Meditation to Kill and Be Killed By

Can meditation kill? This chapter claims that meditation-induced samādhi, and the power associated with it, were used in Imperial Japan (1868–1945). The Zen school is founded on samādhi and the power associated with it. Without samādhi, “Zen,” (Sankrit Dhyāna; English meditation) would become just another “mental health” practice, rather than the basis for a profound realization of the true nature of the self. However, despite the long-acknowledged mental power intrinsic to samādhi, there is the ever-present danger of its misuse or abuse by both self and others. In modern times, this abuse was most clearly visible during the period of Japan’s military aggression, beginning with the Sino-Japanese War of 1894–1895 and extending through Japan’s ultimate defeat in August 1945. This chapter examines the use of samādhi power within Imperial Japan and warns how easily meditation can be directed towards the destruction, and not the enrichment, of life.