatta (12th chapter of the Lotus Sutra.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heian_Periodhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamakura_Periodhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_literaturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essayshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanjihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanjihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essayshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_literaturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamakura_Periodhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heian_Period


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- The five obstacles are:- Sensual desire (kmacchanda): Craving for pleasure to the senses.

- Anger or ill-will (bypda, vypda): Feelings of malice directed toward

others.

- Sloth-torpor or boredom (thna-middha): Half-hearted action with little or

no concentration.

- Restlessness-worry (uddhacca-kukkucca): The inability to calm the mind

- Doubt (vicikicch): Lack of conviction or trust.

Three Obediences

- obedience to husband, father and sonReview Question

Historical

1. Today, the Japanese use nihon as the proper name of their country. In whatway is this term problematic when applied to ancient Japan?

The character Nihon mean sun-origin, which is why japan is sometimes

referred to as the Land of the Rising Sun.

in ancient time the characters were pronounced Yamato but since

it was from the Heian period that characters began to be given chinese as well as Japanese

pronunciation. It is probably beyond dispute that two forms, Nihon and Nippon were used.

Kinai was originally known as yamato. from early on, it was decided for this

reasont hat Japan should be used exclusively in external negotiations, yet even in a region

such as northern Kyushu which had close links with Kinai, a consciousness of the

Japanese state (nihonkoku ) or being Japaense (Nihonjun), except among those

who became state officials, does not seem to have reached very deeply into the society.

2. Are the Japanese a homogeneous people going back to prehistorical times?Why or why not?

Japan was a homogeneous country due to their agriculture abundances andlocation.

Japan has transformed from a primitive tribal society prior to the sixth century

into a nation of aristocratic bureaucrats from the seventh through twelfth

centuries; later, into a land of contending feudal powers; and finally, into its

present condition as a nation state.

Japanese themselves were pleased with their homeland, calling their islands

the land of luxuriant rice ears. historically, therefore, isolation and a

relatively productive agricultural base were the two outstanding determinants

in Japans geographical setting.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C4%81mahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C4%81mahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C4%81mahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C4%81ma


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It is significant that the main islands of Jpaan in historic times were unified

either under a single political authority or under a homogeneous ruling

society. the three islands of Kyushu, shikoku, and Honshu upon which the first

Japanese state emerged were never develop into separate and competitive

regions, nor were they to produce separate sovereignties as did the British

Isles.

3. What are some of the characteristics of the Kojiki and Nihon shoki? In whatways do the Kojiki and Nihon shoki differ in their approach to history writing?

What purpose lay behind the writing of these accounts?

Kojiki()

-oldest extant chronicle in Japan dating from early 8 th century, composed by

Yasumaro at the request of Empress Gemmei

-collection of myths concerning the origin of the four home islands of Japan,

and the Kami(Japanese word for sprits, natural forces, or essence in the Shinto faith.),misogi purification ritual

-songs/poems, written in form of Chinese with heavy mixture of Japanese

elements. songs are written with chinese characters that are only used to convey

sounds.

- written in a combination of chinese and phonetic transcription of Japanese

Nihon Shoki ()

- second oldest book of classical Japanese history. more elaborate and detailedthan the Kojiki, and is proven to be an important tool for historians and

archeologists as it includes the most complete extant historical record of

ancient Japan

- finished in year 720- focus on the merits of the virtuous rulers as well as the errors of the bad

rulers.

- written in classical Chinese(more formal)- contains numerous transliteration notes telling the reader how words were

pronounced in Japanese

- is said to be based on older documents, specifically on the records that hadbeen continuously kept in the Yamato court since the sixth century.

4. In what ways does the medieval period mark a sharp break with earlier periodsof Japanese culture? How have these differences influenced the literature of

each period? Are there any continuities between the literature of the Nara,

Heian, and Medieval periods?

Because there were constant warfare during the medieval period, many literature were

written based on different warfare. Womens position in society was also highly

debated


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Litreature in medieval japan reflects the Buddhist notion of the impermanence of life

and the need to renounce worldly attachment to gain release from the sufferings of

human existence is reflected in the literature of the period.

5. Whats orientalism and how has it affected our understanding of Japan?

ealc review part 6

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