“Helping each other” in Buddhism

I think the memorial service is equivalent to love one's neighbor. A memorial service is to feed one another. It's a word that has been around for a long time. The memorial service is not just a word for those who died on the equinox (other world). It's something we can do together here (in this world).

There is a term for mutual memorial service. I think those words are the Japanese philosophy of welfare.

Hello, Min-san.

University teachers have a narrow perspective, don't they? Today's welfare stems from Christian culture, but Japan has relieved the weak with a culture unique to Japan. Not all Christian and Western values are correct.

Overseas, religion has created right and wrong, but in order for Japanese people to survive in a small country, they nurtured a culture called “Japanese” and had a village-level social life so that everyone could live. Japanese is written as mouth on rice, but as the letter suggests, Japanese people have lived together so that everyone can share and eat food together that is scarce. This is the origin of welfare in Japan, and it is the Japanese spirit that continues even now. Currently, the village community has collapsed, and the Japanese spirit is gradually being forgotten, and free Western individualism is touted, but even so, at the time of the recent Great Earthquake, Japanese culture that sank into the Japanese people was activated, and social order that suppressed individuals that were impossible overseas was maintained. This can be said to be a characteristic of Japanese people.

When Buddhism came into existence, the idea of doing good deeds in order to be happy with the Japanese spirit entered and collaborated. The practice of dispensaries and orphanages already began in the Nara period. Japanese homes have baths, but originally baths were spread by Buddhism for treatment. Yakushi is enshrined in hot springs, and the fact that Japanese public baths are temples are remnants of that. Also, in Japan, historically, there are many natural disasters such as earthquakes and typhoons, so there are many stories that each time, not only monks, but also many virtuous people at home appeared and used all their wealth or risked their lives to save people. Also, a form of religion where shrines and temples coexist together was created. While wars occurred due to right and wrong religion, and many people died, Japan succeeded in avoiding major religious conflicts. This helped cultivate the rich spirituality of Japanese people.

I sometimes hear criticism that Japan does not have welfare compared to the West, but the historical stability of a country where they originally helped each other is different. While Europe has been at war a lot, welfare has also developed. In Japan, social assistance was further developed during the 300 years of Tokugawa's reign. In that sense, it can be said that it is a country that has developed a welfare society different from the West.

Of course, when compared to Western welfare, there are still places that are lacking. Gassho

　Everyone raised an important issue. I was told that even people in important positions such as university professors had such perceptions about welfare in Japan, and I was once again invited to share the history of Buddhism.
In Buddhism, alms have been valued since the time of the Buddha (about 2,500 years ago from now). You can also clearly understand this from the words sanshi (fortune, law enforcement, and fearlessness (death)) and six harbor mitsu (six ascetic virtues) and six ascetic virtues (alchemy) - worship - humiliation - Shinobu, devotion - harshing, meditation - concentrating the mind, wisdom - the power to see the truth). Also, as an alms that not only monks but all Buddhists in general can do, the “seven acts of no fortune” have also been carefully practiced. 1. Physical and labor service. 2. A heart of compassion for others and other beings. It is a gentle gaze, and it calms the hearts of all who are there. 4. Do not lose your gentle smile. Say warm, thoughtful words with 5 words. The 6-bed seat is to recline your own seat. Renting out my house for a night at the 7-room house.
What all of these actions have in common is compassion and a sense of helping each other. It means making them feel at ease without causing anxiety to the other person. When we say “offering,” we tend to imagine giving something or money, but originally, it is an act based on the Buddha's mercy as the ultimate example.
Also, “Buddha theory, Muryoju-kyo,” is one of the sutras cherished in the Jodo sect and the Jodo Shinshu sect, and there is the word “Japanese face love language” in it, and its meaning is to treat people with a “soft smile and kind words.” It is a phrase praising the work that Amida Nyorai has delivered to me, saying, “With a gentle expression and words full of charity, I am close to people who are suffering, quickly detect that person's true wishes, ask questions through the other person's heart, and offer a helping hand.” These words have now been introduced not only to Buddhists, but also to the business world, and are known as one of the guidelines that many people keep in mind when living a social life.
Please introduce it to your teachers and classmates this time from Min-san. I think the Buddhist Missionary Foundation website will be helpful. Thank you very much for having the courage to speak to Hasunoha. Thanks for the partnership!! Gassho

To everyone
Your question may not have been answered in line with the title...

There is something called “altruism (ritagyo)” as an important thing in Buddhism.
There are 4 items in this “altruism,”

1 offering (fuse)
No one is divided, and I am sorry for anything or heart
Do it without it.
(An ascetic practice that abandons selfishness and selfishness)

2 Love words (Aigo)
Have a heart of compassion for everyone, and have thoughts
Use kind words with respect.

3 Toshiyuki (Rigyo)
Put aside your own affairs and do what is good for others
That's it. (Volunteer activities, etc. fall into this category
I will do it)

4 colleagues (how)
Stand in the same position as others, worry and suffer together
Think about things and act.
(Being one with oneself is “the same as oneself and others”)

These are the above items.
As you can see from looking at it, they are all acts of thinking for people, aren't they?

Originally, I think these 4 items are something everyone has in mind.
That's why when someone is in trouble, they reach out, and the feeling of trying to help comes out of their own accord...

The practice of “altruism,” a scene where Buddhist help is unwittingly made natural, whether Buddhist or not, can now be seen at the site of the Kumamoto earthquake that occurred on 4/14.

This “altruism” is my answer to your question.
Ryusuke Gassho

“Kosai meets an edge and doesn't notice an encounter, a middle age meets an edge and doesn't make use of the relationship, and a daisai also makes use of the relationship between other students who touch each other.”
This is a word that is synonymous with sword and zen derived from Buddhism, but on the other hand, it goes beyond Buddhism, which is familiar to Japanese people's lives.

First, let's talk about the fundamental ideas of Buddhism and relationships.
Everything in this world has causes and effects. Cause and effect are connected like a net and spread across the past, present, and future. We are also part of a web of causes and effects. So, if you really want to value yourself, you can only value yourself by valuing the cause (other person) that leads to you... this is the main premise of Buddhism.

The so-called “mercy is not good for people” is also a word derived from here. Being kind to others is equal to taking good care of yourself. If you keep this in mind and imagine how Japanese people should be during a disaster, you'll be convinced.

So, wasn't there welfare in Buddhism? Kukai-sama is building a hospital, isn't she? There were also terakoya all over Japan, and monks in the old days had knowledge of medicinal herbs, so the rural village Jaoji was like the only hospital. This is usually the case in places where Yakushi Nyorai is enshrined.

However, Christianity collected citizens' taxes and colluded with the government, but since temples were a kind of autonomous organization, is that different? In the old days, Japan was a society where if you had 100 koku of land, you could hire dozens of people... This was the same for temples until land was confiscated due to the liberation of farmland after the war. Therefore, it does not take the form of extraordinary welfare, and there is a feeling that they place importance on helping each other in everyday life. Would it be easier to imagine that welfare was carried out within each jurisdiction?

Rather, I think the sense of taking care of others has faded since the era of Westernization due to capitalism and separation of government and religion... America is probably struggling with Protestants while saying something like separation of government and religion. Rather, Japan is much more sensitive. In that sense, it may be surprising that welfare declines when religion is lost.

Also, at the time of the Great Hanshin Earthquake, the most people who entered the site after the Self-Defense Forces were monks. We reviewed everything from the details of activities to the scale of the Great East Japan Earthquake out of remorse that went too far at that time. However, monks don't often advertise because of their tradition of accumulating negative virtues. That is the biggest difference with Christianity.

The teaching of helping each other in Buddhism is as said by each master.
Nothing is inferior to Christianity.

However, what Min-san's teacher is saying may indicate how to deal with leprosy patients.
There have always been leprosy patients in Japan, but they have been quarantined for fear of getting infected.
This quarantine is one of the reasons that led to the occurrence of discrimination against tribes.
In terms of Buddhism, it seems that monks also rarely supported leprosy patients due to the interpretation of sutras that were different at the time. Of course, they were given jobs and supplies, but it seems that there was also mental discrimination such as bad behavior in a previous life or doing something contrary to Buddhism in this life.
However, in Christianity, relief for leprosy patients has been actively carried out as an act of following doctrine. Of course, there was also isolation and discrimination from society.
In Japan, too, relief measures were carried out by Christian missionaries who came to Japan.
It was after the Meiji period that it became full-scale.

From this, it is unavoidable to say that Christianity was superior in terms of welfare compared to Buddhism.
However, in reality, Buddhism was not inferior; I think the mentality of Japanese people who were unable to correctly understand and practice Buddhism was inferior.
Therefore, it means that we must correctly understand and practice Buddhism from now on.

I have been working in social welfare related jobs for over 20 years. As you probably know, in learning about social welfare, what is important is historical change. Prince Shotoku, who was invited to Buddhism in 592, built the current social welfare facility at “Hidenin,” which he established at Shitennoji Temple. This is the origin of social welfare in Japan. Since it dates back 1000 years to the “Elizabeth Civil Rescue Act” in England in 1601, it has a history. Since then, social welfare services have been developed mainly at Buddhist temples. According to the familiar saying, Rokkoku-ji Temple, this is the origin of protecting women. Also, terakoya is a splendid welfare business in the sense of education and welfare provided by temples. As for social welfare in modern Japan, settlement movements in slums occurred mainly by volunteers who believed in Christianity from the Meiji period to the Taisho period. The current welfare system became after the war, and the (old) welfare law (old) was enacted from the pre-war civil relief law. It is true that Western social welfare systems were introduced in parallel with the development of modern Japan, and of course Christian philanthropy is at the root of such a concept, but there is room for debate as to whether this is all. This is because it is inextricably linked to the nation's supreme issue of securing a labor force accompanied by industrial modernization. In other words, it's candy and whip. Please study this area on your own.
Going back to the story, Buddhism has various teachings, but it's just called Buddhism, and it's a path to becoming a Buddha (attaining enlightenment). That's why there are so many paths. This is because people have different personalities and personalities, such as ten people, ten colors. And we respect each other's paths. There are many things written in the sutras, but the root is the Buddha's mercy, compassion for us, kindness, and mercy. We also pray that our souls will be saved, that we will be saved, and that we will be happy, but the Buddha is always praying for us.
In that sense, Buddhism is also an idea that forms the foundation of welfare. It can be called religion. Please come into contact with the Buddha's teachings.