It is the sages and savants, sans the sword and the book that went global to spread the message of universal love and brotherhood without any interest of political colonisation or of accumulating wealth through trade and commerce. Hindu philosophy and culture have spread to all parts of Asia, some parts of Africa, America, Europe and Australia in the ancient times.
Buddhism entered Japan via China and Korea and gradually replaced Shintoism that was its native religion. Zen-Buddhism is a combination of Buddhist teachings and Taoist mysticism that teaches meditation on the shunya (the great void), reminiscent of Advaita Vedanta.
The Japanese Cultural Counsellor Shigeyuki Shimamuri desires to encourage the study of Hindu deities Saraswati, Laxmi, Brahma and Ganesha, under other names, which are among the many Indian deities revered in Japan. Director, International Academy of Indian Culture, Shri Lokesh Chandra explains that the Japanese understand the Goddess
Sa-raswati as the goddess of the kitchen, since raswati is related to rasoi in Hindi. The sketches of Saraswati or Benzaiten in Japanese sanctify many kitchens in rural areas. Hindu deities reached Japan through the Mantrayana sect of Buddhism, which emphasises mantras and rituals. Indian Saraswati reached Japan in 538 AD.
The Japanese litterateur Mami Yamada had arrived in India sometime in October 2007 to make comparative studies of Indian and Japanese mythology. She had research-writings on Indo-Japanese cultural aspects. One of the ancient pictures shown by Mami was of seven deities sitting in a ship, three being Indian, three Japanese and one Shinto. The Japanese Saraswati (Benzaiten) is shown symbolically as a leader of the Gods and depicted at the special high position and the other six Gods sat before her like ordinary audience. The other two Indian Gods were Daikokuten (Mahakal) and Bishamoten (Kuber).
Japan has three very famous temples of Benzaiten? Chikubushima at Shinga, Itsukushima at Hiroshima and Enoshima at Kanagava?and all are in the vicinity of water bodies. Chikubushima temple is situated in the central location of Bivako Lake. It has entry through the lake with rectangular-shaped Tori gate little similar to the gates of ?Sanchi Stoop? of India. The sacred Tori gate with pillars and beams erected in the crystal-clear lake water has religious and mythological importance.
The power and virtues of Benzaiten, an inspirer of knowledge and arts, are similar to that of Saraswati as found in Puranas. Saraswati carries veena while Benzaiten has stringed musical instrument biba. She is known in Japan by various descriptive names like that in Sanskrit literature: Myoownten means goddess of sweet voice; Daibenzaiten means goddess of talent; another form found in Japan is the deity holding weapons in her eight arms like Saraswati as Vritra-Hantri or slayer of demons in the Rig Veda. Many Japanese generals prayed with chant ?May Goddess protect us in the field of war?. The Goddess'sfavorite lakes abundant in lotus flowers are preserved everywhere. Indian Saraswati sits on a peacock or a white goose but Benzaiten sits on a snake. It is mysterious that the Goddess is only allowed to be seen by the priest and only once in sixty years by all others.
Benzaiten is one of the seven lucky deities (Shichi-fuku-jin) and blesses every home. Couples desiring beautiful daughters pray to her. She is also known as the patroness of writers, composers, musicians and painters.
German scholar Philipp Franz von Siebold writes that in 1832 there were 131 shrines dedicated to the Goddess and 100 to Lord Ganesha in Tokyo itself. A 12th century temple of Ganesha in Asa Kusa suburb of Tokyo has been declared a national treasure of Japan. Sometime in 1998-99 former RSS Sarsanghachalak Prof. Rajendra Singh (Rajju Bhaiya), VHP'sShri Ashok Singhal and Kanchi Shankaracharya were invited by the Japanese mission to grace the special temple function in Japan. The cultural and spiritual affiliation of India and Japan is certainly everlasting.
(The writer can be contacted at 11, Sameepan, Bamanwada, Sahar, Vile Parle(E), Mumbai 400 099 and at a_railkar@rediffmail.com)
