Shinbutsu Bunri

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Shinbutsu bunri (神仏分離, lit. Shinto-Buddhism-separation) refers to the policies by the Meiji government to separate Shinto from Buddhism. By the end of Edo period, Shinto and Buddhism were intimately connected in what was called Shinbutsu Shugo (神仏習合), up to the point that even the same buildings were used as both Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. The government decreed their separation in temples and shrines in order to purify Shinto, the traditional religion, as a reaction to perceived foreign threats in Christianity and against Buddhism, which had originally come from India via China.

The extent to which this policy succeeded can be questioned, since today most Japanese people still believe in both Shinto and Buddhism and go to shrines (Japanese 神社 - jinja, for Shinto) and/or temples (Japanese. 寺 - tera, which is for Buddhism).

Contents 1 Further reading 2 See also 3 References 4 External links

[edit] Further reading

Some of the effects of the Shinbutsu bunri policy are discussed by Brian Victoria in his 1998 book Zen at War.

[edit] See also

• Shinbutsu Shugo

[edit] References

• A history of Japan, R. H. P. Mason, J. G. Caiger, Tuttle Publishing; Revised edition (November 1, 1997), ISBN 0-8048-2097-X

[edit] External links

• extensive article