The Warrior Monks of Japan - Buddhism Took on Violence
Buddhism is known as a religion of peace and harmony, with values promoting a non- harmful and honest way of life. While not as widespread and influential as the big three, Buddhism still left it mark in many countries in Asia. One such place is the island archipelago of Japan, where it took root in two different forms . The first and most common is through Shinto-Buddhism, with the imported faith blending with the native religion . The second, and topic of today’s being the development of its own branch of Buddhism, giving it a completely new identity in the land of the rising sun. You s ee, Japanese Buddhist monks, called Sohei , differed greatly from their mainland counterparts. Instead of being peaceful meditators, seeking purification, Soheis were more into splitting your face in half while getting shit drunk on sake. This is because, to the Soheis , the mortal world was irreversibly corrupted and the only path to salvation was to die and be reborn in the lands o...
