Préférence pour le mariage non-mixte parmi les Amidistes « Shin » du bouddhisme japonais

Abstract

This study seeks to identify the factors influencing the marked reli gious endogamy among Shin-Amidists and was conducted in a village where this tendency was clearly evident ; there being only 5 cases of mixed marriage recorded between 1870 and 1952. The author first looks at the social background. Do Shin-Amidists not marry Shingonists because of differing social status ? But in fact, the two groups are represented in the same proportion in the social pyramid. Neither can differences in profession, family life or locality be show to be significant. The author then turns to the religious back ground, but finds little support for this practice in doctrine, he did discover though, that the Shin-Amidists do hold at regular intervals religious meetings whose function is, in part, to encourage marriages between the families, and similar meetings are held by the Shingonists. A mixed marriage would therefore run counter to the object of these gatherings and undermine their aim. The author looks again at the question of social class as endogamy is hard to find among the upper class, but he concludes this is due to their small numbers. In the author's opinion therefore endogamy is a sign of the inte gration of their religious faith into the daily life of the Shin-Amidists.