New Philosophies

[Guest]

Some Philosophies I've been using for my martial art styles.

Aiki-Buken
The philosophical training of Aiki-Buken stresses two areas of mental and spiritual training. Kuyo Junikun is twelve important philosophies applied to daily life and martial study. Hachido teaches moralistic social interaction, stressing bushido-damashi (warrior spirit) as well as reiho (manners).

Buddhism
Eight-Fold Noble Path.
1. Right Understanding or (Right View).
2. Right thoughts or (Right Intention).
3. Right Speech.
4. Right Action.
5. Right Livelihood.
6. Right Effort.
7. Right Mindfulness or (Right Awareness).
8. Right Concentration or (Right Meditation).

Bukkyo
According to the eighth-century chronicle Nihon Shoki, Buddhism was introduced to Japan in 584, when the king of the Korean kingdom of Paekche sent Buddhist images and texts to the emperor's court.
NARA BUDDHISM In the sixth and seventh centuries, Yamato aristocrats constructed many Buddhist temples. When a capital city was constructed at present-day Nara in the eighth century, moreover, a healthy portion of its buildings were Buddhist temples. Strong ties between Buddhism and the government developed: the ordination of monks and nuns was controlled by the court, and temples were supported by taxes, by labor from designated households, and by lands donated by the government along with special tax considerations. The temples at Nara are often characterized as scholarly institutions that housed the study of abstruse texts and philosophical doctrines. The emphasis of Nara Buddhism was on rituals to ensure the prosperity of the state and the health and welfare of its rulers. Many small images from this period, inscribed with prayers for the cure of a noble's illness, attest to this emphasis.
JODO (TRUE PURE LAND) BUDDHISM In the True Pure Land sect, we encounter a very different kind of Buddhism, one that advocates salvation by faith rather than the attainment of enlightenment through the practice of morality and meditation. Based upon the belief that as time passes human beings find it increasingly difficult to follow the example of the historical Buddha -- an idea that can be traced all the way back to India -- it teaches that in the present era salvation can be gained only by relying on the saving grace of the celestial Buddha Amida, who resides in a Pure Land to the West. This belief had been embraced by other Buddhists, not only in Japan, but in China and India as well; but Shinran was the first in the history of Buddhism to draw the radical conclusion that acceptance of it must lead to the complete abandonment of monastic discipline. Consequently, from Shinran's day on, it has been common for True Pure Land priests to marry and live as lay persons, and the sect has been one of the most popular to develop in Japan.
NICHIREN BUDDHISM In the Nichiren sect, we see surfacing in Buddhism, in a dramatic fashion, the strong sense of national pride that has frequently been related to religious sentiment in Japan. Nichiren was an impassioned reformer who envisioned both himself and Japan at the center of a worldwide movement to revive what he considered to be true Buddhism.
ZEN BUDDHISM Zen Buddhism originates in the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama around 500 B.C. In 475 A.D. Bodhidharma traveled from India to China and introduced the teachings of the Buddha there. In China Buddhism mingled with Taoism. The result of this mingling was the Ch'an School of Buddhism. Around 1200 A.D. Ch'an Buddhism spread from China to Japan. Zen is based on a single, esoteric idea: all humans have a Buddha nature inside them and to realize this nature all a human being has to do is search his or her inner self. The key to Buddhahood in Zen is simply self-knowledge through meditation. Base Skill: 80%+2% per level of experience.
Japanese Philosophy (Kirisutokyou): Brought to Japan by Jesuit missionary Francis Xavier, who arrived in 1549 with two companions. Xavier's preaching met with some success, although his efforts were hampered by the language barrier. Reinforcements arrived to continue his work and were in general well received by local rulers of Kyushu, who often associated them with the lucrative Portuguese trade. Activity was concentrated in Kyushu especially Nagasaki, although Christian communities were established on Honshu. In 1563 Omura Sumitada, became the first Daimyo to receive baptism, and by 1579 no fewer than six daimyo had been converted. By that time the number of Christian was estimated at 100,000 but this figure includes those converts who embraced the faith of the Lord at the behest of their Christian Lords. In 1579 the Jesuit Alessandro Valignano arrived to conduct the first of three inspection tours of the mission. When he left he was accompanied by four boys who formed an embassy to Rome on behalf of the Christian Daimyo of Kyushu. By this time Christianity had attracted the attention of National figures. The national unifier Oda Nobunaga favored the missionaries and granted them generous concessions. His successor Toyotomi Hideyoshi continued this policy until 1587, when on realizing the extent of the Christian influence in Kyushu, he abruptly ordered missionaries to leave the country. His edicts was neither obeyed nor enforced, but it marked the end of favorable reception. The Jesuits were eventually joined by Spanish friars while the new influx added impetus to evangelization, national rivalries gave rise to seemly quarrels between religious orders. Twenty six Christians both foreigner and Japanese were crucified at Nagasaki in 1597. In 1614 the Tokugawa shogunate ordered missionaries to leave the country; most of them departed but some 40, including Japanese priests, remained to continue their work undercover. In 1622, 51 Christians were executed at Nagasaki, and two years later 50 were burned alive in Edo. A total of 3000 believers are estimated to have been martyred; this figure does not include the many who died as the result of sufferings in prison or in exile. In 1633 some 30 missionaries were executed, and by 1637, only five were left at liberty. The Shimabara uprising of 1637-38 prompted the government to sever contacts with the west, except for some merchants of the Dutch East India company, confined to the island of Dejima (or Deshima). Subsequent missionary attempts to enter and work in the country were unsuccessful. When relations with the west were restored in the middle of the 19th century, Christianity was reintroduced and has continued to exist in Japan with varying fortunes. In 1859 a Catholic priest took up an appointment as interpreter for the French consulate in Edo, and in the same year representatives of three Protestant churches reached Japan. Base Skill: 50%+2% per level of experience.

Kokka Shinto
State Shinto. The prewar Japanese state distinguished the religious ceremonies of the imperial court and of the shrines from those of other religions. Shrine rites and education fell under public administration, as well as shrine administration and policy. After the second world war, the Occupation authorities issued an order calling for the abolition of this system, which it termed State Shinto. State Shinto was founded on the idea that the prosperity of the nation, the safety of the imperial house, and the happiness of the people are blessings granted when human politics coincide with the will of the gods. This view is expressed by the term saisei itchi, or unity of worship and rule. In ancient Japanese, the same word (matsurigoto) was used to refer to both religious rites and government. Some use the term kodo (Imperial Way) to designate this ideal conduct of politics, seeing the emperor's official worship of Amaterasu omikami and the gods of heaven and earth as fundamental conditions of government.

Kongo Zen
Kongo (supreme/something of the highest value or absolute hardness) Zen is the belief that the nirvana (heaven or the place wherein an individual finds perfect peace), lies within one's own heart. The philosophy of Kongo Zen combines compassion with strength and hardness to teach union of the mind and body. This is done in order to achieve a universal development of all people with the ultimate objective of securing happiness on earth through the alleviation of suffering.

Kugutsu Shinto
Puppet Shinto, or the belief that all living things are puppets of greater forces which direct and observe the course of events in the natural world. Powerful connections to kami are respected, especially Ame-no-uzume-no-kami (guardian of the natural world) which balances the conflict between Amaterasu-opo-mi kami's all encompassing compassion and Susano-wo's all conquering violence. This belief fosters the use of divination, spiritual possession, summoning elemental forces, and translocation. This is a less formalized and more personalized version of Shinto.

Mikkyo
This form of Buddhism is also known in Japanese as mikkyo, meaning "secret teaching". Mikkyo is one of several streams of practice within the Mahayana Buddhist tradition. Mikkyo blends many doctrines, philosophies, deities, religious rituals, and meditation techniques from a wide variety of sources. Assimilation of Hindu and local deities and rituals was especially marked in the Buddhism that became Mikkyo. Such diverse elements came together over time and, combining with Mahayana philosophical teachings, formed a comprehensive Buddhist system of doctrine and practice. Esoteric (Tantric) teachings, central to the Tendai and Shingon schools, also contributed to Buddhism's eventual broad acceptance. These teachings, termed "esoteric" because they were transmitted orally and in secret from master to qualified disciple, were designed to lead a practitioner to Buddhahood in his present life. In this sense esotericism was highly elitist, but it was also laced with folk elements, such as techniques of healing and magic, that enhanced the appeal of Buddhism to simple people. Aristocrats and commoners alike were also attracted by the expressions of esoteric Buddhism--Sanskrit syllables uttered as charms, splendid and colorful rites, and images of the buddhas carved on mountain cliffs. The Tendai and Shingon schools, two new versions of Buddhism introduced from China, both established their most important monasteries in the mountains, and mountain temples soon became quite common.
SHINGON BUDDHISM is a sect that was established by Kobo Daishi (Kukai) at the beginning of the Heian period (9th century), and its teachings are known as Shingon Esoteric Buddhism (Shingon Buddhism). The teachings of Shingon are based on the Mahavairocana Sutra (J: Dainichi-kyo) and the Vajrasekhara sutra (J: Kongocho-kyo) , the fundamental sutras of Shingon. These sutras were probably written during the last half of the seventh century in India.
TENDAI BUDDHISM The Japanese founder of the Tendai school was Saichou. Not long after he was ordained, he retreated to a small hermitage at Mt. Hiei northeast of present-day Kyoto. His scholarship and skill at lecturing attracted the emperor's attention, and he was selected to join an official mission that departed for China in 804. Having studied Tendai scriptures at Hiei, Saichou proceeded to the head temple of the Chinese Tendai (T'ien Tai) school. He studied there for nine months or so, then returned to Japan with many volumes of Buddhist scriptures. His attempts to establish an autonomous Tendai school--one that did not have to have its monks ordained at Toudaiji-- succeeded shortly after his death. Base Skill: 60%+2% per level of experience.

Ninpo
This is an eclectic combination between a code of honor and a spiritual path of seeking enlightenment.
The ninja code of honor stresses four areas, motivation towards the mission, loyalty to the clan and ryu, improvisation through awareness, and disguising one's true nature. Motivation to the mission is stressed by accepting missions only from the ninja's chunin, considering the enemies of the employer as one's own enemies, never refusing or questioning a mission, failure not being an option in the mission, putting the mission before oneself, killing in a mission when necessary and avoiding killing when not necessary, escaping when captured, killing one's self when escape is impossible, resisting when suicide is impossible, and taking the life of a comrade rather than allowing them to be captured. Loyalty to the clan and ryu is achieved by never betraying the clan, putting the clan before oneself, not striking another member of the ryu, aiding a genin of the ryu, and not ever leaving the ryu, even to the point of killing ninja who do leave the ryu. Improvision through awareness is achieved by always observing other people and knowing one's surroundings with the thought that one is always being observed and being mentally and physically alert enough to make use of anything at hand. Disguising one's true nature is accomplished through maintaining disguises, never revealing one's true self, speaking in circumlocutions and obfuscation while in public, using code words and metaphors which jeopardize neither one's self or the mission. Due to the unique requirements of the ninja code of honor, the character does not have to have an alignment with a discipline of honor.
A ninja's path toward spiritual enlightenment stems from the mixing of Ekkyo (I Ching divination), Gogyo Sestsu (five elements of Taoism), In-yo (yin-yang) duality of Taoism (in-yo do, where the yin philosophy of yin-yang is stressed, but balanced with inner yang), Kyojutsu Tenkan Ho (the ability to 'interchange falsehood and actuality'), Mikkyo Buddhism, moral strength, naturism (studying and understanding the workings of nature), Onmyodo (divination and astrology), perseverance when facing overwhelming numbers, Seishin (purity of heart, taught to embody a sense of completeness), Shugendo (the mixing of Mikkyo Buddhism with Taosim and Shintoism), and sincerity. The ultimate goal of this spiritual path is to strive for peace, harmony and enlightenment in all things.

Omotokyo
While there is no unified philosophy of Aikido, many aikidoka share a loose collection of metaphysical, ethical, and religious beliefs commonly transmitted by word of mouth. Ueshiba himself was an adherent to on quasi-new religion, called Omotokyo. Omotokyo is comprised partly of neo-shintoism and partly of socio-political ideology. The goal of this philosophy is the unification of all humanity in a single, "heavenly kingdom on earth" where all religions are united under the aegis of Omotokyo.

Shinto
The word Shinto, or "the Way of the kami (gods or spirits)," came into use only after the sixth century. Two eighth-century works, the Kojiki (Record of Ancient Matters) and the Nihon shoki (Chronicles of Japan), include the story of the creation of the Japanese islands by the divine couple, Izanagi and his mate, Izanami; the subsequent birth of numerous gods and goddesses -- the Sun Goddess, Amaterasu, chief among them; and the descent of representatives of the Sun Goddess' line to rule the islands. Two aspects of the mythology are particularly noteworthy. The first is its this-worldly orientation. Other worlds are mentioned in the mythology -- the High Plain of Heaven, for example, and the Dark Land, an unclean land of the dead -- yet we receive only the haziest impressions of them. In the Shinto view, the natural state of the cosmos is one of harmony in which divine, natural, and human elements are all intimately related. Moreover, human nature is seen as inherently good, and evil is thought to stem from the individual's contact with external forces or agents that pollute our pure nature and cause us to act in ways disruptive of the primordial harmony. Shinto deities are referred to as kami. a wide variety of kami exist in Shinto: there are kami related to natural objects and creatures -- the spirits of mountains, seas, rivers, rocks, trees, animals, and the like; there are guardian kami of particular locales and clans; also considered kami are exceptional human beings, including all but the last in Japan's long line of emperors. Reverence is paid to the ancestors. Shinto has no creed, ethical doctrine, sacred book, philosophy, or theology of any kind. Its theory of human duty is follow your natural impulses and obey the laws of the state. There are four Affirmations or basic beliefs in Shinto:
1. Affirmation of tradition and the family: these are the rites of life such as birth and marriage, and include the traditions passed down from generation to generation.
2. Affirmation of the love of nature: nature is sacred; thus, contact with nature means that a person is in contact with the gods.
3. Affirmation of physical cleanliness: one must be clean in the presence of the spirits; something that is not clean is ugly.
4. Affirmation of matsuri: matsuri are festivals honoring the spirits.
Base Skill: 80%+2% per level of experience.

Shugendo
The first Japanese mountain ascetics, Shugyosha or Hijiri, were thought to attain great power by meditating and performing austerities on mountain peaks. The best known of these was En-no-Gyoja (En the practitioner or ascetic) also known as En-no-Ozuno or En-no-Ubasoku (En the laic). He is an ascetic who primarily wandered the mountains in Yoshino and Kumano south of Kyoto and Nara. Enno is credited with converting many mountains from Shinto to Buddhism and the founding of Shugendo (Shu=search, ken=powers, do=way; therefore Shugendo would be the "way of supernatural powers"). By practicing ascetic rituals they empowered themselves with Holy and mystical powers to use for the benefit of the community. The maintain these holy powers, Yamabushi often had to perform these rituals with frequent regularity often doing things like chanting the Lotus sutra hundreds of times in a day. they made regular pilgrimages to holy mountains once a season-often in difficult to reach places. When the esoteric Buddhist schools (Tendai and Shingon) came to the mountains of Japan, they brought with them the idea of military prowess. The Yamabushi embraced this idea and begin to train themselves in the martial ways. Stories often circulated of Yamabushi performing extraordinary feats such as walking across burning fires and climbing up ladders of swords as well cutting stones in half by prayer alone or jumping great distances.