Nara's Buddhist temples were another result of cultural diffusion. Buddhism began in India in the 500s B.C.E., and about 1,000 years later, it came to Japan from China by way of Korea.

Japan's original religion was Shinto. This religion expresses the love and respect of the Japanese for nature. Its followers worship spirits called kami, which are impressive natural objects, such as wind, lightning, rivers, mountains, waterfalls, large trees, and unusual stones. The emperor and other special people are also considered kami.

Instead of emphasizing a code of morality, Shinto stresses purifying whatever is unclean, such as dirt, wounds, and disease. Touching the dead also makes one unclean. Most of all, however, Shintoists celebrate life and the beauty of nature.

In contrast, Buddhists see life as full of pain and suffering. The founder of Buddhism, Siddhartha Gautama, taught that life is an endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. To escape this cycle, one must follow a moral code called the Eightfold Path, which emphasizes showing respect for others, acting rightly, and achieving wisdom through meditation. Following the path leads to enlightenment, or seeing the world as it really is. Those who achieve enlightenment can enter nirvana, a state of perfect peace, and will never be born again into a life of suffering.

Shinto expresses love and respect for
nature. This is part of a Shinto temple in
a forest.
By finding the path to enlightenment, Siddhartha became the Buddha, or “enlightened one.” As Buddhism spread throughout India, a new form arose, called Mahayana, or “Greater Vehicle.” This name symbolizes a core teaching of Mahayana: that all people can reach nirvana. Its followers believe in bodhisattvas, Buddhists who can enter nirvana but choose instead to help others reach enlightenment. These godlike spirits live in different paradises, and worshippers pray to them in hopes of being reborn into one of these paradises. It is this form of Buddhism that spread along trade routes to China. The influence of Chinese culture brought Buddhism to Korea.

Mahayana Buddhism arrived in Japan in 552 when a Korean king sent the Japanese emperor a statue of the Buddha and a recommendation for the new religion. The statue arrived at the emperor's court surrounded by chanting monks, books of prayer, gongs, and banners. The emperor was not quite sure what to make of it. “The countenance [expression] of this Buddha,” he said, “is of a severe dignity such as we have never at all seen before. Ought it to be worshipped or not?” The members of an uji clan called the Soga, who were originally from Korea, were the main supporters of the new religion.

After a fierce controversy, the emperor and his court adopted the new religion. They admired its wisdom and rituals, and they considered the Buddha a protector of families and the nation. Later rulers, such as Prince Shotoku, learned more about Buddhism through Korean monks and teachers.

Buddhism did not replace Shinto. Instead, both religions thrived and even blended, with Buddhists building shrines to kami, and Shintoists enshrining bodhisattvas. Even today, ceremonies to celebrate birth and marriage often come from Shinto, the joyful religion, whereas funeral ceremonies are Buddhist, the religion that acknowledges suffering and pain.
2. Describe Japan’s religion before it was influenced by countries on the mainland.

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3. Describe the new religion that Japan adopted and any changes the Japanese made to this religion.

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