Presenting Japanese Buddhism to the West : Orientalism, Occidentalism, and the Columbian Exposition

Snodgrass challenges the predominant view that Asian cultures are objectified and understood strictly through Western ideas. Based on a detailed examination of presentations by Japanese Buddhists at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893, Snodgrass argues that Buddhists themselves helped reformulate Buddhism into a modern world religion. Contents......Page 6 Figures......Page 8 Introduction: Japan in Chicago......Page 12 Buddhism and Orientalism......Page 15 Of Orientalists and Orientalism......Page 18 Orientalist Scholarship and Asian Buddhist Modernities......Page 19 Oriental Participation in Orientalism......Page 21 Zen for Americans and Other Histories......Page 23 Notes......Page 290 1. Japan Faces the West......Page 27 Treaty Revision and the Chicago Exposition......Page 28 America and the Westward Progress of Civilization......Page 32 The Ferris Wheel......Page 37 Positioning the Statement: The Statement of the Site......Page 45 American Responses......Page 50 Accommodating Western Categories......Page 52 Conclusion......Page 54 Notes......Page 292 2. Manifest Destiny: Christianity and American Imperialism......Page 56 The World’s Fair Auxiliary Congresses......Page 59 The World’s Parliament of Religions and Messianic Mission......Page 61 Bonney’s Vision: The Origin of the Plan......Page 63 North American Ecumenism to Christian Universalism......Page 65 Exhibiting Spiritual Progress......Page 67 Exhibiting the Exotic......Page 68 The Congress as Parliament......Page 69 The Invitation and the Limits of Tolerance......Page 70 Hierarchies of Race and the Light......Page 71 Tolerance: Assimilation or Plurality?......Page 73 Conclusion......Page 74 Notes......Page 295 3. The Rules of the Parliament: Securing the Truth......Page 76 Absence of Debate......Page 78 Authorizing Speech......Page 80 Extending Authority: The Solicited Prize Essay......Page 82 The Rule of Time......Page 83 The Finest Fruits......Page 84 Language and Authenticity......Page 86 The Published Record......Page 87 The Parliament Illustrated......Page 90 The Priority of the Text......Page 93 Conclusion......Page 95 Notes......Page 298 4. Alterity: Buddhism as the ‘‘Other’’ of Christianity......Page 96 Buddhism of Travelers’ Tales......Page 98 The Buddha as Anti-Hindu Hero......Page 99 The Scholarship of Imperialism......Page 102 Defining Northern Buddhism......Page 103 The Politics of Buddhism in Ceylon......Page 105 Buddhism: Atheistic Religion......Page 108 Buddhism: Philosophical Humanism......Page 110 Buddhism: Materialist Error......Page 113 Buddhism: The Religion of Self-Reliance......Page 115 The Defining Debate: Rhys Davids versus Saint-Hilaire......Page 119 Buddhism: Northern Decadence......Page 120 Conclusion......Page 124 Notes......Page 301 5. Buddhism and Modernity in Meiji Japan......Page 126 Domestic Crisis and Criticism......Page 127 Seeking Knowledge Abroad......Page 129 Modernization and the Western Religion......Page 132 Doshisha and the Kumamoto Band......Page 133 The Question of Access......Page 136 Buddhism in Society......Page 137 Strengthening Imperial Rule......Page 138 Buddhism and Japanese Identity......Page 140 The Discourse of the Meiji Twenties......Page 143 Notes......Page 306 6. Buddhist Revival and Japanese Nationalism......Page 148 Inoue Enryo......Page 150 Inoue the Philosopher......Page 151 Hosui, the Paradigmatic Meiji Intellectual......Page 152 Gokoku Airi......Page 154 Deploying Western Philosophy......Page 155 Buddhism and Patriotism......Page 158 A Secular Sangha......Page 160 Buddhism and International Prestige......Page 161 Taking Buddhism to the West......Page 163 Conclusion......Page 164 Notes......Page 311 7. Deploying Wester Authority I: Henry Steel Olcott in Japan......Page 166 Olcott and Buddhist Revival in Ceylon......Page 169 Buddhism as Theosophy......Page 171 Olcott and the Revival of Buddhism in Japan......Page 175 Olcott’s Tour as Performance......Page 180 Conclusion......Page 181 Notes......Page 313 8. Buddhism and Treaty Revision: The Chicago Project......Page 183 Organizing the Delegation......Page 184 The Manifesto......Page 185 The Delegates......Page 187 Buddhism in the Campaign for Treaty Revision......Page 190 ‘‘Heathenism’’ and Treaty Revision......Page 192 Japanese Religion, Buddhism, and Heathenism......Page 196 Atheism Disrupted......Page 197 Idolatry Dismissed......Page 198 Nirvana and Social Engagement......Page 199 Imperialism and the Moral High Ground......Page 200 Responses: A Christian Gaze......Page 201 Japanese Christians in Defense of National Character......Page 202 Conservative Buddhist Opposition......Page 205 Conclusion......Page 207 Notes......Page 315 9. Defining Eastern Buddhism......Page 209 The Chicago Presentation......Page 211 A Note on Sources......Page 212 Reclaiming Buddhism: Orientalism and Asian Modernity......Page 214 The Buddha in Southern Buddhism......Page 215 The Buddha in Eastern Buddhism......Page 217 Eastern Buddhism: Sakyamuni’s Highest Teaching......Page 218 From Pan-Asian Buddhism to Universal Religion......Page 220 Buddhism for the West......Page 221 Eastern Buddhism Is Scientific......Page 222 Eastern Buddhism and Philosophical Idealism......Page 224 Interdependence and Karma......Page 226 Buddha Nature and the Nature of Buddhas......Page 227 Nirvana in Eastern Buddhism: Compassion and Social Action......Page 228 Of God and Soul......Page 230 Conclusion......Page 231 Notes......Page 320 10. Paul Carus: Buddhism and Monist Mission......Page 233 Eastern Buddhism Dismissed......Page 235 Buddhism Appropriated: Paul Carus and Monist Mission......Page 238 Christ Is a Buddha......Page 241 Trinity and Trikaya......Page 242 The Gospel of Buddha: Popularizing the Construct......Page 244 Appending Authority......Page 246 The Content of the Form: The Bible as Model......Page 250 Reception......Page 251 Conclusion......Page 253 Notes......Page 324 11. Deploying Western Authority II: Carus in Translation......Page 256 The Gospel of Buddha in Japan......Page 257 Validating the Chicago Mission......Page 261 Creating Space for Discussion......Page 262 Budda no fukuin in Buddhist Nationalism......Page 263 The Two Prefaces: The Extension of the Parliament Project......Page 265 The Preface in Open Court: The Message to the West......Page 266 Notes......Page 327 12. From Eastern Buddhism to Zen: A Postscript......Page 270 Learning from the West......Page 271 Suzuki at La Salle......Page 273 Decentering Original Buddhism......Page 274 Decentering the Canon......Page 275 Positive, Energetic, Practical......Page 276 Zen: The Essence of Eastern Buddhism......Page 277 Buddhism, Zen, and Japanese Culture: The Hooden Revisited......Page 278 The Changing Contexts of Buddhist Nationalism......Page 279 The Eastern Buddhist Society......Page 282 Orientalism, Occidentalism, and Eastern Buddhism......Page 284 Notes......Page 329 Bibliography......Page 334 A-B......Page 356 C-D......Page 357 E-I......Page 358 J-M......Page 359 N-R......Page 360 S-T......Page 361 U-Z......Page 362 Japanese Buddhism was introduced to a wide Western audience when a delegation of Buddhist priests attended the World's Parliament of Religions, part of the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago. In describing and analyzing this event, Judith Snodgrass challenges the predominant view of Orientalism as a one-way process by which Asian cultures are understood strictly through Western ideas. Restoring agency to the Buddhists themselves, she shows how they helped reformulate Buddhism as a modern world religion with specific appeal to the West while simultaneously reclaiming authority for the tradition within a rapidly changing Japan. Snodgrass explains how the Buddhism presented in Chicago was shaped by the institutional, social, and political imperatives of the Meiji Buddhist revival movement in Japan and was further determined by the Parliament itself, which, despite its rhetoric of fostering universal brotherhood and international goodwill, was thoroughly permeated with confidence in the superiority of American Protestantism. Additionally, in the context of Japan's intensive diplomatic campaign to renegotiate its treaties with Western nations, the nature of Japanese religion was not simply a religious issue, Snodgrass argues, but an integral part of Japan's bid for acceptance by the international community. Japanese Buddhism Was Introduced To The West During The World's Parliament Of Religions, In The 1893 Columbian Exposition. In Describing And Analysing This Event, This Text Challenges The View Of Orientalism As A One-way Process By Which Asian Cultures Are Understood Through Western Ideas. Japan Faces The West -- Manifest Destiny: Christianity And American Imperialism -- The Rules Of The Parliament: Securing The Truth -- Alterity: Buddhism As The Other Of Christianity -- Buddhism And Modernity In Meiji Japan -- Buddhist Revival And Japanese Nationalism -- Deploying Western Authority 1.: Henry Steel Olcott In Japan -- Buddhism And Treaty Revision: The Chicago Project -- Defining Eastern Buddhism -- Paul Carus: Buddhism And Monist Mission -- Deploying Western Authority 2.: Carus In Translation -- From Eastern Buddhism To Zen: A Postscript. By Judith Snodgrass. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 323-343) And Index.