Dr. Glenn T. Webb's paper, "The American View of the Way to Enlightenment," actually goes beyond the specific bounds of America and touches the religious consciousness of contemporary Japan. As one of the Fellows at the Jodo Shu Research institute in charge of overseas propagation and teachings, we are presently looking at what kinds of approaches are possible for promoting our teachings in western society. In this way, I very much appreciate Dr. Webb's points which indicate some direction on this very important matter.

The first point concerns the conception of enlightenment. The term satori generally expresses the essential meaning of enlightenment in Japanese Buddhism. According to Prof. Webb, "Americans use a host of terms to refer to enlightenment, such as realization, awakening, liberation, awareness, selflessness, self-transcendence, freedom, Nirvana, and even salvation." Satori as has various conceptions as well -- for example, it sometimes refers to the search for physical and psychological well-being. Prof. Webb, however, uses the interpretation of satori as "absolute consciousness" made by the Buddhist scholar and Zen teacher Hisamatsu Shinichi. Prof. Webb further states that, "sitting meditation is a time to encounter all creatures as oneself, and not, as many people assume, to go inward and shut others out." This quote implies that we should give up a strict adherence to one's self. In this way, we can experience all things through our own body and at the same time abandon sectarianism. This is a very holistic view and shows a new direction for Buddhism. I also find it quite persuasive since this nonsectarian standpoint is supported by Dr. Webb's deep experience in both Christianity and Buddhism. Dr. Webb clearly shows the American conception of transcendence, and further shows this understanding through his own practice.

From this standpoint, Dr. Webb is opposed to Stephen Batchelor's view of the way to enlightenment that, "... experiences of self-transcendent, ultimate reality should not be sought and in fact are not possible." This concern for transcendence would seem to me as Prof. Webb's most important theme.

Such an interest in transcendence has become popular among the younger generations in Japan since the 1970's. At the same time, there is the trend among traditional Buddhist sects towards rationalization to meet the new demands of modern daily life. The "New Religions" (shin-shukyo) which developed in Japan after the Meiji reforms of the late 19th century are also a typical example of this trend. The main focus of this period has been the creation of a rationalized religion based on the modern system of society rather than the search for transcendence.

However, since the 1970's a new movement towards mysticism and fundamentalism has begun in the so-called "New, New Religions" (shin shin-shukyo). Furthermore, new spiritual groups have developed which show concerns beyond the confines of organized religion. There are also groups which focus on "attaining enlightenment" by creating a communal life-style and by renouncing the secular world and adopting a renunciate life-style in isolated communities. Behind this movement lies the young Japanese concern for self-transcendence. This is the concern and search for who one really is. A typical example of this was "the search for myself" (jibun sagashi) movement of the young people of the 1980's, as seen in the late rock star Ozaki Yutaka who was a spiritual leader to the young. In his classic song, "Graduation" (sotsugyo), he gasps about his alienation and loneliness. The "search for myself" is spoken of as "how many times do I have to graduate to finally find my real self?" This song of Ozaki's created sympathy among quite a number of young people. Ozaki, however, was unable to finish his own "search for his self" and ended up committing suicide. Ozaki's death became a social phenomenon with many young people getting deeply caught up in it.

After Ozaki's death, young people began to look at their own individual mortality as well. This went beyond being an issue of young people's culture and became a religious issue as well. The question of "What is my real self?" is one that religion demands to be answered. In order to answer it, people have become more spiritually oriented and have also turned to the "New, New Religions" which arose in the 70's. Actually, Ozaki's songs provided great opportunities for the "New, New Religions" to gain members. I think it can be said that Prof. Webb's words about the search for self-transcendence are in the midst of becoming a reality in Japan today.

Finally, I think it is necessary to touch on the relationship between the American view of the way to enlightenment and the Japanese Jodo Shu view of the way to enlightenment. In Japan, the Buddhist position is unique. From a scholarly standpoint, Buddhism is a universal system with a pure and unbroken lineage, yet in reality it has mixed with indigenous religious culture to form a syncretic Buddhism. I don't think the phenomenon of the syncretism of universal religion and indigenous culture in any society or culture can be ignored. Japanese Buddhism is a conspicuous example of this.

On this basis, the general believers of Japanese Pure Land Buddhism search for an enlightenment which takes place after birth in the Pure Land. Honen Shonin's teachings talk about this birth in the Pure Land and encourage the practice of Nembutsu towards this end. In terms of the theme of Buddhist enlightenment, the majority of lay followers want to achieve salvation through birth in the Pure Land by reciting Nembutsu. A belief in birth in the Pure Land has been syncretized with the traditional belief in a veneration of ancestors, transmitted through the years by the common people. In addition to funerals, memorial services and other events taking place during the year, the veneration of ancestors has also become a central theme. This is the indigenization of Buddhism.

For this reason, present-day Buddhism is commonly assessed in a simplistic and negative way by elites as "funeral Buddhism." This "funeral Buddhism" is, however, on the mass level of the common people. The modernist trend has tried to separate these two strands of Buddhism, that is, to purify Buddhism from indigenous elements. This movement towards a rationalized Buddhism is finding meaning among modern people, yet it does not point to self-transcendence.

On the other hand, in the process of reciting Nembutsu we can attain a satori -like experience (Nembutsu-zammai). The relationship between sentient beings and calling on Amida through Nembutsu creates a reciprocal relationship similar to Martin Buber's "I and Thou." From the viewpoint of Jodo Shu history, we can see this same phenomenon in Honen's sanmai-hottoku experience. After years of arduous Nembutsu practice, Honen began to experience spontaneous visualizations of the Pure Land and deep states of absorption (samadhi). We can also see this kind of experience in the modern period in the figure of Yamazaki Bennei. Yamazaki created the Komyo-kai movement which stressed deep religious experience through Nembutsu recitation. Furthermore, we can find such transcendent experiences in the Legends of Births (Ojoden) from Pure Land practitioners in China and Japan before Honen. This is what some might term elite Buddhism.

Prof. Webb, however, shows us that his is not a folk Buddhism, nor a rationalized Buddhism but the conversion to a Buddhism of self-transcendence. In order for Pure Land Buddhism to be purposeful to contemporary people, it must recapture its universal meaning by showing the true significance of the Nembutsu experience. As a Buddhist priest coming from a position of teaching and propagation, I think it is necessary to rethink the meaning of religion for Japanese people. Furthermore, Prof. Webb's paper shows us that when young Japanese people need to "search for themselves," we must first determine whether their sense of self-awareness has matured or not, among other things.

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