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TTze Religions
Their Charador and Future
In general the religious conditions
of Japan are very similar to the civil
a mixture of occidental and oriental
characteristics. The form of govern
ment derived from, or modelled upon,
American and European systems, is
representative in character. The con
stitution is well balanced, neither
wholly oriental nor wholly occidental,
but having abount an equal propor
tion of the characteristics of each. This
harmony is the only system fitted to
Japan's needs and aims. It would not
do to take the entire English or Amer
ican, or any other system of govern
ment, without examining to see
whether it fitted the life and qualities
of the Japanese or not. To have adopt
ed any one of these systems entirely
would have brought danger, and the
people of Japan knew It, bo they avoid
ed It successfully.
Now the religious conditions follow
the above outline exactly. At present
a great many of her people are look
ing toward the Christian faith. How
ever, Buddhism still holds the greater
number. Shintolsm covers the entire
nation, In respect to the national duty.
Confucloni8m rules the whole people
Insofar as pure ethical principles are
concerned, Shintolsm means literally
"The Way of God." It contains no
moral code. An eminent writer of the
eighteenth century in Japan, Mr. Mo
toorl, even asserting that in Japan
there was no necessity for any system
of morals, as every Japanese acted
aright if he only consulted his own
heart. He also declared that the whole
duty of a good Japanese consisted in
obeying implicitly and without ques
tion the commands of the emperor. In
Shintolsm Japan is held to be the
country of the gods and the emperor
to be direct descendant and actual rep
resented ve-.of the sun goddess. It de
veloped only the national spirit, indeed,
which Is Bo-called Bushido, or warrior,
spirit, and Yamato Damashi, or Jap
anese, spirit. This national spirit
guarded the Integrity of Japan through
her whole history of 2,557 years.
Shintolsm forms, therefore, the na
tional character and ties together the
entire nation. As a whole the nation
upholds Shintolsm as one's higher
duty. This has more of a political than
of religious significance. In the year
552 A. D. the first Buddhist image was
brought in from Korea." But a better
means of protection had been taken
by many Shlntolsts. About the begin
ning of the ninth century, the priest
Kukal compounded out of Buddhism,
Confucianism and Shintolsm a system
of doctrine called Ryobu-Shlnto, the
chief characteristic of which was the
theory that Shinto dleties were noth
ing more than transmigration of Budd
hist divinities. The doctrine of Ryobu
Shlnto, was a compound of the best
in Shinto-Confucianism, and' Budd
hism, transformed by Japanese charac
ter Into a more perfect form. This
form of religion Is still strong and It is
callejJ the Japanese Buddhism, being
thus distinguished from other Budd
hism. This doctrine spread over the
land and became almost a state re
ligion through several centuries, from
about the seventeenth up to the nine
teenth centuries. In the Shogun Toku
gawa's era there were several grants
by which many temples were to be
built and repaired from the public
finance and ministers or priests to be
.treated as public officers. At the be
ginning of the present era of the Em
peror Mutsuhlto, 1867, those grants
dlsapeared and it had begun to lose
Its influential ground. The members
are decreasing from day to day. At
present it Is said to number about 1,
115,000 out of the entire population of
43.000.000.
Buddha recognized the Idea of trans
migration of human souls and assumed
that human existence is on the whole
miserable and a curse rather than a
blessing. His morality and religious
observances constitute the theoretical
way of enjoying the various duties of
common life and of religion. His
tbedry was derived from life and bis
religious appeals were largely made to
"man's duties. A little later than the
date of the introduction of image of
of The Japanese
"By Yashicfy'ro Yamasliita
Buddha, the Confucian philosophy of
morals based on ethics rather than
revelation was developed.
Confucius presented an ethical svs-
tem and taught tho practical In philos
ophy. Morals, rhetoric and politics
were the main subjects he worked on.
His "Good" has no connection what
ever with any God. but recognized Him
in the realities of life as the great law
of nature. He said at the beginning
of his greatest writing, "The Great
Learning," "The nature of man is per
fect and uniform. Learning alone
makes him different. Imperfect and un
like his fellows." His theory had been
accepted by the whole nation without
regard whatever to their difference on
religion and all sought to learn it. The
Confucian schools were established
through the country. Schoolnmst jrs
starteO to teach It In little villages
r.nd parents begun to guide their home
nile with this system of ethics as a
basis. The method is still used and is
the most influential one In both public
and private life of the Japanese, being
more important even than their re
ligion. They obtain their knowledge
and the best means of life'lhrough this
Confucius philosophy. There was an
other fact which is also a notable one.
That was the establishment of antl
Confuclus schools. It was pretty
strong among the well educated people.
The principle doctrines of the school
were these: (1) The nature of man is
evil. (2) The force of evil la much
stronger and more powerful than any
other. (3) But man can gain control
over Its power for evil, and destroy it
whenever his mental development is
fully perfected.
About 1867 Christian missionary
work actually began. At the begin
ning It met with severe difficulties, but
has since met with more tolerance.
The members are Increasing from day
to day. It is said that Its followers
now number about 15,000. The major
ity of educated people, with the ex
ception of a few noted men, cannot be
classified as. Christians. Buddhism
controls largely the lower classes, and
undoubtedly Shintolsm and Confucian
ism have power over the entire nation.
As a fact this very Interesting thing
ought to be noted. The Japanese have
always sought to learn by themselves.
They never adopt whole Ideas from
others, but transform the best from
others into their own. A good exam
ple has already been shown in the case
of Japanese conversion of Buddhism
Into the so-called Ryobu-Shlntolsm.
Their ethical ideal is formed in Con
fucianism and their national spirit in
Shintolsm. This ideal and the spirit
guard the integrity of the nation.
Ryobu-Shlntolsm would be the nat
ural religion for Japan. We all know
that the religious belief is not formed
by scientific method, or by any logical
process, but by our ancestors' home
training and their faith. There is no
reason, then, why we should not re
form, or change It, if the change is
evidently for the better. The condi
tions of today are better than those
of yesterday, and tomorrow's should
be better than today's. Such better
ment depends on man alone. The
power of man only pushes the condi
tions forward or backward. The In
dividuality of man Is lae power of
man, and man's ideas makes the indi
viduality. If a man has a weak idea
ho developes a weak Individuality.
Ideal religion is acquired only by ideal
man. Such religion ought to follow
scientific method and logical processes,
not habit, custom and home training.
'
At present each religion claims its
superiority without learning of other
religions. This Is not the result of a
better Idea, or of strong individuality,
but of superstition. From my point
of view Christianity is superior to any
other, but I doubt very much whether
my idea is better than that of those
who claim superiority of ttyelr own. I
do not attempt, however, to force my
own belief of religion on others, be
cause it Is not good law or morals.
The moral law is to force our own be
lief only on ourselves. When our be
lief and Its actions prove better than
others, many will desire to learn them.
A person is free any time to change his
view according to hlB own Idea of what
Is better. The most powerful Influences
In Japan upon the future of Japanese
religion are these:
(1) To Investigate any new idea of
religion offered.
(2) To repair the old religion.
The first view was taken by Dr.
Inouye Tetsuzlro, who is the head pro
fessor of comparative religion In the
Imperial university of Japan. He says:
"My new religion is not a white-washing
of ancient doctrine. I should like
to find a new substance for our life,
but not a now form. Tho form has
constantly changed throughout the
ages and all the forms are alike In
value, but substance has never varied."
The second view was taken by Dr.
Inouye Buryo who is the most promin
ent philosopher and Buddhist In Ja
pan. He rejects the Idea of Dr. Inouye
Tetsuzlro. He says: "Is It necessary?
The number of people who understand
science is exceedingly limited, while
religious principles Interest everybody.
Admitting the possibility of creating
a religious doctrine that should be in
complete accord with science, what a
sorry religion It would give us. It
would above all be robbed of Its prim
ordial charm, its perfume of the past.
. . . What would you think If any
one were to offer you an Ideal soup
made of beans, meat, Juice, milk and
fish sauce? What a strange mixture
that would be, and yet each article
taken separately is good and highly es
teemed. . . Humanity already has
a religion of this character, that of
Auguste Comte. And when, after in
credible efforts, I succeeded in finding
his church In London, I was told that
the number of these adepts has never
exceeded forty or fifty persons. It is
easier to repair an old building than to
build a new one." (Literary Digest,
April 12, 1902.)
' Many leading men in Japan follow
the above views and Japan will never
be Christianized or Buddhalzed, but Is
very likely to have some mixed form
derived from a purely ethical source.
The religious conditions in Japan,
therefore, would follow the model of
those civil conditions which she has
already attained. It is not the least
important or necessary to Christianize
or Buddhaize her entirely, and is Im
possible. But If anyone tries to do so
he must learn thoroughly of Confu
cius at least, and show them a false
principle In It.
Minnesota Daily: Following the
very excellent example of Professor
Trueblood of Ann Arbor, It Is rumored
that the powers at this Institution are
seriously contemplating the establish
ment of a new department at Minne
sota. Owing to the universal interest
in the subject under discussion at this
college, both among the professors and
tho student body and even among cer
tain of Captain Gui.J's contingency, It
Is felt to be a much-needed ueparture.
The object of this new branch of edu
cation is the instruction of youths and
maldenB In the artful intracacles of
love-making. It Is believed that the
natural aptitude of Minnesota students
and the peculiar advantages afforded
by the situation of tho campus, will
make the department flourish here.
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