365bet娱乐

Chapter - III
Japanese Buddhist Iconography - a Comparative Study
Soon after Buddhism was introduced into Japan, it did
not take a long time for it to become the central force of
spiritual culture in Japan. As a natural embodiment different
aspects of higher culture brought about enormous changes in
the life of the people of Japan, Buddhism gave a new shape to
the Japanese civilisation. The newly introduced art, iconc
graphy, religion and other objects of civilisation had an
immense growth following the introduction of Buddhism in the
sixth century A.D. Different foreign influences on Japan
especially the Sino-Indian influences, contributed to a great
extent to the pattern of Japanese life and culture which was
based mainly on Buddhism. As a part of Buddhist pantheon, the
Brahmanical and Buddhist divinities found their way to Japan
from the 6th century.
Buddhism did not enter into Japan directly from Indie.
It had to pass through China and Korea and later this religion
did strongly set its roots in Japanese soil. It is quite
obvious that when Buddhism passed through the two countries it
had absorbed many indigenous ideas already prevalent in those
countries. Buddhism which was nourished in China and later
found its way to Japan through Korea had developed a new flovour
of its own, that was in some respect deviated from the original
Buddhism of India.