Buddhism, came to Japan via Korea in the sixth century, has undergone various transformations and changes in this island country and has been shaped many times by the new circumstances it has come across. One of these important transformations which Buddhism went through in Japanese history took place during the Kamakura Period. Buddhist monks like Eisai, Dōgen, and Hōnen who complaining that the Buddhist schools of the previous periods were degenerated, developed new understandings and established the Kamakura Buddhist schools. The purpose of this article is to examine these new Buddhist schools in terms of their understandings of the monastic life. In Buddhism, because it is undeniable the centrality of monastery, it is necessary to discuss the Kamakura schools’ approaches toward the monastic life to comprehend the Japanese Buddhism. In this context, firstly the conditions that affecting the development of the Kamakura Buddhist schools are analyzed. Secondly, it is discussed Pure Land, Nichiren, and Zen schools’ understanding of monastic life. Six Nara schools and Tendai and Shingon schools that emerged in the previous periods but continued to exist during the Kamakura period as well are beyond the scope of this article.
Primary Language | Turkish |
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Subjects | Religious Studies |
Journal Section | Research Article |
Authors | |
Publication Date | December 31, 2020 |
Published in Issue | Year 2020 Volume: 3 Issue: 6 |