Essay name: Theravada Buddhist studies in Japan
Author:
Keiko Soda
Affiliation: University of Calcutta / Department of Pali
This essay studies the acceptance of Buddhism in Japanese culture and nature, in light of the concept of “Impermanence”. The history of Japanese Buddhism traces its origins from its introduction through Korea, evolving significantly over various periods.
Chapter 4 - Theravada Buddhist studies in Japan
2 (of 27)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
Download the PDF file of the original publication
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
CHAPTER IV
THERAVĀDA BUDDHIST STUDIES IN JAPAN
IV. 1. INTRODUCTION
In the present time, it is necessary to study
how the Japanese scholars have produced the achievements
of the Buddhist studies from the beginning of Meiji
Period up to the present day. During the last 100 years
much works and achievements have been done by the
Japanese scholars. It would be difficult for the
European scholars to know what have been written and
published about it. On the other hand, most of the
Japanese scholars have had much informations concerning
about the Buddhist studies in Europe.
For the purpose of the development of the
Buddhist studies, it is necessary for us to clear the
achievements produced not only by the individual
studies but also by the universities and the institutes.
IV. 2. FROM WHEN THE THERAVADA BUDDHISM HAS BEEN STUDIED?
1 In Japan, Jiun Sonja (1718-1807) studied Sanskrit
at the end of Edo Period. He studied Sanskrit by him-
self without being influenced by any Western scholars.
He was a monk of the shingon Sect. In this sect they
have been learning the Sanskrit characters to read the
dharanis. This study was called Shittan Gaku (Siddham,
$
