dhism, where the Zen sect, fused with the Pure Land Buddhism, was the only remaining

religious sect,
while the traditions of all the rest of the sects almost went out of existence. In Japan, by contrast, there
still exist many traditional sects which can no longer be found in China or in India. In spite of the highly
sectarian and factional tendency of the various religious sects to keep their traditional differences intact,
contempt of other sects was mutually prohibited by Japanese Buddhists. Even Rennyo (1415–1499) of
the Jodo * sect, a school supposed to be inclined toward monotheism and exclusionism, warns: "You
ought not make light of shrines," or "You ought not slander other sects and other teachings."127
Shosan* Suzuki, a Zen priest, ordains: "In this monastery the right and wrong of the world or the relative
merits of other sects ought not to be talked about.''128 Jiun admonishes his disciples: "The right and
wrong or the high and low of the teachings of other sects should not be discussed."129 Such an attitude
of tolerance might have been handed down from early Buddhism. It is noteworthy that, despite the
sectarian and factional tendency of the Japanese, they did not want to dispute with their opponents.
Realistically speaking, the accommodation of Shintoism and Buddhism might have very well been an
expedient measure taken in order to avoid possible friction between the traditional religion and the
incoming Buddhism, which came to be accepted as a national religion. It may also be said that it was
political consideration that made Honen* (1133–1212) and Rennyo (1415–1499) warn against rejecting
sects other than their own. As far as subjective consciousness in each man is concerned, however, it is
right to assert that the spirit of tolerance was the most influential factor. The most easily thought of
instance of intolerance in Japan in the past is the Nichiren sect. But even this sect embraces many non-
Buddhistic gods of India and of Japan and has adopted some elements of Shintoism and of popular
faiths. The Jodo sect does appear to concentrate on pure faith in Amitabha*, prohibiting religious
practices other than the invocation of Amitabha. Nevertheless, this sect commends the worship of such
a human being as the chief abbot and other fetishistic practices. An attitude of tolerance determined the
all-inclusive and conciliatory nature of Japanese Buddhism. The ascendency of Buddhism in Japan in the
course of more than ten centuries was entirely different from that of Previous Released By -TSJ5J- Next
Previous Released By -TSJ5J- Next Page 389 Christianity in the West. Buddhism tolerated various
primitive faiths native to Japan, but the notion of pure paganism was clearly absent in Japanese
Buddhism. The gods in the native Japanese popular religion, who would have been considered pagan
from the standpoint of Buddhism, were reconciled with Buddhism as "temporary manifestations"
(incarnations) of the Buddha. Along this line of thought a theory, called Honji-Suijakusetsu, was
advanced in which the Shintoist gods were maintained as temporary incarnations of the Buddhas.
Emperor Yomei * is said "to have believed in Buddhism and at the same time worshipped gods of
Shintoism."130 Precisely what Shintoism means in the above quotation needs to be clarified, since in
the Nara period (710–784) the idea of the accommodation of Shintoism and Buddhism had already
come to the fore. According to this school of thought, god rejoices in the Law of the Buddha and
defends Buddhism, but since god is an entity in the mundane world just as other human beings are and
is not free from affliction, he also seeks salvation. The Nara period saw many a shrine-temple built. The
Imperial message of 767 A.D. stated that the auspicious signs appeared, thanks to the Buddhas, to the
Japanese gods and goddesses of heaven and earth, and to the spirits of the various emperors.
Thereafter, during the Heian period (794–1192 A.D.), there were few shrines that did not have shrine-
temples built in their confines, where Buddhist priests performed the morning and evening practices of
reciting sutras*, and served shrine gods and goddesses, together with Shintoist priests. The structure of
the shrines was modelled after that of Buddhist temples. At the Iwashimizu-Hachiman Shrine, whose
construction was inaugurated by the priest Gyokyo*, the religious service was performed after the
fashion of the Buddhist mass, and almost all the officials there in service were Buddhist priests. Simple
offerings were offered, surplices and Buddhist utensils were dedicated, and the whole ritual of the
shrine was very mu