Society and Culture in Heian Japan
About this set
Created by:
katiereinecke on March 6, 2012
Classes:
Log in to favorite or report as inappropriate.
Order by
19 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 Describe Japanese culture in the Heian period. | One of the great periods of artistic and cultural development. Aristocrats considered poetry, music, and all of the arts to be the most important human accomplishments. Lovers courted each other with poetry. Abilities in the arts → gave men more favor in court than bureaucratic skills. |
| How did women influence culture at the Heian court? | Tales, romances, and diaries of women became literature classics. Poetry lasted for next 1,000 years. Sensitivity to nature and art of love. In poems → warriors would stop in the midst of battle and recite something of art (poem, flute song, sigh over a blossom falling, etc). Even sensibilities of Heian period continued to exert an influence over Japanese literature. |
| What gave the period its name? | The capital of tranquility |
| Who had real power during the Heian period? | Emperors performed traditional religious ceremonies, but wealthy court families wielded real power. |
| What did Lady Murasaki do? | Wrote "The Tale of Genji": Japan's most famous classical literary work. Epic poem. This would = The Odyssey or Illiad in the West. Written in episodes as if it were a magazine. |
| Describe the Japanese practice of selective borrowing. | Because of the island nature of Japan, they were able to borrow cultural elements only that they wanted to use to "re-make" Japan. Major sources of this included Korean Peninsula, Silk Road cultures, China, Europe, and often the United States. |
| What are some of the benefits and disadvantages of borrowing from other cultures? | Benefits include being about to take new and creative directions, not being forced to adapt to other cultures. Disadvantages would be having to send other out to discover these cultural elements. |
| Describe how Zen Buddhism shaped culture in Japan. | Ultimately, the answer is within you, you are not taught by a teacher or a book, etc. Buddha-nature is nothing other than the essential nature of the mind itself. We all have Zen within us, we just have to reach it. The aim → discover the Buddha-nature within each person (can come through meditation and practice of Buddha's teachings) Clear your mind to achieve enlightenment |
| What values or practices did Zen emphasize? | First: "esoteric" Buddhism: stressed ritual and art as well as doctrines. Second: salvation through faith. Third: salvation through self-discipline and meditation. |
| Which groups in society were more likely to embrace these values? Why? | Government and religion went hand in hand, Buddhist temples served as a local government. Militarism: religious leaders, court nobles, and military leaders competed with one another. |
| How was Zen Buddhism similar to bushido? | The two were similar because they both reflected the need to seek loyalty and devotion to duty. Bushido focused on honor, loyalty, and bravery to one's lord. While Zen Buddhism focused on self-reliance and meditation. |
| Explain what new art forms shaped Japanese culture. | Poetry, music, and indeed all the arts to be he most important human accomplishments. Fragrance mixing. Tales, romances, and diaries of women. |
| What groups would have found Kabuki entertaining? | ... |
| What new art forms catered to the growing middle class? | Poetry and music. |
| How was the Japanese development of kana important to the development of Japanese culture? | Paved the way for the development of a unique Japanese literary styles. |
| Zen | Derived from "Chan" meaning "meditation" or "meditative state" -> Zen practice is to discover the Buddha nature within each person. |
| Koan | a paradoxical annecdote or a riddle that has no solution |
| Katsu | To win |
| Satori | (Zen Buddhism) a state of sudden spiritual enlightenment |
First Time Here?
Welcome to Quizlet, a fun, free place to study. Try these flashcards, find others to study, or make your own.