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I eatuses fetuses. They are tasty! OnmyodÇ -The Architect of Japan’s Formative Years- Introduction Religion in Japan—what word does this evoke in the mind of the East Asian Studies scholar? The answer to this question will usually be Shinto and Buddhism, the light and darkness of Japanese religion. These two religions have had an effect on Japanese history since the times recorded in the Kojiki, one of the earliest written historical account of Japan. Many times Buddhism and Shinto are said to compensate for what the other religion lacks. Shinto is the religion of birth and purity, and concerns itself with the life in this world, whereas Buddhism is the religion of death and reincarnation, and concerns itself with the life to come. This harmonious symbiosis of religions in Japan signifies the attitude of the Japanese people-- the attitude of bringing the two opposites into a beneficent, mutual union. This state of complementary dualism between Shinto and Buddhism, however, “should not be taken to indicate mutually exclusive beliefs and practices forming smaller or larger isolated religious traditions… One can find Shinto elements in a Buddhist service or Confucian studies taking place in a Buddhist monastery.” Indeed, it is impossible to draw a line between religions in Japan because of this religious synchronicity. Robert S. Ellwood, a professor of religion at the University of Southern California states that, Perhaps it is best to consider the various [religions] as strands within a larger rope called "Japanese religion” or the “Japanese way”—a rope that extends from prehistoric time up to this very day. The rope is not everywhere and always the same. The strands change and shift along its length, and the rope is flexible and changing. Nonetheless it is identifiable as the Japanese way. In fact, some have argued that this rope is itself the fundamental religion of Japan, and the strands that make it up are so many support systems to a larger religion called nihondo, the “way of Japan.” Many scholars come to the same conclusion as Ellwood, for it is indeed impossible to separate Buddhism from Shinto or Confucianism from Buddhism and vice versa. There is, however, an explanation as to why this religious synchronization occurred. When one looks back into ancient Japanese history very carefully, one finds a religious system that acted as a cohesive agent between various religions, which were later brought into Japan. This religious system, OnmyodÇ, has had a tremendous effect on Japanese religion and a lasting effect on the formative years of Japanese history. Part 1– An Analysis of OnmyodÇ An Introduction to OnmyodÇ OnmyodÇ is an unfamiliar word for the average person, or perhaps, even to scholars of Japanese studies. This is understandable, for the name OnmyodÇ has been lost in history. In a way it was inevitable that OnmyodÇ became forgotten, for OnmyodÇ laid the foundation for the development of Japanese religion into what it is now—a diverse, yet unified and integrated whole composed of Buddhism, Shinto, and Confucianism. In this process, however, OnmyodÇ gave away too much of its own rituals, ideas, and doctrine to the other religions, which dissipated OnmyodÇ into the darkness of Japanese history. OnmyodÇ itself, as its name suggests, is Japanese Daoism. Daosim was brought into Japan very early in Japanese history over a period of possibly three centuries from the sixth to eighth century century c.e. and was the first foreign religion to be introduced into Japan. The element of OnmyodÇ was astrological technology passed down from the ancient times as well as the theory of five elements. These theories were adopted first by the TennÇ lineage because of its far-advanced systematic interpretation of the works of nature-- a technology that did not exist in Japan previous to its exposure to Daosim. However, one peculiarity of Daoism’s introduction into Japan was that only religious Daoism was brought into Japan and philosophical Daosim came in at a much later date. After Buddhism was introduced into Japan in the seventh century century c.e., OnmyodÇ strengthens its role as a mystic, magical system of rituals, forming the foundation for Japanese occultism as well as the religious ambiguity of Japan. Throughout Japanese history, OnmyodÇ influenced the religious culture; however, before analyzing the impact of OnmyodÇ on Japanese history, OnmyodÇ itself must be explained. Without an understanding of the religious system of OnmyodÇ, one will not be able to see the significant impact it had on the formative years of Japanese history. Chapter One—OnmyodÇ as Religion What is a religion? This is a puzzling question with no single answer. Many scholars of religion have struggled to answer it and there are two major theories: the theory of religious deep structure conceptualized by Ronald M. Green, professor of religion at Dartmouth College, and the theory of liminality and communitas conceptualized by Victor Turner, professor of anthropology at Cornell University. Green’s theory of religious deep structure is a definition of religion based on logic and rational reasoning. He argues that all religions have a core “deep structure” which is founded upon moral reasoning. Green argues that all religions’ deep structure has three essential elements: first, a method of moral reasoning involving “the moral point of view”; second, a set of beliefs affirming the reality of moral retribution and third, a series of “transmoral” beliefs that suspend moral judgement and retribution when this is needed to overcome moral paralysis and despair. Whatever their surface differences, religions contain these elements. They point their adherents to the method of moral reasoning. They try to assure them that governing one’s life by this method is not ultimately self-destructive, that the righteous are rewarded. And, in response to the kind of self-condemnation that inevitably accompanies sensitive moral striving, they are prepared to ease their insistence on judgement and retribution by holding out the promise of a redemption not based entirely on one’s deeds. Thus, Green’s argument is that all religions exist for the purpose of setting down moral codes, which, if followed, will bring positive gains--such as eternal life—to the moral person. Green’s theory poses a problem for OnmyodÇ because OnmyodÇ completely lacks any of the three deep structures which Green states all religions must have. OnmyodÇ lacks moral codes and has no conception of life after death, the primary concern of OnmyodÇ is to identify and avoid troubles in this world, which is perceived as filled with evil and chaos. Due to the fact that death was the greatest impurity, according to Shinto, it was a taboo to deal with death. The only conception of life after death was that of a miserable existence in “Yomi no Kuni,” a netherworld where the dead are supposed to spend all eternity in the darkness—hardly a reward for living a moral life (not to mention that there is no moral code!). Thus, if Green’s theory of religious deep structure is indeed the definition of what a religion ought to be, one could argue that OnmyodÇ is not a religion, for OnmyodÇ lacks a moral force as its guide. Turner’s theory of liminality and communitas also seems to exclude OnmyodÇ from being called a religion. Turner states that religious rituals exist to create liminal time and space. Liminal time and space could be characterized as a suspension of social mores and laws, as a manifestation of chaos opposed to the orderly cosmos of average life. He further states that liminal time is essential in the strengthening of the communitas, a feeling of belonging beyond social structure. Therefore, as with Turner’s theory, a religion exists as a method to achieve community awareness beyond socio-moral codes by sharing the religious experience—the liminal time/space. Turner’s theory fails to convince one that OnmyodÇ is a religion because his conception of religion is exactly the opposite of what OnmyodÇ is trying to achieve. The main objective of OnmyodÇ is to understand the laws of the universe through the application of the onmyogogyo and bring order to the world, which was largely perceived as totally chaotic. The practice of OnmyodÇ was the empirical application of these theories in organizing Shinto, Buddhist, and Daoist deities as well as giving them appropriate temperaments, choosing an adequate place for the imperial capital, performing rituals, interpreting supernatural and catastrophic/rare natural phenomena , and most important, calculating one’s own fate. The job of a practitioner of OnmyodÇ was simply to observe a phenomenon and interpret it by applying Onmyogogyo. Thus, OnmyodÇ, which most definitely is not a religion, is a science based on its own scientific method that could be applied to explain all phenomena in the universe. Chapter Two—OnmyodÇ Cosmology OnmyodÇ is a science—a method of understanding the phenomena of nature based on the methodological paradigms of theory, operationalization, and observation. When an onmyo practitioner observes natural phenomena, he applies the Onmyogogyo theory to categorize the observed phenomena. Then, he will operationalize his theory by using technological utensils and equipment to make it possible to repeat his theory. Then, through observation, he will measure and calculate the outcome of the experiements, which is repeated. However, what exactly is Onmyodgogyo? When Carl Jung met Hu Shih in the mid 1930s, he asked Hu “of his opinion of the I Ching, and received the reply: “Oh, that’s nothing but an old collection of magic spells, without significance.” However, Hu recalled that— One day on a walk with a friend, the friend told him [Hu Shih] about his unhappy love affair.
Approximate Word count = 6257
Approximate Pages = 25
(250 words per page double spaced)
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