Japan's śūnya

Japanese śūnya is not so much concept of philosophy as a kind of concept of literatures, maybe. Influence by śūnya is great. The transience was a main topic of Japanese classic literatures. So, under normal conditions, it might be that I should mention about it as matter of literatures.



I can find the transience in 万葉集(Manyoushu). There are two transience. One is transience about human kind that "life as fragile as bubble", "Human is as close as flower". The other is transience about the world that "I learned there is no absolute in this world now". So it seems there is concept as close as śūnya in Japan before that Buddhism was introduced to Japan.



Perhaps, culture win against philosophy. Although I say this many times on my blogs, philosophy is formed by circumstance. śūnya　didn't made a Japanese literature's concept but śūnya　became a reason of the concept of transience. In other words, Japanese had a logical explanation about transience. And, śūnya affected literatures.



In 13th century, the word "無常(Mujyou in Japanese,transience, absence of absolutes, impermanence in English) " appeared frequency. It is said the reason is that disasters and maelstrom of war happened often. Dogen who is a founder of Soto-shu(Zen) and Shinran who is a founder of Jyodo-shin-shu(pure land buddhism) and Nichiren who is a founder of Nichirenshu regarded 無常 (transience) as unequivocal principle of this world and preached it.



I said it might be that Japanese śūnya is not so much concept of philosophy as a kind of concept of literatures. The because is that Indians think of śūnya logically but Japanese didn't think logically but feel it literarily. I've seen so many literatures involving śūnya in literatures but I have seen just a few logical book written by Japanese. Dogen's "Shoubougenzou" is a book of logic but it was not major book in Japan, even though it is a vital book of our history. My teacher said Japanese understood śūnya sensuously through the daily life.



I think so. I also understood sensuously. It is a vast power of the world. We never be able to stand against it. When we think we could stand against it, the result is a product of transience. I don't mean we should gave up to make efforts. I think efforts is also a product of transience, śūnya. I just mention about the fact.



Although I say this out of self-consciousness, I think Japan is a great nation of literatures, while we don't have great philosophy. Perhaps, basically, what we understand　about the world is things was understood by sensuously way. In other words, it is literature. Forexample, Myoue who is a monk of Kegon Buddhism realized enlightenment when he saw a lights reflecting a drop on a flower. He saw all of the world in the lights.



I want to mention about Manshi Kiyozawa who is a philosopher of Japan. He established Japanese religion philosophy. And I found that all Japanese philosophers did is that just to rephrase Buddhist philosophy to modern words and modern logic.

I often think of that why Japanese philosophers can't establish new theory. Because is Buddhist philosophy the fact? I'll mention about this by a way which classify religion and philosophy later.



Well, I think you can read many Japanese classic literatures when you drop in a big book stores. If you interesting in it, please browse them in a bookstore.



I took the photo from my seat of Shinkansen bullet train yesterday. It is a Fuji-san, Fuji mountain.



Well, although I intended to write this blog more closely, but it is time to go out.

Have a great weekend everyone.