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廃仏毀釈 (はいぶつきしゃく) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Freq. Frequency Top 100,000 Meanings 1
noun
abolish Buddhism, destroy Shakyamuni ; anti-Buddhist movement of the early Meiji era
yojijukugo (four-character idiom)
Historical slogan and movement name from the early Meiji period (1868–1912), when the government promoted Shinto and suppressed Buddhism. Often used in historical or academic contexts.
The abolishment of Buddhism was carried out as part of the separation of Shinto and Buddhism policy.
Written forms 廃はい 仏ぶつ 毀き 釈しゃく
Standard kanji form for this historical term.
排はい 仏ぶつ 棄き 釈しゃく
Variant kanji form using 排 (reject) and 棄 (discard); less common.
Kanji 廃 abolish, obsolete, cessation 仏 Buddha, the dead, France 排 repudiate, exclude, expel 棄 abandon, throw away, discard Similar words 神しん 仏ぶつ 分ぶん 離り Refers to the policy of separating Shinto and Buddhism, which was the broader context for 廃仏毀釈. 廃仏毀釈 specifically denotes the destructive anti-Buddhist actions.
廃はい 仏ぶつ A shorter term meaning 'abolition of Buddhism'; 廃仏毀釈 is a four-character compound that adds the nuance of destroying Shakyamuni.
Etymology A yojijukugo (four-character compound) from the early Meiji era, combining 廃 (abolish), 仏 (Buddha/Buddhism), 毀 (destroy), and 釈 (Shakyamuni). The exact origin as a slogan is historical, not a classical Chinese phrase.
