RT Article
T1 Partaking of Life: Buddhism, Meat-Eating, and Sacrificial Discourses of Gratitude in Contemporary Japan
JF Religions
VO 10
IS 4
SP 1
OP 21
A1 Ambros, Barbara 1968-
LA English
PB MDPI
YR 2019
UL https://www.ixtheo.de/Record/1671405927
AB In contemporary Japan, a Buddhist discourse has emerged that links life and food and centers on gratitude. While the connection between animals and gratitude has a long history in Buddhism, here the meaning of repaying a debt of gratitude has shifted from an emphasis on liberating animals to consuming them with gratitude, thereby replacing anti-meat-eating arguments with a sacrificial rationale. This rationale is also apparent in Partaking of Life, a children's book written by a Jodo Shin Buddhist adherent, which has found a receptive audience in Jodo Shin circles, including the voice-acting troupe Team Ichibanboshi. This article provides a close reading of Partaking of Life: The Day That Little Mii Becomes Meat, followed by historical contexts for Buddhist vegetarianism and discrimination against professions that rely on killing animals, particularly as these themes pertain to Jodo Shin Buddhism. The essay ends on an analysis of Team Ichibanboshi's sermon on Partaking of Life.
K1 Jodo Shin Buddhism
K1 Team Ichibanboshi
K1 Discrimination
K1 Gratitude
K1 Life
K1 Meat-eating
K1 Sacrifice
K1 Vegetarianism
DO 10.3390/rel10040279