We will first explore some examples of these different practices, such as breath counting, mental imagery, pilgrimage, and ritual. We will look at the ritual of chanting from two Shin doctrinal viewpoints, the first Buttoku Sandan or Praising the Virtues of Buddha, and Hoon Kansha, or Debt of Gratitude to the Buddha. We will examine the ritual of chanting as a religious expression of shinjin and as a means of viewing the true and real self. Finally, we will discuss Shinran's life and his view of the role of chanting in our fives. In this session of the seminar, we will explore the ways in which Japanese Buddhist thinkers, writers, and practitioners have wrestled with these questions over the centuries.
Gender is the meaning that a given culture ascribes to sex difference.
This cultural understanding of what it means to be a man, what it means to be a woman, what it means to be a boy or a girl, is inextricably tied to ideas about the family and about sexuality. We will see that gender was also a fundamental issue in Buddhist doctrine and practice for men and women in premodern Japan. By examining the ideas of male clerics, the religious practice of nuns, and legends of male and female Buddhist saints, we can arrive at a fuller understanding of the rich, complex, and, and at times troubling legacy that has come down to us. IBS An introduction to Shinran's view of Buddha-nature. The discussion will also include a brief overview of the development of the idea of Buddha-nature within Mahayana Buddhism.