Buddhist Master Ingen and the Spread of Oubaku Culture to the Japan
Resource
臺大日本語文研究, 6, 155-182
Journal
臺大日本語文研究
Journal Volume
6
Pages
155-182
Date Issued
2004-06
Date
2004-06
Author(s)
Abstract
Japan’s academic and ideological independence from foreign
influence began in the time of Edo. Her assimilation of the Chinese
culture also ended in the time of Edo. Following the Sakoku (national
isolation) policy adopted by the Tokugawa Bakuhu in the early 17th
century, Nagasaki harbor in Kyushu became the only contact point for
Sino-Japan cultural exchange. But given that the teachings of Confucian
scholar Zhu Xi (Zhu Zi) was the orthodox school at that time under the
Bakuhan system, Confucianism was prevalent in the Japanese society.
Intellectuals in particular were keen on learning the Chinese culture. The
Tokugawa Bakuhu that lasted more than two hundred years also made
substantial efforts in encouraging the Han school of learning. Confucian
and Han scholars in Japan at the time vied for the opportunity to study in
Nagasaki and took mastery in Chinese scholarship as their lifetime
achievement. Besides submitting themselves to Confucian teachings with
reverence, they wholeheartedly embraced ancient Chinese books, poetry,
and painting. It was the unprecedented flourishing period for Han school.
The prevalence and flourishing of scholarly endeavor and atmosphere
during the Edo era were attributed largely to the long-term internal peace,
government encouragement, academic freedom, and the advancement of
printing. In their efforts to promote education, the bakuhus or governors
recruited learned scholars and encouraged the collection and printing of
literature. Quite a few bakuhu generals themselves were keen on
academic pursuit.
The one person that exerted far-reaching influence on Japanese
culture in religion as well as arts and crafts was Buddhist Master Ingen
Ryouki of the Oubaku sect who traveled across the sea to Japan in 1654
to preach the Buddhist teaching. Given that Han poetry and literature
were dominant during the Edo era when Confucianism was at its peak,
Ingen’s graceful poetry and verses and his mastery in calligraphy earned
him a name as the rightful descendant of the Oubaku culture in Japan’s
cultural community. Ingen and his two disciples Mokuan (1611-1684)
and Sokuhi (1616-1671) were lauded as the “three masters of Oubaku.”
For Japan’s Buddhist community in the time of Sakoku, the Buddhist
teaching, disciplinary thinking and rules of the Oubaku sect provided
guidance to Japanese Buddhist monks and made considerable
contribution to the development of the Japanese culture. This paper purports to examine the correspondences of Ingen and reinterpret the difference between his scholarly thinking and his influence on the modern-time culture of Japan. The paper also explores his interactions with a number of late-Ming surviving officials and theclan of Zheng Cheng-gong(1624-1662) , his role in fighting the Q’ing dynasty as Ming survivors and his viewpoint on national identity.
Subjects
隱元
黃檗文化
漢學
典籍
木庵
即非
鄭成功
Ingen
OubaKu Culture
Han school
ancient Chinese books
Mokuan
Sokuhi
Zheng Cheng-gong
Type
journal article
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