Guest guest Posted August 21, 2002 Report Share Posted August 21, 2002 Hinduism's Influence in Japan >Source: Press Reports > >JAPAN, August 14, 2002: Hinduism went from India to Japan along with the >Buddhist missionaries. Numerous deities were introduced into Japan and many >of these are still very popular. For example, Indra is popular in Japan as >Taishaku (literally the great King Sakra); Ganesha is worshipped as Sho-ten >(literally, Holy God) in many Buddhist temples, and is believed to confer >happiness upon his devotees. A sea-serpent, worshipped by sailors is called >Ryujin, a Chinese equivalent of the Indian Naga or Snake God. Shinto has >also adopted Indian gods: Varuna is worshipped as Sui-ten (Water God), and >Saraswati, the Goddess of Learning, has become Benten (literally, Goddess >of Speech). Siva is well known to the Japanese as Daikoku (literally, God >of Darkness), which is a Chinese and Japanese equivalent of the Indian >Mahakala, another name of Siva. According to author Donald A. Mackenzie: > " The Indian form of myth of the Churning of the Milky Ocean reached Japan. " The Japanese Shinto myth of creation is similar, with the churning of primeval waters until they curdle and form land. There is evidence of Indian influence in Japanese dance, art, literature and games. Even the cultivation of cotton in Japan is traced to an Indian who drifted to the shores of Aichi Prefecture in 799. It has also been found that some of the scriptures of the Japanese priests preserved in the Horyuji Temple of Japan are written in Bengali characters of the eleventh century. _______________ Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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