Quiet-Sitting and Political Activism: The Thought and Practice of Satō Naokata
This paper shows that quiet-sitting (seiza), a Neo-Confucian meditative practice, accommodated, at least in the thought of Satō Naokata, a readiness to endorse energetic political activism, especially in the form of aggressive opposition to tyranny. The paper first examines Naokata's writings o...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Nanzan Institute
[2002]
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| In: |
Japanese journal of religious studies
Year: 2002, Volume: 29, Issue: 1/2, Pages: 107-146 |
| Further subjects: | B
Learning
B Buddhism B Religious Studies B Samurai B political activism B Confucianism B Religious Ethics B Humaneness B Tyranny |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | This paper shows that quiet-sitting (seiza), a Neo-Confucian meditative practice, accommodated, at least in the thought of Satō Naokata, a readiness to endorse energetic political activism, especially in the form of aggressive opposition to tyranny. The paper first examines Naokata's writings on quiet-sitting, especially his Seiza setsu hikki (Notes on quiet-sitting), to establish the pervasive importance of quiet-sitting to Naokata. The paper then explores Naokata's writings on the problem of King Tang and King Wu, two sage-kings described in the ancient Chinese classics as having risen to power after overthrowing oppressive tyrants. Unlike most other Japanese Neo-Confucian scholars associated with Yamazaki Ansai's "Kimon" teachings, Naokata was much more prepared to recognize the full sagacity of Tang and Wu rather than denigrate them because of their violent rise to power. By juxtaposing these two seemingly disparate aspects of Naokata's thought, quiet-sitting and his positive assessment of Tang and Wu, the paper suggests that quiet-sitting, at least for Naokata, served as the epistemological foundation for legitimization of remonstration against oppressive rule, and even political activism meant to end the same. |
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| Contains: | Enthalten in: Japanese journal of religious studies
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