Following the critically acclaimed Zen at War (1997); Brian Victoria explores the intimate relationship between Japanese institutional Buddhism and militarism during the Second World War.Victoria reveals for the first time; through examination of the wartime writings of the Japanese military itself; that the Zen school's view of life and death was deliberately incorporated into the military's programme of 'spiritual education' in order to develop a fanatical military spirit in both soldiers and civilians. Furthermore; that D. T. Suzuki; the most famous exponent of Zen in the West; is shown to have been a wartime proponent of this Zen-inspired viewpoint which enabled Japanese soldiers to leave for the battlefield already resigned to death. Victoria takes us onto the naval battlefield in the company of warrior-monk and Rinzai Zen Master Nakajima Genjô. We view the war in China through the eyes of a Buddhist military chaplain. The book also examines the relationship to Buddhism of Japan's seven Class-A war criminals who were hung by the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal in 1948.A highly controversial study; this book will be of interest; first and foremost; to students of Zen as well as all those studying the history of this period; not to mention anyone concerned with the perennial question of the 'proper' relationship between religion and the state.
#2217009 in Books 2015-03-27 2015-02-27Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.02 x .96 x 5.98l; .0 #File Name: 0700621075476 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. you will probably enjoy this bookBy animal loverI bought the book Through the Maelstrom: A Red Army Soldier'sby Boris Gorbachevsky for my 40 year old son. He is raving about it. He enjoys reading a story told in the first person by somone who was actually in the war. If you are interested in Russian history; you will probably enjoy this book. It's very well written.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. ExcellentBy Thomas ReiterI'm amazed that this book does not have any reviews; in fact I'm pretty sure that the hardcover version; which is what I have; does have some reviews.This is one of the better personal accounts about the war in the east that I've read; from either side. The author begins the war in early 1942 as a young officer cadet; but due to the dire situation at the front; their entire class is "graduated" early and sent to the front as enlisted men. Other than the author; virtually his entire class is killed during the course of the war; with the author recounting many of their stories.Eventually the author is promoted to lieutenant in an infantry unit; and then transferred into his unit's "political" department--ie; he becomes a "commissar". He survives and serves through the end of the war in Germany; and also describes occupation duty on Germany after the war.This book should be required reading for those accustomed to reading about the war from the German perspective; with inhuman "Red hordes" and diabolical commissars. The author is an intelligent; conscientious officer and describes the war in very human terms--his friends; his loves (like many Soviet officers; the author had girlfriends at the front); his comrades; the occasional coward or shirker--almost all of whom came to tragic ends. Even decades after the war; his disgust and frustration with the Red Army' bloody and futile attacks near Rzhev are palpable. I don't think that most readers will look at the Red Army in the same way after reading this book.Highly recommended!
