Is Japan a Western country?

[Mike Cash]

It strikes me that saying Buddhism is Eastern just because it originated in India and is primarily found in Eastern countries is to ignore Buddhism in the very process of tossing it around as an argumentative prop.

 

[Kenjikun]

Map : Problem solved.

 

[Mike Cash]

Map : Problem solved.

Which map?

Whether anything on the map is "west" or "east" is only in relation to a given starting point, which can be entirely arbitrary if you want it to be.

In most of the maps I see in Japan, it looks like Japan is neither west nor east but right smack-dab in the middle.

 

[Kenjikun]

Oh god point taken. Starting point GMT 0. Everybody winsu

 

[Mike Cash]

Especially the people in Greenwich...

 

[Blackthorne]

It strikes me that saying Buddhism is Eastern just because it originated in India and is primarily found in Eastern countries is to ignore Buddhism in the very process of tossing it around as an argumentative prop.

There have been Buddhist teachers in the West such as Shunryu Suzuki and D.T. Suzuki (no relation to each other), both of whom taught Zen Buddhism in the US. Buddhism, while global in its scope, has largely been an Eastern phenomenon since its inception.

 

[Mike Cash]

There have been Buddhist teachers in the West such as Shunryu Suzuki and D.T. Suzuki (no relation to each other), both of whom taught Zen Buddhism in the US. Buddhism, while global in its scope, has largely been an Eastern phenomenon since its inception.

Was your purpose here to correct me or to expand upon the point I was making? The way this is written it could be either and I'm not entirely sure you even picked up on my point.

 

[Blackthorne]

Was your purpose here to correct me or to expand upon the point I was making? The way this is written it could be either and I'm not entirely sure you even picked up on my point.

I thought that my example of the two Suzukis was fairly obvious: that Buddhism can't be confined to an entirely Eastern locale.

 

[Mike Cash]

I thought that my example of the two Suzukis was fairly obvious: that Buddhism can't be confined to an entirely Eastern locale.

That clears up that you missed my point.

 

[Blackthorne]

That clears up that you missed my point.

Which was? :? Your initial statement about using Buddhism as an "argumentative prop" isn't sinking into my mind I suppose.

 

[Mike Cash]

Which was? :? Your initial statement about using Buddhism as an "argumentative prop" isn't sinking into my mind I suppose.

I just found it interesting that in the course of taking someone else to task for ignoring Buddhism when determining if Japan is an eastern country he himself ignored the essence of Buddhism. The only thing inherently "eastern" about Buddhism is the nature of its geographical spread from its point of origin.

 

[Blackthorne]

I just found it interesting that in the course of taking someone else to task for ignoring Buddhism when determining if Japan is an eastern country he himself ignored the essence of Buddhism. The only thing inherently "eastern" about Buddhism is the nature of its geographical spread from its point of origin.

Buddhism isn't as particularly Eastern in its orientation as one might thing. Buddhism was active in the ancient Mediterranean world from as early as Roman times:

Buddhism and the Roman world - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

But I see your point; Buddhism is non-dogmatic and non-specific as to the locale of its practitioners.

 

[Jimmy Terrence]

Japan is Far East. The idea of Western has nothing to do with being industrialized or Christianity. It's about what part of the globe the country is situated on. It's not cultural but demographic.

 

[FinancialWar]

Japan is Far East. The idea of Western has nothing to do with being industrialized or Christianity. It's about what part of the globe the country is situated on.

Why is Australia a western country?

 

[HJain]

I am feeling lazy today. So, this is what ChatGPT says :

A "Western country" is a term used to describe countries that are most often associated with Western culture. This term has evolved over time and its meaning can be somewhat fluid, depending on the context in which it's used.

In the most general sense, Western countries include those that are influenced by the cultural traditions that originated from Europe, especially from regions that were strongly influenced by the Roman Empire and later the Renaissance, Enlightenment, and Industrial Revolution. This typically includes countries such as the United States, Canada, the countries of Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.

However, it's important to note that the term "Western country" can also imply a number of other characteristics beyond just geographical location or historical cultural influence. For instance, it may refer to countries that share certain political structures (like liberal democracy), economic systems (capitalist market economies), or values (such as individualism, freedom of speech, and the rule of law).

Again, the term is somewhat fluid, and not all countries that might be classified as Western will share all of these characteristics. Furthermore, some countries outside the traditional geographic and cultural West may share many of these characteristics and can sometimes be considered "Western" in a cultural or ideological sense.