Motohiko Izawa

Born in Japan, 1954, Nagoya native. Writer …

Motohiko Izawa

Born in Japan, 1954, Nagoya native. Writer of historical nonfiction and mystery novels.

最近の記事

(113)Section 5: The Rise and Fall of Polytheistic Civilization II

Chapter 1: The Indus 13-2 Suzuki Shosan and the Birth of Japanese CapitalismIt’s    It's the seventeenth century in Japan, and the warrior-turned Zen teacher and moralist, Shosan Suzuki has a visitor. A merchant, distressed, has come to

    • (112)Section 5: The Rise and Fall of Polytheistic Civilization II

      Chapter 1: The Indus 13-1 Suzuki Shosan and the Birth of Japanese Capitalism    Shosan Suzuki is an unusual name. Japanese Buddhist priests are usually known by their single word Buddhist names, monikers they obtained after forsaking thei

      • (111)Section 5: The Rise and Fall of Polytheistic Civilization II

        Chapter 1: The Indus 12-2 A Battle for Dominance—Zen and Confucianism in China and Japan    In Japan, Zen Buddhism transformed the mundane into the exquisite. Typically ordinary activities like arranging flowers and drinking tea were elev

        • (110)Section 5: The Rise and Fall of Polytheistic Civilization II

          Chapter 1: The Indus 12-1 A Battle for Dominance—Zen and Confucianism in China and Japan    When the founder of the Soto school of Zen Buddhism first arrived in Song dynasty China during the Middle Ages after making the perilous passage ac

        (113)Section 5: The Rise and Fall of Polytheistic Civilization II

          (109)Section 5: The Rise and Fall of Polytheistic Civilization II

          Chapter 1: The Indus 1-1 Oda Nobunaga—Frontrunner for Religious Freedom    By the latter half of the sixteenth century, Japan was embroiled in a bloody religious war. The end was in sight, however, when the daimyo Oda Nobunaga (1534-82) se

          (109)Section 5: The Rise and Fall of Polytheistic Civilization II

          (108)Section 5: The Rise and Fall of Polytheistic Civilization II

          Chapter 1: The Indus 1-1 Oda Nobunaga—Frontrunner for Religious Freedom    Several Buddhist congregations dedicated to the exclusive worship of Amitabha sprouted all over Japan, but none were as large as Hongan-ji.    Hongan-ji also became

          (108)Section 5: The Rise and Fall of Polytheistic Civilization II

          (107)Section 5: The Rise and Fall of Polytheistic Civilization II

          Chapter 1: The Indus 10-2 The Monotheistic Holy War of Japanese Buddhism    From the very beginning, the teachings of Mahayana Buddhism have guaranteed the possibility of Buddhahood for all. Even the complete layperson has the opportunity

          (107)Section 5: The Rise and Fall of Polytheistic Civilization II

          (106)Section 5: The Rise and Fall of Polytheistic Civilization II

          Chapter 1: The Indus 10-1 The Monotheistic Holy War of Japanese Buddhism    Having traversed continents and the great Silk Road, the Buddhism that emerged on the lone archipelago of Japan, a veritable spiritual terminus, was a world away f

          (106)Section 5: The Rise and Fall of Polytheistic Civilization II

          (105)Section 5: The Rise and Fall of Polytheistic Civilization II

          Chapter 1: The Indus 9-2 The Dawn of Amida and the Silk Road    Honen was a man firm in his beliefs. With a genuine, earnest faith in Amitabha, he preached, rebirth in the Pure Land was in reach. At the end of his life, he left behind a b

          (105)Section 5: The Rise and Fall of Polytheistic Civilization II

          (104) Section 5: The Rise and Fall of Polytheistic Civilization II

          Chapter 1: The Indus9-1 The Dawn of Amida and the Silk Road    So what became of that singular treasure of the Indus after it made its way across continents and cultures?    An interesting point of departure for later Buddhism is Mahayana

          (104) Section 5: The Rise and Fall of Polytheistic Civilization II

          (103) Section 4: The Rise and Fall of Polytheistic Civilization II

          Chapter 1: The Indus8-2 The Silk Road and Buddhism in East Asia    In the previous installment, I discussed how the intersection of Ancient Greek and Buddhist culture in Gandhara became the impetus for the creation of the original Buddhist

          (103) Section 4: The Rise and Fall of Polytheistic Civilization II

          (102) Section 4: The Rise and Fall of Polytheistic Civilization II

          Chapter 1: The Indus8-1 The Silk Road and Buddhism in East Asia    So what exactly is Mahayana Buddhism? The encyclopedia Britannica has this to say:       Mahayana, (Sanskrit: “Greater Vehicle”) movement that arose       within Indian B

          (102) Section 4: The Rise and Fall of Polytheistic Civilization II

          (101) Section 4: The Rise and Fall of Polytheistic Civilization II

          Chapter 1: The Indus7-2 Mahayana Buddhism’s “Emptiness” and “Zero”    In the previous installment, I introduce the “philosophical completeness” sought by theorists of Mahayana Buddhism.    But to begin to understand what this means, you h

          (101) Section 4: The Rise and Fall of Polytheistic Civilization II

          (100) Section 4: The Rise and Fall of Polytheistic Civilization II

          Chapter 1: The Indus7-1 Mahayana Buddhism’s “Emptiness” and “Zero”    So, what about King Ashoka (reigned c. 268 – c. 232 BC)? To start, we know he was the third monarch of the Mauryan dynasty, credited with propagating Buddhism in the I

          (100) Section 4: The Rise and Fall of Polytheistic Civilization II

          (99) Section 4: The Rise and Fall of Polytheistic Civilization II

          Chapter 1: The Indus6-2 The Buddha’s Itinerant Teachings    Much is known about the Buddha’s missionary activities leading to his death. Instead of traveling throughout the Indian subcontinent, the Buddha focused on the Ganges Basin.    Bu

          (99) Section 4: The Rise and Fall of Polytheistic Civilization II

          (98) Section 4: The Rise and Fall of Polytheistic Civilization II

          Chapter 1: The Indus6-1 The Buddha’s Itinerant Teachings    Siddhartha had finally achieved enlightenment, but was in no rush to spread the word. He was now the Buddha or the “Awakened One.” Instructing others on the path to enlightenment,

          (98) Section 4: The Rise and Fall of Polytheistic Civilization II