[THE SOCIAL, political, religious and environmental climate during 13th
century Japan was the fertile ground that gave rise to new religious thought.]
Kamakura was the age of the great popularization of Buddhism. In the time of
disunity and violence, deepening pessimism increased the appeal of the
search for salvation. Two new sects, Jodo (Pure Land) and Zen (Meditation),
dominated the period. The old Heian sects had been quite esoteric and
appealed more to the intellectuals than to the masses. The Mount Hiei
monasteries had become politically powerful but appealed primarily to those
capable of the study of the sect's teachings. This situation gave rise to the
Jodo sect, based on unconditional faith and devotion and prayer to Amida
Buddha. Zen rejected all temporal and scriptural authority, stressing moral
character rather than intellectual attainments, an emphasis that appealed to the
military class. Growing numbers of the military class turned to Zen masters,
regarded as embodiments of truth [Source: Library of Congress. Fact Detail.com]
This is the milieu into which Nichien Daishonin's Buddhism emerged.
century Japan was the fertile ground that gave rise to new religious thought.]
Kamakura was the age of the great popularization of Buddhism. In the time of
disunity and violence, deepening pessimism increased the appeal of the
search for salvation. Two new sects, Jodo (Pure Land) and Zen (Meditation),
dominated the period. The old Heian sects had been quite esoteric and
appealed more to the intellectuals than to the masses. The Mount Hiei
monasteries had become politically powerful but appealed primarily to those
capable of the study of the sect's teachings. This situation gave rise to the
Jodo sect, based on unconditional faith and devotion and prayer to Amida
Buddha. Zen rejected all temporal and scriptural authority, stressing moral
character rather than intellectual attainments, an emphasis that appealed to the
military class. Growing numbers of the military class turned to Zen masters,
regarded as embodiments of truth [Source: Library of Congress. Fact Detail.com]
This is the milieu into which Nichien Daishonin's Buddhism emerged.
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