Icons and Iconoclasm in Japanese Buddhism

Summary: Shingon teacher Hokai Sobol and religious studies scholar Dr. Pamela Winfield join host Vincent Horn to continue a conversation that digs deeper into the paradigms of enlightenment presented in Japanese Buddhism. Beginning with an explanation of the two different paradigms for the experience of enlightenment presented in Zen and Mikkyō, the unitive & purgative, Pamela briefly describes the results of her studies. Hokai then relates his understanding of the two ideas based on his personal practice. This leads to an examination of the disparate historical and cultural contexts from which each method was developed, how each method uses imagery in practice, and how despite differences, each method hopefully leads to the same results. This is part two of a two part series. Listen to part one: The Art of Enlightenment. Episode Links: Icons and Iconoclasm in Japanese Buddhism: Kukai and Dogen on the Art of Enlightenment ( amzn.to/1MwPAl8 ) Dr. Pamela Winfield ( bit.ly/1MwPD0n ) Hokai Sobol ( www.hokai.info )