BUDDHISM IN JAPAN 257from the new religions in the twentieth century. It is no accident that the
largest of the new religions are offshoots of this sect.
As might be expected, Nichiren ran afoul of the authorities for his inflam-
matory accusations. He was twice exiled and once narrowly escaped execu-
tion. Each suffering was in his eyes a glorious martyrdom. He died in poverty
and relative obscurity, but his sect continues to thrive.
10.6 Decline and Fall (1336-1603)
After an abortive three-year period of imperial rule, a new shogunate estab-
lished its capital in Kyoto in 1336, ushering in a new period in Japanese his-
tory that, in retrospect, seemed to confirm earlier predictions that the Mappo,
or Dharma-ending age, was at hand. The new period began auspiciously
enough, with the first shogun establishing a temple "for the peace of the na-
tion" in every province. Before the period ended, however, the country had
been plunged into a devastating series of civil wars. All Buddhist sects aside
from Soto and Rinzai had formed armed societies to protect their interests,
only to be slaughtered by the hundreds of thousands, which destroyed Bud-
dhism's credibility as an instrument for national unity.
The first shogun's religious adviser, Muso Soseki (1275-1351), was a Rin-
zai monk who had also received training in the Tantric traditions. After spend-
ing his youth in seclusion, he became one of the most politically active monks
in Rinzai history, numbering not only shoguns but also emperors among his
pupils. He thus cemented the bond that had been developing between Rinzai
and the ruling classes, making it the new de facto state religion. Although he
himself was a serious meditator, the school he founded quickly became im-
mersed in the political and cultural life of the capital. Zen monasteries
mounted trade expeditions to China to help shore up the financial base of the
new government; monks served as diplomats, accountants, and teachers of
Chinese arts and culture, nee-Confucianism in particular. This left little time
for meditation. With few exceptions, the Zen of the Muromachi period is re-
membered more for its contributions to the arts than for its dedication to ac-
tual practice.
This period ultimately came to be regarded as a dark age in Zen practice,
with textbooks offering the "right" answers to koans readily available, and
certificates of satori (Awakening) to be had for a price. Classical koan cases
were used not for meditation training but as literary and educational devices,
and the monks became renowned for their skill in the arts of poetry,· flower
arrangement, garden design, painting, calligraphy, and the cult of chado (tea).
In doing so, they developed a fastidious style, blending the sophistication of
Chinese and Kyoto court culture with the austerity and attention to subtle
detail that they saw as distinctively Zen. As education and opportunities for
social mobility became more widely available during this period, this style
proved immensely popular not only among the ruling classes, but also among