The Protestants of Japanese Buddhism.

This is the sect which, being called “Reformed” Buddhism[12] and resembling Protestantism in so many points, both large and minute, foreigners think has been borrowed or imitated from European Protestantism.[13] As matter of fact, the foundation principles of Shin-Shu are at least six hundred years old.  They are perfectly clear in the writings of the founder,[14] as well as in those of his successor Renni[=o],[15] who wrote the Ofumi or sacred writings, now daily read by the disciples of this denomination.  With the characteristic object of reaching the masses, they are written, as we have shown, not in the mixed Chinese and Japanese characters, but in the common script, or kana, which all the people of both sexes can read.  Within the last two decades the Shin educators have been the first to organize their schools of learning on the models of those in Christendom, so that their young men might be trained to resist Shint[=o] or Christianity, or to measure the truth in either.  Their new temples also show European influence in architecture and furniture.  Liberty of thought and action, and incoercible desire to be free from governmental, traditional, ultra-ecclesiastical, or Shint[=o] influence—­in a word, protestantism in its pure sense, is characteristic of the great sect founded by Shinran.

Indeed the Shin sect, which sprang out of the J[=o]-d[=o], maintains that it alone professes the true teaching of H[=o]-nen, and that the J[=o]-d[=o] sect has wandered from the original doctrines of its founder.  Whereas the J[=o]-d[=o] or Pure Land sect believes that Amida will come to meet the soul of the believer on its separation from the body, in order to conduct it to Paradise, the Shin or True Sect of the Pure Land believes in immediate salvation and sanctification.  It preaches that as soon as a man believes in Amida he is taken by him under him merciful protection.  Some might denominate these people the Methodists of Buddhism.

One good point in their Protestantism is their teaching that morality is of equal importance with faith.  To them Buddha-hood means the perfection and unlimitedness of wisdom and compassion.  “Therefore,” writes one, “knowing the inability of our own power we should believe simply in the vicarious Power of the Original Prayer.  If we do so, we are in correspondence with the wisdom of the Buddha and share his great compassion, just as the water of rivers becomes salt as soon as it enters the sea.  For this reason this is called the faith in the Other Power.”

To their everlasting honor, also, the Shin believers have probably led all other Japanese Buddhists in caring for the Eta, even as they probably excel in preaching the true spiritual democracy of all believers, yes, even of women.[16] “According to the earlier and general view of Buddhism, women are condemned, in virtue of the pollution of their nature, to look forward to rebirth in other forms.  By no possibility