Expressions between Dogma and Silence: A Japanese Take on the Two Truths
Gereon Kopf
20 April 2018
Exploring two interpretations of a central Buddhist doctrine
Buddhism in Japan introduces the histories, practices, and beliefs of various Buddhist schools, thinkers, and practitioners in Japan. It explores popular as well as little known faces of Buddhism in Japan through the reflections on texts, explorations of religious sites, and encounters with practitioners.
Gereon Kopf is a Professor in the religion department at Luther College, Iowa, USA, Visiting Researcher at the International Research Center for Philosophy of Tōyō University, and Adjunct Professor at the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies, University of Iceland.
Buddhism in Japan is published bi-monthly.
Origins of the Godai Myо̄о̄
Michael Van Hartingsveldt
8 March 2018
Introducing a new column on iconography in Japanese…
Becoming a Buddha – A Shingon Buddhist 10-step Program
Gereon Kopf
1 March 2018
Mapping the way from suffering to liberation
Meaning in the Face of Transience: Reflections of Socially Engaged Buddhists in Japan
Gereon Kopf
17 January 2018
Finding solace in impermanence
One Face of Liberation: Buddhist Feminism in Japan
Gereon Kopf
30 October 2017
The Zen-inspired activism of Hiratsuka Raichō
Who Am I — Self-discovery in Japanese Zen Practice
Gereon Kopf
26 May 2017
The Japanese Zen master Dōgen (1200–53) famously said, “To study the Buddha way is to study the self.”* A popular meditation manual known and used
Samurai and Monks: Lessons in Impermanence
Gereon Kopf
24 March 2017
In the last few weeks, I have been teaching the Tale of Heike (Heike monogatari) to my students at Luther College. The Tale of Heike is central to Japanese
Why Meditate?
Gereon Kopf
27 January 2017
Whenever I teach Japanese Buddhism, whether in the Americas, Europe, or East Asia, I frequently run into the same assumption among students that Buddhists, for
Does a Philosopher Have Buddha-nature?
Gereon Kopf
4 November 2016
In my previous article,* I introduced a method of reading Japanese Buddhist texts, especially writings by the Japanese Zen master Dōgen (1200–53).** Here, I would
How to Read Japanese Buddhist Texts?
Gereon Kopf
9 September 2016
In this article, I would like to reflect on how to read Japanese Buddhist texts. To explain my strategies for approaching texts distant in time,
Spirituality as the Transformation of Daily Life: Living Buddhism in 21st Century Japan
Gereon Kopf
20 May 2016
A 2008 article in The New York Times asked the provocative question whether Buddhism in Japan “may be dying out” (Onishi 2008). Unlike other, frequent claims that
How to Face Death – Pilgrimages and Death Rituals in Japanese Buddhism
Gereon Kopf
15 January 2016
I discussed pilgrimages in Japan in an earlier article on this website.* This month, I am teaching a course in Japan that involves visits to