Vajrayana or Esoteric Buddhist and its attendant pantheon of deities and secret, mystical rituals, was introduced to Japan in the early Heian period (after 794) by a number of Japanese priests. They ...

Japan's Shinto belief system is not an organized religion, but rather a collection of beliefs and practices centered around the natural world and ancestry. Though it was originally not an image−based ...

The religious landscape of Japan is a fascinating blend of Shintoism, Buddhism, and other traditions. Across cultures, India and Japan share ancient connections through their gods. Many Hindu ...

Why did these monks in Japan choose to mummify themselves? The sacred mountains of Yamagata are home to 13 sokushinbutsu, who are believed to be in a state of deep meditation between life and death.

The Indian deities were incorporated into Japanese Buddhism through the Silk Road and other cultural exchange routes. Devdutt Pattanaik wrote, “As Buddhist monks travelled along with sailors to ...

Shinto and Buddhism coexisted peacefully. During the Heian period, Shinto shrines were often built close to or on the grounds of Buddhist temples, and Japanese devised a system for equating Buddhist ...

The Seven Lucky Gods usher in good fortune in the new year in Japan. Among them, Hotei plays the most prominent role, for he is considered not just a lucky god, but also a buddha.