In Innoshima we hear about Shusaku playing Go in a temple
I think that there is a lot I don't know about how Go is seen in Japan. Playing a game in a sacred place is kind of surprising for me. Does anyone know whether this is a Buddhist temple?
Japanese religion is quite different from western; playing Go in a temple is perfectly acceptable, it's a contemplative game after all and they do chase after the Hand of God.
Temples in Japan aren't like western churches (my only other comparison). I've been to temples that were holding events that looked like fairs and at New Years when everyone crowds in and sits inside and eats a mandarin and drinks this odd sake concoction (that I really didn't like and can't remember the name of). That was at a Buddhist temple, but the Shinto shrines I don't think are much different in terms of having fairs etc. I would image that they would have played at a Buddhist temple as they seem to have the large hall that they could play in (from the two local ones I went to). From remembering the Shinto shrine I went to I know that they didn't have a hall. I discounted the really large temples and shrines I went to as I don't really remember which were temples and which were shrines without looking up stuff.
Wow, thats really interesting. I'd heard about the mixture of Shinto and Buddism in Japan before but not anything about how things actually went on.
There are quite different beliefs about the afterlife too I think (which are relevant to HnG at this point): Does the spirit of the deceased remain among the living or go somewhere else? Or each in turn?
from what I understand the spirit passes on (I don't actually know where as I didn't have any interest at the time). Then during Obon week which is in August the spirits of the dead return and are eventually sent back using fire and smoke from incense/bonfires/candles etc. During the year I know that most people will get a Buddhist monk to come in to their home and at the family shrine he'll read certain Buddhist katra/scriptures which helps the deceased in some way (again never discussed this). Where I was living the family shrine was in the room next to me and I would often hear the monk in there chanting and chiming a bell.
I think it's believed that your ancestors will help you/look after you as when I was leaving Japan they invited me to pray at the family shrine. I know that my friend's Grandfather's name was also at the local Shinto shrine. I don't know why his name was kept there but she pointed it out to me when we went there once, so I'm really not sure what the belief is for the dead in Shintoism.
From both belief systems thou (I think but a lot from Buddhism) come stories of spirits that haven't passed on. A story I read was about a woman waiting for her husband to return, she is still there when he finally comes back but in the morning she's gone and he's informed by a neighbour that she died years ago. Stories like that are common as are ones like in 'Genji' where a departed spirit attacks a woman Genji is sleeping with b/c she was sleeping with him too but blah blah blah and she died angry and decided to take revenge or something. (I wasn't that interested when I had to read that excerpt from 'Genji'...) I think in Buddhist beliefs (Japan version) regrets tie you to this world and if you give up all your worldly desires you reach nirvana.
Hey I'm no church going anything either, but when I type up "bingo in church" in Google I get many hits that take it as a matter of course. Including this one: "MILWAUKEE -- Four people are in custody after police say they held up a bingo night at a local church. Saturday, August 14, 2010"
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2010-08-18 10:18 pm (UTC)I think that there is a lot I don't know about how Go is seen in Japan. Playing a game in a sacred place is kind of surprising for me. Does anyone know whether this is a Buddhist temple?
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Date: 2010-08-18 10:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-18 10:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-18 10:47 pm (UTC)But with 8 million Gods anything is possible....
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Date: 2010-08-19 09:52 am (UTC)That was at a Buddhist temple, but the Shinto shrines I don't think are much different in terms of having fairs etc. I would image that they would have played at a Buddhist temple as they seem to have the large hall that they could play in (from the two local ones I went to). From remembering the Shinto shrine I went to I know that they didn't have a hall. I discounted the really large temples and shrines I went to as I don't really remember which were temples and which were shrines without looking up stuff.
no subject
Date: 2010-08-19 09:23 pm (UTC)There are quite different beliefs about the afterlife too I think (which are relevant to HnG at this point): Does the spirit of the deceased remain among the living or go somewhere else? Or each in turn?
no subject
Date: 2010-08-19 09:56 pm (UTC)During the year I know that most people will get a Buddhist monk to come in to their home and at the family shrine he'll read certain Buddhist katra/scriptures which helps the deceased in some way (again never discussed this). Where I was living the family shrine was in the room next to me and I would often hear the monk in there chanting and chiming a bell.
I think it's believed that your ancestors will help you/look after you as when I was leaving Japan they invited me to pray at the family shrine.
I know that my friend's Grandfather's name was also at the local Shinto shrine. I don't know why his name was kept there but she pointed it out to me when we went there once, so I'm really not sure what the belief is for the dead in Shintoism.
From both belief systems thou (I think but a lot from Buddhism) come stories of spirits that haven't passed on. A story I read was about a woman waiting for her husband to return, she is still there when he finally comes back but in the morning she's gone and he's informed by a neighbour that she died years ago.
Stories like that are common as are ones like in 'Genji' where a departed spirit attacks a woman Genji is sleeping with b/c she was sleeping with him too but blah blah blah and she died angry and decided to take revenge or something. (I wasn't that interested when I had to read that excerpt from 'Genji'...) I think in Buddhist beliefs (Japan version) regrets tie you to this world and if you give up all your worldly desires you reach nirvana.
Sorry for the long rambling answer... ^_^
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Date: 2010-08-19 04:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-19 09:15 pm (UTC)Huh?!!
I seem to have missed this cultural development (which is not surprising as Im neither a church goer nor a bingo player).
Yes, Go seems more reverant. It might also be considered a spectator sport for the deities I suppose.
no subject
Date: 2010-08-19 09:23 pm (UTC)