Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-28
INFLUENCE OF BUDDHA
BUDDHIsM's SOCIAL AND PoLITI-
CAL LEGACY TO JAPAN.
Doctrine Of "the Hegel Of Asia"
Taught Before the Cross Was
Planted In England. ~t
From the Literary Digest.

From the Literary Digest.
Buddhism is generally loked upon as q
sort of occult mysticism. whose mazes of
thought and theory are almost inscrutable
to the sincere western inquirer. Buddha
has been called the Hegel OF Asia. and few
have understood that like many European
teachers OF religion he actually laid the
foundations OF a very high order OF civiii-
cation and beaueathed through his expo
nents many solid social. political and artis-
tic endowments of distinctly material and
practical value to the Japanese nation.
buddhism entered Japan "A generation be-
FORE the Roman mission under Augustine
planted the cross at Canterbury 1t has
played an immense part In national life
ever since, says Prof. j. Estlin Carpenter
In the Hilbert journal CLondon). and is
still full OF vigorous activity today. He
proceeds to consider the specific influence
this great world-religion has exercised over
Japan, and dwells especially upon Its pow
er as an agent in promoting material civ
flization. learning and art. Its great teach
ers humanized the people; Japanese emper-
ors one after another retired to the silent
life of its naonasteres as Charles V. with
drew TO a cell at Yuste. To quote the pres
ent writer:
THE vast collections of scripture due to
the enormous patience OF Chinese scholars
were carried across the sea. and fresh de-
velopments arose on the basis of particular
books. While Bernard was preaching q
crusade, while Francis of Assist was reviv-
ing the primitive type of Christian life and
Thomas Aquinas organizing Catholic
theology the founders of the three leading
sects of modern Japan were also al work
The influence OF Buddhism on national af-
fairs had long been prominent. as one en-
peror after another mad retired into the
silent
cial object of imperial patronage.
Agents Of Civilization.
Like the monastics of the middle ages
the teachers of Buddhism were agents OF
civilization, builders. roadmakers and agri-
culturists. OF this religion Mr.. Carpenter
declares:
1T was the first great civi!zing agency.
The spread of It's preaching carried the in
fiuence of philanthropy through the empire.
To dig wells. to make roads, to euild
bridges, to plant fruit trees, TO drain
marshes, was part OF piety like nursing
the sick and helping the poor The
temples became centers of popular teach
ing; the village schools were connected
with the sanctuaries. There children of all
classes received instruction at a nominal
cost in the arts of reading and writing, IN
drawing and In the ethical compound or
Buddhist morality and Confucian wisdom.
Doubtless the profession of arms required
another kind of training: but even the i'm
perial household employed Buddhist IN
structors, and the samurai scholars sought
to perfect their knowledge under Buddhist !
teachers. Moreover, as the life of the COM
munity revived in China round the village
temple. SO in Japan the local Buddhist !
priest became the depository of the family
history The public registers were IN MIS-
charge, and he furnished certificates of
birth and lineage and death. Is It surpris-
ing that under these conditions Buddhism
should have powerfully influenced the ma
tional character and stamped Its impress
on the language and literature OF the
whole people?'
The artistic spirit of the japanese is d. !
rectly indebted to Buddhism for its devel-
opment and direction, and the architectural /,
creations of its religious artists are by no
means devoid of power and sublimlty, says I
Mr.. Carpenter. The dimensions Of Buddhist (
temples those of western cathedrals.
To quote further:
Development of Japan.
1.-The artistic development Of Japan was /.
fostered under the same genial tutorship. !
The temple must be decorated; the Buddha (
was early represented surrounded by ranks /
of Bodhisattvas, in acts of adorlng homage. /
against rich gold backgrounds resembling |
those of early italian art. Corridor and /
chamber were lined with frescoes repre- /
senting the torments Of the hells and the !
felicity of the blest. No Dante arose TO |
give immortal embodiment to the moral life /
and destiny OF man; but the artists of the /
Takuma line, from the twelfth to the four /
teenth centuries, fixed the sacred types for |
the piety of after ages, and Che Densu has /
sometimes been compared with Fra Angel !
leo In sculpture. perhaps even more sue /
cessfully than In painting, has Buddhism |
expressed it's artistic ideal. AT kamakura,
once the capital of eastern Japan, which !
boasted a population of more than mill !
ion in the days of its glory, the colossal /
statue of the Great Buddha (Dai-butsu), all J
but fifty feet IN height, stands near the sea- |
The casting began In the year 1852. Twice !
has the temple which inclosed It been /
swept away by a great tidal wave After
its second destruction, in 1894 It was never
rebuilt But the great bronze igure still :
remains
"A statue solid set
And modelled in colossal calm
No other-so one of the profoundest stu ;
dents of Japanese life assures us-'gives
such an impression OF majesty, or so truly
symboIizes the central idea of Buddhism.
the spiritual peace which comes of per-
fected knowledge and the subjugation of all