Sōjiji is one of the two head temples of Sōtō Zen, the largest sect of Japanese Buddhism. The temple is steeped in centuries of culture and tradition, but it is very much rooted in the present and future, performing functions and catering to needs that reflect the changing demographic, social, and religious landscapes of contemporary Japan.Based on more than fifteen years of fieldwork, interviews, and archival research, Sōjiji: Discipline, Compassion, and Enlightenment at a Japanese Zen Temple immerses the reader in the lives and experiences of the different groups that comprise Sōjiji's contemporary religious community. Through clear and accessible prose, ethnographically-grounded analysis, and emotionally compelling stories, the reader will explore the rich pastiche of daily life and ritual activity at a major Japanese Zen temple in institutional, historical, and social context through the lived practices of its community of clergy, practitioners, parishioners, and visitors.
Joshua Irizarry is Visiting Associate Professor of Anthropology at Bridgewater State University.
Acknowledgments IntroductionSōjiji, the Forest for a Thousand YearsChapter 1The History of SōjijiChapter 2The Training of a Sōtō Zen NoviceChapter 3Bearing the Mantle of PriesthoodChapter 4Struggling for Enlightenment (While Keeping Your Day Job)Chapter 5Performing Compassion Through Goeika MusicChapter 6Making Ancestors Through Memorial Rituals ConclusionFor a Thousand YearsEpilogueIn PerpetuityAfterwardWriting SōjijiGlossary Bibliography Notes Index
"Elegantly written and carefully edited, this book represents a welcome contribution to the study of religion in contemporary Japan and is warmly recommended to all those interested in this subject and in the broader area of Buddhism in East Asia."
