Learning Sacred Way Of Emperor: The National Ideals of the Japanese People (Kegan Paul Japan Library)

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In these days, reward does not always follow merit, or punishment follow crime. You high officials who have charge of public affairs, make it your business to give clear rewards and punishments. There cannot be two lords in a country; the people cannot have two masters. The sovereign is the sole master of the people of the whole realm, and the officials that he appoints are all his subjects.

How can they presume to levy taxes on the people?

Their work may sometimes be interrupted due to illness or their being sent on missions. But whenever they are able to attend to business they should do so as if they knew what it was about and not obstruct public affairs on the grounds they are not personally familiar with them. For if we envy others, then they in turn will envy us.

The evils of envy know no limit. If others surpass us in intelligence, we are not pleased; if they are more able, we are envious. But if we do not find wise men and sages, how shall the realm be governed? Now if a man is influenced by private motives, he will be resentful, and if he is influenced by resentment he will fail to act harmoniously with others. If he fails to act harmoniously with others, the public interest will suffer. Resentment interferes with order and is subversive of law. This is an ancient and excellent rule. Employ them in the winter months when they are at leisure, but not from Spring to Autumn, when they are busy with agriculture or with the mulberry trees the leaves of which are fed to silkworms.

For if they do not attend to agriculture, what will there be to eat? If they do not attend to the mulberry trees, what will there be for clothing? They should be discussed with many people. Small matters are of less consequence and it is unnecessary to consult a number of people. It is only in the case of important affairs, when there is a suspicion that they may miscarry, that one should consult with others, so as to arrive at the right conclusion.

Prince Shotoku established a court system with twelve grades of court rank based on merit and achievement and drew up the first Japanese constitution in Chinese around A closer examination of the Seventeen-Article Constitution Jushichjjo kenpo shows that Shotoku used the constitution as a vehicle to strengthen the notion of the absolute authority of the emperor as well as to promote Buddhism as the official religion.

The constitution was both a moral code and a code of personal and social behaviour. Its basic tenet was harmony: We all alternate between wisdom and madness. It is a closed circle. Hence, Prince Shotoku and his constitution are today seen as a unifying force in Japanese society. Later in medieval Japan, the Seventeen-Article Constitution that Shotoku promulgated was to become an important source among ruling authorities, the shogun, court, aristocracy, and temple establishments who promoted Shotoku worship, for bolstering their claims to authority.

Under this system, the imperial court relied on experienced and skilled officials who were appointed and promoted on the basis of their ability to perform specialized administrative tasks. Murasaki or purple has since ancient times been a color that symbolized authority, nobility and splendor. Below these ministers, the other officials of twelve grades wore caps of different colors, other than purple. The imperial secretary reported directly to the throne. At lower levels, other officials bearing the cap and ranks were chosen for their ability to perform specialized functions: These newly created ranks and positions were a significant immigration policy that made provision for immigrants with expertise and achievement — as opposed to a rank by birth in a historically prominent local clan.

Numerous official missions of envoys, priests, and students were sent to China in the seventh century. Some remained twenty years or more; many of those who returned became prominent reformers. Japan never again accepted a subordinate status in its relations with China. Although the missions continued the transformation of Japan through Chinese influences, the Korean influence on Japan declined despite the close connections that had existed during the early Kofun period. Some of his foreign policy actions were regarded as less than successful such as his failure to restore control of Mimana, reportedly a tributary kingdom of Japan in Korea.

Prince Shotoku also despatched envoys of Korean descent who could read Chinese in to China.

Ancient records tell us that the boat coasted the Korean shoreline as a direct passage was too dangerous. The Japanese request was not acceded to, until when the same request had to be repeated…even though four Japanese missions were sent to China during the brief duration of the Sui dynasty. According to the document Shotoku stood up and began praying soon after he was born and could understand 10 people talking to him at the same time. The document lists a variety of noble deeds performed by the prince. When he died everyone from court members to farmers to children wept.

It is not stated whether they were killed or committed suicide. By most accounts he was a remarkable man who did remarkable things and many benevolent works for the nation. Some accounts are harder to swallow.

PRINCE SHOTOKU

According to legend, his birth, like that of Buddha, was a miraculous birth: Prince Shotoku was thus a unique historical character who had gained his giant status as a result of his significant contributions in two fields: Soon after his death, Prince Shotoku, post-humously, gained great legendary status.

That legendary status probably began with his deification at temple complexes closely associated with him and which was further promoted by the close and interdependent ties between the state and Buddhism at the time. Interestingly, hardly any early accounts of Buddhist sources on Shotoku worship exist because the imperial authorities either served in the dual capacity as religious authorities, or because they used Buddhism as a tool to support the interests of the state.

The face on the statue features a broad nose, prominent lips and narrow eyes and the figure possesses large hands.

Another statue in the Horyuji Temple is the Shaka triad, an inscription on the Shaka triad states that the statue was created as a life-size replica of Prince Shotoku himself. It was made at the time of his death as a prayer for his ascent into the Pure Land. Suiko 21 12th month,1st day. Prince Shotoku traveled to Kataoka. At that time,a starving man was lying by the side of the road. Accordingly,the crown prince asked him his name,but the man did not respond. Shotoku, observing this situation, provided the man with food and water and removed the coat he was wearing and covered the starving man with it.

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Shotoku then sang this verse: On the sunny hill of Mount Kataoki, Look! There lies a poor traveler Starving for food.

Were you born without parents? Without a lord prosperous as a bamboo? Shotoku Worship in Shinran Worship, K. The dying beggar tale gets developed with more embellishments with later version over time. In a popular version of the story the starving man turns out to be none other than Daruma Taishi Bodhidharma , an important figure in Japanese Buddhism. For more readings on the legend see: The Gem-Glistening Cup p.

Page 54 the embellishments to the dying beggar tale and the development of the legendary sage and kami status of Shotoku Taishi [Source: The temple appears in the Nihon shoki Chronicles of Japan entry for December of the 21st year of the reign of Emperor Suiko The temple maintains that it was founded at the place Prince Shotoku met the starving man near Mt. During repairs to the main hall, a small stone chamber was detected with a stone stupa deposited in upright position. A square hole had been carved into the body of the stupa, in which a haji ware lidded vessel had been placed, within which a quartz crystal reliquary in the shape of a Five Elements Stupa was found, in which a relic had been placed.

According to the report of the excavations of Darumaji: A stone stupa, ordinarily erected above ground, being deposited in an underground stone chamber in upright fashion, is exceedingly rare.

PRINCE SHOTOKU | Facts and Details

From a typological examination of the artifacts, including the stone stupa, and the results of investigations in the vicinity of the main hall, the deposit is inferred to have been made around the mid 13th century. As the grave kofun of the starving man, held to have been an incarnation of Bodhidharma, was repaired at about the same time that Darumaji was founded, it is thought that the stone stupa was deposited in connection with the repair of the tomb.

These artifacts and features may be evaluated as showing a new facet of Buddhist relic belief that was popular nationwide in the Medieval period. Prince Shotoku Kawagoe wrote: In early Japan, Prince Shotoku was portrayed mainly as the regent prince with imperial lineage traceable to sun goddess Amaterasu, kami and a deified bodhisattva.

During the medieval period however, Shotoku worship became a widespread and popular trend. As Buddhist institutions began to assert their independence from the imperial court, they began to promote Shotoku in different ways, according to their own interpretations and elevation of Shotoku primarily as a Buddhist saint or deity. Shotoku worship evolved further through the legends that now portrayed Shotoku not only as a powerful kami, but also as a reincarnation of Tendai Eshi, as a manifestation of bodhisattva Kannon, and later, as Amida Buddha and even Shinran himself Shinran was a monk who spent twenty years of religious training at Mount Hiei after which he apprenticed under his master Honen, who took Shinran on as his apprentice to learn the senju nenbutsu teaching.

For Shinran, Shotoku was more than a historical and legendary figure—Shotoku was his personal savior. Shinran became the first Buddhist monk who rejected his clerical vows of celibacy, openly married and had children with Eshinni. About twenty years after the deaths of Shotoku in A.

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The revolt was led by Prince Naka and Nakatomi Kamatari, who seized control of the court from the Soga family and introduced the Taika Reform. After the death of Soga no Emishi in , the rulers and administrators in Asuka adopted reforms that led to the formation of a Chinese-style state known as the ritsuryo state. After his death however, actions were taken to sever established Buddhist temples from Soga patronage and the control of temple complexes was placed under the charge of emperors and empresses instead.

To answer the question, I will define and examine the following three concepts: This audience-centered definition holds the assumptions that the participants must willingly engage in public debate and discussion, and that their arguments must function to open a critical space and keep it open.

From this perspective, as Chaim Perelman has rightly pointed out, the aim of argumentation is to gain the adherence of others.

Hence, argumentation should be viewed as an interactive process between arguer and audience to determine the appropriateness of an advocated claim based upon data presented with reasoning given. Only the arguments that exceed a threshold for audience acceptance will survive or prevail, and others will disappear or fade away. Thus, the establishment of intersubjectivity is one of the primary aims of engaging in argumentative discourse.

Thus, assurance of rationality is one of the chief purpose of argumentation. In short, argumentation must help carry out critical decision-making, establish intersubjectivity, and save rationality in the act of speech. I believe that ideological pronouncement fails to meet all three of the fundamental characteristics of argumentation. Ideological pronouncement should be considered problematic and even undesirable in that it is designed to oppress free and critical discussion and promote controlled and uncritical thinking.

In this sense, reality is far from something we are given by others, but something we experience within the framework of rhetorical formation. I argue that a rhetorical reality becomes ideological pronouncement when it possesses the three characteristics mentioned previously, and that such an anti-argumentative rhetoric is likely to proliferate in the period of fascist ideology, such as wartime.

For instance, the character of wartime Japanese rhetoric can be represented by the following: Specifically, the CardinaI Principles was exerted in order to construct Japan as the great family nation which has no parallel in history. The unbroken line of Emperors, receiving the Oracle of the Founder of the Nation, reign eternally over the Japanese Empire.

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This is our eternal and immutable national entity. Thus, founded on this great principle, all the people, united as one great family nation in heart and obeying the Imperial Will, enhance indeed the beautiful virtues of loyalty and filial piety. This is the glory of our national entity. Thus, the Emperor-subject relationship is emphasized as not only that of sovereign and subject, but of father and child. In this way, the content of the Cardinal Principles is far from historical facts: Japanese historian Nagahara Keiji comments: The imperial view of history sought to reinforce itself as an ideology to rationalize the powers that be, rather than to cope with contemporary rationalism.

It was rather natural for militarists and imperialists to seek a means of escape into territorial aggrandizement in order to divert the attention of the public from real issues. This attempt to resolve the internal contradictions only created new contradictions, all doomed to end badly.

It was published for the purpose of easing the social tension caused by the impact of Westernization after the Meiji Restoration and Great Depression later, and of unifying the Japanese people for nationalistic ideas. Robert King Hall explains: In this frame of reference, no criticism or even questioning is called for, but all obedience and loyalty are required by the ruling class. Army indoctrination was a strictly one-way communication, in which only the socializer spoke and the socializee was expected to accept silently whatever was told him.

It was an imperfect communication, since the socializee was not expected to understand precisely what these words meant but only to grasp vaguely what they were about. Their ambiguity created a halo of sanctity around the words of the Imperial dicta…. Thus imperfect communication, instead of complete discommunication or perfect communication, was function for military elites as a method of indoctrinating soldiers in the ideology of death. The use of imperfect communication as a vehicle of army socialization was related to the functional diffuseness of its ideological content.

The cardinal principles of the national entity of Japan as an example of ideological pronouncement The Cardinal Principles employs a variety of rhetorical strategy to distinguish Japanese from Western traditions. The Cardinal Principles contends: Similar provisions which one sees among foreign nations are certainly not founded on such deep truths, and are merely things that serve to ensure the position of a sovereign by means of legislation. Its citizens are told that Japan is a unique sacred nation which is ruled by a divine character.

Clearly, the aim of the Cardinal Principles is to unify and elevate the nationalistic spirit of the Japanese. The authors themselves state:. In this way the Cardinal Principles constructs a convenient ideology for the ruling class see, for instance, Ajisawa. From the imperial view of history, the social and political actions of the masses, especially issues of class struggles and movements, were not only of no significance but also intolerable and something excluded. The book takes virtually any and every opportunity to argue the superiority of Japan over the West. Whereas the West posits a hierarchical relationship between God and people, in the East God is in eternal concord with the mutual harmony between them.

Elsewhere, the same idea is also extended to the relationship between nature and human beings in which humankind and nature enjoy coalescent intimacy Cardinal Principles Political or moral philosophy is presented as another area of comparison Whereas harmony provides moral character for the Japanese people, Westerners are not thought to be capable of drawing on collective inner strength because individualism characterizes them.

Finally, Japan is represented as superior to the West in the terms of its social institutions. The Imperial Constitution is featured as a major example The Constitution is distinguished from that of foreign countries by the nature of the ruler, and it is considered an august message of the Emperor. In short, Japan is both differentiated from the West, and the superiority of Japan is held to be demonstrated over the West throughout the Cardinal Principles.

The final constituent for the enactment of ideological pronouncement can be viewed as a lack of critical space, thus, undermining and limiting the possibility of public argument or discussion. The Cardinal Principles maintains:

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