(Buddhism, or Buddha)

---

❖ (Skt: Buddha)
❖ Also called butsu-dô, Bukkyô

butsu (Skt: Buddha)
dô (way, course, moral teachings)
butsu-dô (Buddhist teachings)

---

buk | butsu (Skt: Buddha)
kyô (teach, faith, doctrine)
bukkyô (Buddhism)

---

buk | butsu (Skt: Buddha)
kyô (teach, faith, doctrine)
bukkyô (Buddhism)

Buddhism originated in India. It was soon syncretized, by the common people, with many elements from the pre-existing Hindu mythology. From India it travelled to Tibet, China and then to Korea. At each stop, it was further syncretized, again by the common people, with local mythic elements. So the Buddhism that first reached Japan, was significantly different from the original teachings of Buddha. Later, various Japanese monks travelled to China and India, in an attempt to learn a "purer" form of Buddhism. When Buddhism first reached Japan, it was mainly adopted by the ruling elite and only later was spread to the common people by hijiri.

Buddhist Deities – butsu, nyorai, bosatsu, myô-ô, tenbu, chisha

jikkai – Ten Worlds of Existence

bi | hi (proportion, match, equal)
ku | kyû (hill, knoll)
biku (ordained Buddhist monk)

---

❖ (Skt: Bhiksu)

bi | hi (proportion, match, equal)
ku | kyû (hill, knoll)
ni (nun)
bikuni (ordained Buddhist nun)

---

❖ (Skt: Bhiksuni)

butsu (Buddha, the dead)
ma (interval, space)
butsuma (Buddhist family chapel, altar room)

---

❖ (See butsudan)

butsu (Buddha)
maku (curtain, bunting)
bustumaku (colored curtains hanging from the eaves of a Buddhist temple)

---

❖ (See go-shiki-ban)

chi | ji (earth, ground)
sui (water)
ka (fire)
fû (air, wind)
kû (empty, vacuum, void)
chisuikafûkû (the five elements)

---

❖ Buddhist term
❖ Also pronounced jisuikafûkû

Funerals – Buddhist temples usually perform funeral rites. However, there are also shintô funeral rites. (See shinsosai)

i (rank, grade, about, counter for ghosts)
hai (label, signboard, medal)
ihai (Buddhist mortuary tablet)

---

❖ Inscribed with the posthumous Buddhist name of the deceased
❖ Used to designate the seat of a past ancestor
❖ Usually kept on the family butsudan

i (rank, grade, about, counter for ghosts)
hai (label, signboard, medal)
dô (public chamber, hall)
ihaidô (Buddhist mortuary chapel)

---

❖ A room containing multiple ihai
❖ Sometimes found with Buddhist temples, but also maintained by some rich families

i (rank, grade, about, counter for ghosts)
hai (label, signboard, medal)
jo | sho (place)
ihaijo (site of a Buddhist mortuary tablet)

---

❖ Most often found as part of a Buddhist temple

go (five)
dai (great, large, big)
godai (the five elements)

---

❖ Buddhist term
❖ See chisuikafûkû

(earth, ground)

---

❖ One of the five elements
❖ Also pronounced ji

(water)

---

❖ One of the five elements

(fire)

---

❖ One of the five elements

(air,wind)

---

❖ One of the five elements

(empty, vacuum, void)

---

❖ One of the five elements

(highly virtuous monk, monk, Buddhist solitary, Buddhist missionary)

---

❖ Itinerant monks who spread Buddhism among the common people

in (cause, factor, be associated with, depend on)
ga (fruit, reward)
inga (cause and effect, karma, fate)

---

❖ The law of cause and effect
❖ Your actions in this life impact where you are "reincarnated" in the next life
❖ Also called ingaôhô

in (cause, factor, be associated with, depend on)
ga (fruit, reward)
ô (apply, answer, accept)
hô (reward, retribution)
Ingaôhô (retribution, retributive justice, karma, just desserts, poetic justice, reward and punishment for one's past behavior)

jô (clean, purify, cleanse, exorcise)
do (soil, earth, ground)
jôdo (pure land)
shû (religion, sect, denomination)
jôdo-shû (Pure Land Sect of Buddhism)

---

❖ Amidism
❖ Emphasizes repetition of the name of amida or the nembutsu as the way into amida's Pure Land
❖ Also called jôdo, jôdo bukkyô

jô (clean, purify, cleanse, exorcise)
do (soil, earth, ground)

---

jô (clean, purify, cleanse, exorcise)
do (soil, earth, ground)
jôdo (pure land)
buk | butsu (Skt: Buddha)
kyô (teach, faith, doctrine)
bukkyô (Buddhism)

hô (method, law, rule, principle, model, system)
nen (sort of thing, so, if so, in that case, well)
hônen (family or surname, given name or forename – gender not specified)

---

❖ Twelveth century monk
❖ Established jôdo as a separate sect of Buddhism

jô (clean, purify, cleanse, exorcise)
do (soil, earth, ground)
jôdo (pure land)
shin (true, reality)
shû (religion, sect, denomination)
jôdo shinshû (True Pure Land Sect – of Buddhism)

---

❖ Emphasizes faith in amida as the way into amida's Pure Land
❖ Tends to be exclusionist

shin (parent, intimacy, relative, familiarity)
ran (fabulous mythical bird, imperial)
shinran (full name of a particular person)

---

❖ Early thirteenth century monk
❖ Founder of jôdo shinshû
❖ Established the precedence for a married preisthood

nem | nen (wish, sense, idea, thought, feeling, desire, attention)
butsu (Skt: Buddha)
nembustu (prayer to amida)

---

❖ namu amida butsu (I believe in amida butsu)

na (south)
mu (nothingness, none, ain't, nothing, nil, not)
namu (hail, glory, I believe, amen)
a (shadow, shade, corner, nook, recess)
mi (all the more, increasingly)
da (steep)
amida (Skt: Amitabha)
butsu (Skt: Buddha)

nichi (day, sun)
ren (lotus)
nichiren (full name of a particular person, given name or forename - gender not specified)
shû (religion, sect, denomination)
nichiren shû (nichiren Sect – of Buddhism)

---

❖ Emphasizes the myôhô-renge-kyô (Lotus Sutra) as the exclusive way to enlightenment
❖ Also called nichiren shôshû, nichiren-kei sho shûha

nichi (day, sun)
ren (lotus)
nichiren (full name of a particular person, given name or forename - gender not specified)
shô (correct, justice, righteous)
shû (religion, sect, denomination)

---

nichi (day, sun)
ren (lotus)
nichiren (full name of a particular person, given name or forename - gender not specified)
kei (lineage, system)
sho (many, several, together, various)
shû (religion, sect, denomination)
ha (faction, school, sect)

myô (strange, mystery, miracle, cleverness)
hô (law, principle, doctrine)
myôhô (supreme or marvelous law (of Buddha))
ren (lotus)
ge (flower)
kyô (classic works)
myôhô renge-kyô (the Lotus Sutra)

---

myô (strange, mystery, miracle, cleverness)
hô (law, principle, doctrine)
myôhô (supreme or marvelous law (of Buddha))
ren (lotus)
ge (flower)
kyô (sutra, teaching)
myôhô renge-kyô (the Lotus Sutra)

---

❖ Also called daimoku, o-daimoku, hôkke-kyô

dai (topic, subject)
moku (look, insight, experience)

---

o (honorific prefix)
dai (topic, subject)
moku (look, insight, experience)

---

o (honorable)
dai (topic, subject)
moku (look, insight, experience)

---

hôk | hô (method, law, rule, principle, model, system)
ke (splendor, flower, petal, shine, luster, ostentatious, showy, gay, gorgeous)
kyô (sutra, teaching) – implied

---

hôk | hô (method, law, rule, principle, model, system)
ke (splendor, flower, petal, shine, luster, ostentatious, showy, gay, gorgeous)
kyô (sutra, teaching)

na (south)
mu (nothingness, none, ain't, nothing, nil, not)
namu (hail, glory, I believe)
myô (strange, mystery, miracle, cleverness)
hô (law, principle, doctrine)
myôhô (supreme or marvelous law (of Buddha))
ren (lotus)
ge (flower)
kyô (sutra, teaching)

---

❖ Also pronounced nam' myôhô renge kyô
❖ (To Honour/devote oneself to the Wonderful Law of the Lotus Sutra)
❖ or (Glory to the Sutra of the Lotus of the Supreme Law!)
❖ The myôju that is chanted as the central practice of nichiren shû

nichi (day, sun)
ren (lotus)
nichiren (full name of a particular person, given name or forename - gender not specified)

---

❖ Thirteenth century monk
❖ Founder of nichiren shû Sect of Buddhism
❖ Exclusionist
❖ Also called nichren shônin

nichi (day, sun)
ren (lotus)
nichiren (full name of a particular person, given name or forename - gender not specified)
shô (holy, saint, sage, master, priest)
nin (person)
shônin (saint, sage, holy man)

obon matsuri – (See bon matsuri)

sei (life, genuine, birth)
shi (death, die)
seishi (life and death, Skt: Samsara – cycle of death and rebirth)

---

❖ Transmigration of souls
❖ The cycle of life and death, rebirth and redeath, of delusion and suffering

shim | shin | kami (that which inspires feelings of reverence, awe, gratitude, fear/terror)
butsu (buddha, buddhas)

---

❖ kami & Buddha(s)
❖ shintô & butsu
❖ kami & Buddhas are different aspects of the diety

shim | shin | kami (that which inspires feelings of reverence, awe, gratitude, fear/terror)
butsu (buddha, buddhas)
shimbutsu (gods & buddha(s), shintô & butsu)
kon (mix, blend, confuse)
kô (mixing, turbidity)

---

❖ Mixture or synthesis of Buddhism & Shintoism

shim | shin | kami (that which inspires feelings of reverence, awe, gratitude, fear/terror)
butsu (buddha, buddhas)
shimbutsu (gods & buddha(s), shintô & butsu)
shû (learn)
gô (join, fit, suit)

---

❖ Syncretism of shintô & butsu

shin (true, reality)
gon (say)
shingon (true words)
shû (religion, sect, denomination)
shingon-shû (Shingon sect – Sino-Japanese esoteric Buddhism)

---

❖ It has predominantly esoteric teachings, with mystical and occult doctrines and complex practices; such as meditative ritual use of myôju (Skt: Mantra), inkei (Skt: Mudra) and visualization of mandara (Skt: Mandala)

kô (vast, broad, wide)
bô | hô (method, law, rule, principle, model, system)
dai (great, large, big)
shi (expert, teacher, master)
kôbô-daishi (full name of a particular person)

---

❖ Posthumous name
❖ Founder of shingon-shû
❖ Often credited with creating the hiragana syllabry
❖ Called kûkai before death
❖ Also called shûgyô-daishi

kû (empty, sky, void)
kai (sea, ocean)
kûkai (family or surname, given name or forename – gender not specified)

shû (discipline, conduct oneself well, study, master)
gyô (going, journey)
shûgyô (ascetic practices, training, practice, discipline, study)
dai (great, large, big)
shi (expert, teacher, master)

su (ought, by all means, necessarily)
mi (all the more, increasingly)
sen (mountain)
sumisen (Skt: Sumeru / Meru)

---

❖ Also pronounced shumisen
❖ The mythical mountain home of Buddhist deities

ten (heavens, sky)
dai (pedestal, a stand)
shû (religion, sect, denomination)
tendai-shû (tendai sect – Mahayana Buddhism with mostly exoteric teachings)

---

❖ A synthesis of various Buddhist doctrines, including faith in the Lotus Sutra, esoteric rituals, amida worship, and zen; it reconcils Buddhist doctrine with shintô and Japanese aesthetics

den (transmit, communicate)
gyô | kyô (teach, faith, doctrine)
dai (great, large, big)
shi (expert, teacher, master)
dengyô daishi (unclassified name)

---

den (propagate, transmit)
gyô | kyô (teach, faith, doctrine)
dai (great, large, big)
shi (expert, teacher, master)
dengyô daishi (full name of a particular person)

---

❖ Posthumous name
❖ Founder of tendai-shû
❖ Called saichô before death

sai (utmost, most, extreme)
chô (lucidity, be clear, clear, clarify)
saichô (full name of a particular person, family or surname, given name or forename – gender not specified)

(temple)

---

❖ Usually Buddhist

(zen, silent meditation, Skt: Dhyana – profound meditation)

---

(zen Buddhism, silent meditation, Skt: Dhyana – profound meditation)

---

❖ zen emphasizes the expression of personal experiential wisdom in the attainment of enlightenment, and direct self-realization by way of meditation and dharma practice, and it de-emphasizes adherence to scriptural knowledge.

ba (banana)
shô (banana)
bashô (Japanese fiber banana / Musa basjoo) – a reference to a favorite banana plant, planted by his disciples, in the yard of one of the huts they built for him

---

❖ zen practitioner
❖ Seventeenth century poet noted for his haiku (traditionally a poem consisting of 17 haku (mora) in three phrases of 5, 7 and 5 haku)
❖ Born matsuo kinsaku
❖ Also called matsuo bashô

matsu (pine)
o (end, lower slope of mountain, end)
matsuo (place name, family or surname)
kin (gold)
saku (make, build, prepare, production)

---

matsu (pine)
o (end, lower slope of mountain, end)
matsuo (place name, family or surname)
ba (banana)
shô (banana)
bashô (Japanese fiber banana / Musa basjoo)

daru (accomplished, reach, arrive, attain)
ma (grind, polish, scour, improve)
daruma (Skt: Bodhidharma)

---

❖ The founder of the zen sect of Buddhism
❖ The primary aim is personal enlightenment
❖ According to daruma, enlightenment cannot be found in books or sutras or in performing rituals; it is to be found within the self through meditation
❖ Also called Bodhidharma, Dharma

rin (look to, face, meet, confront, attend, call on)
zai | sai (finish, come to an end)
shû (religion, sect, denomination)
rinzai shû (rinzai school of Buddhism)

---

❖ zen sect emphasizing sudden enlightenment thru meditation on kôan

ei (flourish, prosperity, honor, glory, splendor)
sai (west)
eisai (family or surname, given name or forename – gender not specified)

---

❖ Founder of rinzai shû sect of zen
❖ Credited with introducing green tea to Japan
❖ Also called Myôan eisai, eisai zenji

myô (wisdom, bright, light)
an (hermitage)
ei (flourish, prosperity, honor, glory, splendor)
sai (west)
eisai (family or surname, given name or forename – gender not specified)

---

ei (flourish, prosperity, honor, glory, splendor)
sai (west)
eisai (family or surname, given name or forename – gender not specified)
zen (zen, silent meditation, Skt: Dhyana – profound meditation)
ji (exemplar, expert, master, teacher)
zenji (monk, priest, particularly a high-ranking zen monk honored by the imperial court)

---

❖ (Literally: zen Master eisai)

haku (white)
in (conceal, hide, cover)
hakuin (unclassified name)

---

❖ Revived the rinzai shû school from a period of stagnation
❖ "Listen to the sound of a single hand" is his kôan
❖ Also called hakuin ekaku

haku (white)
in (conceal, hide, cover)
hakuin (unclassified name)
e (wise)
kaku (crane, stork)
ekaku (unclassified name)

kô (public, prince, official, governmental)
an (plan, suggestion, ponder, fear, idea, expectation, worry)
koan (zen question for meditation)

---

❖ e.g. the sound of one hand clapping

sô (cadet, friend)
tô (den, cave, excavation)
shû (religion, sect, denomination)
sôtô shû (soto school – of zen Buddhism)_

---

❖ zen sect emphasizing gradual enlightenment thru zazen

dô (road-way, way, journey, course, moral, teachings)
gen (beginning, origin)
dôgen (full name of a particular person)

---

❖ Founder of sôtô shû sect of zen
❖ Also called dôgen zenji, dôgen kigen, eihei dôgen, kôso jôyô daishi

dô (road-way, way, journey, course, moral, teachings)
gen (beginning, origin)
dôgen (full name of a particular person)
zen (zen, silent meditation, Skt: Dhyana – profound meditation)
ji (exemplar, expert, master, teacher)
zenji (monk, priest, particularly a high-ranking zen monk honored by the imperial court)

---

dô (road-way, way, journey, course, moral, teachings)
gen (beginning, origin)
dôgen (full name of a particular person)
ki (rare, few, phenomenal)
gen (mysterious, occultness)

---

ei (eternity, long, lengthy)
hei (peace, even, flat)
dô (road-way, way, journey, course, moral, teachings)
gen (beginning, origin)
dôgen (full name of a particular person)

---

kô (tall, high, expensive)
so (ancestor, pioneer, founder)
kôso (founder of dynasty or sect)
jô | shô (hear, listen to, be informed, receive)
yô (sunshine, yang principle, positive, male, heaven, daytime)
dai (great, large, big)
shi (expert, teacher, master)

za (squat, seat, cushion, gathering, sit)
zen (zen, silent meditation, Skt: Dhyana – profound meditation)
zazen (seated zen meditation)

---

za (sit)
zen (zen, silent meditation, Skt: Dhyana – profound meditation)
zazen (seated zen meditation)

---

❖ Usually in a cross-legged position

This book will not go into great detail on Japanese Buddhism, except as it pertains to minzoku NEO-shintô. Information on Buddhism is readily available from other websites. If you're interested in butsu, this site is an excellent starting point:
GODS of Japan, A-to-Z Photo Dictionary of Japanese Buddhism,
and this site has a number of good articles on Buddhist Deities and shintô kami:
JAANUS (Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System).