ABSTRACT
The central idea in Buddhist teaching is the gospel of universal salvation based on the idea of the fundamental oneness of all beings. The well-known but often misunderstood doctrine of Karma amounts to this, that no man's life is a product of the present only but is the result of a long chain of moral causation, in which the quality of his deeds and character bears the fruits deserved. The doctrine of Karma brought to Japan a religion of tender sentiment and broad sympathy, tending frequently to an extreme of sentimentalism or fatalism. In sum, the turn of the sixth and seventh centuries marked the first epoch-making juncture of Japanese history, when the nation emerged from the primitive stage of its existence. The cardinal vices are three: Greed, which is the inclination towards pleasure and satisfaction; Hatred or Arrogance, which is repugnance against pain and displeasure; and Stupidity, indolent Stolidity.
