Zen at War - Contents

Contents

The book focuses on the history of Zen Buddhism and Japanese militarism from the time of the Meiji Restoration through the Second World War and the post-War period. It describes the influence of state policy on Japanese Buddhism, and particularly the influence of Zen philosophy on the Japanese military.

A famous quote is from Harada Daiun Sogaku:

march: tramp, tramp, or shoot: bang, bang. This is the manifestation of the highest Wisdom . The unity of Zen and war of which I speak extends to the farthest reaches of the holy war .

The book also explores the actions of Japanese Buddhists who opposed the growth of militarism.

The 2002 edition of Zen at War was followed by Zen War Stories, which further explores the intimate relationship between Japanese institutional Buddhism and militarism during World War II.

Read more about this topic:  Zen At War

Famous quotes containing the word contents:

    Yet to speak of the whole world as metaphor
    Is still to stick to the contents of the mind
    And the desire to believe in a metaphor.
    It is to stick to the nicer knowledge of
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    Wallace Stevens (1879–1955)

    Such as boxed
    Their feelings properly, complete to tags
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    Would often find the contents had been scrambled.
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    To be, contents his natural desire;
    He asks no Angel’s wing, no Seraph’s fire;
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    His faithful dog shall bear him company.
    Alexander Pope (1688–1744)