War as a way to peace : buddhism towards Japanese Imperial Policy in Shaku Sōen's though

During the Meiji period Japan went through rapid modernization, however, it was a difficult period for Japanese Buddhism. One of the most influential Buddhist scholars of that time was Shaku Sōen. During Japanese-Russian war he became a military chaplain. After the war he wrote Sermons of a Buddhist Abbot, which included his detailed views on relations between Japanese imperialism and Buddhism. Sōen believed that there was no contradiction between wars waged by Japan and the Buddhist faith and that Buddhists should actively support Japanese policy. Sōen’s concepts became very influential and played a crucial role during the Pacific War. In this paper I analyze Sōen’s ideas concerning the involvement of Buddhists during the war, as presented in Sermons of a Buddhist Abbot. I am mostly interested in their connection with the most crucial concepts of Japanese imperial policy.