Nirvana by Proxy? Interpassivity, Credibility and the Limits of Techno-Salvationism in Japanese Buddhism

Perspectives from Japanese Religious Studies, Cultural Theory and Psychology

Lea Klöpel

• Publisher: GRIN Verlag
• Year: 2026
• Edition: 1
• eBook ISBN:
  9783389197011
• Topic: Languages & Linguistics
• Subtopic: Languages
• Index: Languages & Linguistics

Seminar paper from the year 2026 in the subject Orientalism / Sinology - Japanology, grade: 1,0, Free University of Berlin (Japanologie), course: Vertiefungsmodul Kultur- und Literaturwissenschaften: Japan, wie hast du's mit der Religion?, language: English, abstract: To survive economically and to spark interest among technophile generations, Japanese Buddhist institutions have undergone significant transformation, introducing tools that fundamentally alter traditional religious practices. From robot priests delivering sermons at Kodaiji Temple to futuristic altars in high-tech Ruriden columbarium and virtual prayer services, these innovations raise profound questions about the nature of authentic religious practice and participation. What these technologies have in common is a structure of delegation in which ritual, spiritual and infrastructural acts once performed by humans are transferred to machines. While academic discourse has extensively examined the digitalization of religious institutions, interpassivity offers another angle. Originally conceptualized by Robert Pfaller and further developed with Slavoj Žižek, Interpassivity: The Aesthetics of Delegated Enjoyment (Pfaller, 2017) analyses situations where joyful consumption and passivity of activities is delegated to another, be it human or machine. The thesis looks at examples of delegation from three perspectives: the institution, the practicing Buddhist and the laity interacting occasionally with temples. To assess the consequences of delegation for religious credibility, the linked belief system and people willing to engage with it, the framework includes Joseph Henrich's (2009) theory of Credibility Enhancing Displays (CREDs), examining how religious beliefs are transmitted through costly signals of commitment like fasting, pilgrimages, ritual sacrifices, but also the daily devotion of a priest to his community.