The Buddhist Goddess Marishiten - by David a Hall (Hardcover)

About the Book

In The Buddhist Goddess Marishiten, David A. Hall provides an in-depth exploration of the Buddhist cult of the warrior goddess Mārīcī, its evolution, and its efficacy and psychological impact on the Japanese warrior.

Book Synopsis

In The Buddhist Goddess Marishiten, David A. Hall provides an in-depth exploration of the Buddhist cult of the warrior goddess Mārīcī; its evolution in India, China, and Japan; its texts and their audience; its rituals; and, finally, its efficacy as experienced by the Japanese warrior class--the bushi or samurai.

In examining the psychological effects of these rituals on the Japanese warrior this volume moves beyond a narrowly focused examination of a religious cult. David A. Hall convincingly explains how these rituals aimed at preparing the warrior for combat and acted as an antidote for the toxicity of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) when the warrior returned from the battlefield.

About the Author

David A. Hall, Ph.D. (1990), U.C. Berkeley, is Professor and Director of the CyberWatch Center at Montgomery College, MD. He has published translations and articles on Japanese Buddhist and warrior culture including An Encyclopedia of Japanese Martial Arts (Kodansha, 2012).