Fukan Fabian (2nd Sessional)

Fukan Fabian (不干斎ハビアン)
Fukan Fabian was probably born in 1565 in Kaga or Echu where a sect of Buddhism, Ikkoshu ( 一向宗),
was firmly planted. He moved to Kyoto and initially became a Zen Buddhist. Later in 1583, Fabian was
baptized with his mother and went to Seminario, a catholic school in Osaka. In 1586 he entered the Society
of Jesus as a frater, equivalent to a Japanese catechist (dojuku). Fabian was active in Jesuit missions for
many years and studied Latin as a scholarly dojuku, however he was never ordained as a priest or padre.
In 1592 he was recorded in a list of residents of the Jesuit College in Amakusa as a ‘master of the Japanese
language’ with a little knowledge of Latin. Serving as an interpreter, he wrote a simplified version of The
Tale of the Heike (『平家物語』 Nihonno Kotobato Historia), which was a dialogue on the language and
history of Japan between Umanojo ( 馬之丞 ) and Kengyo( 検校 ), it was typed in Roman letters and
published in 1592, used as a textbook for the missionaries. He also contributed in translation of Aesop’s
Fables, published as Esopo no Fabulas. Because of his educational background, he was familiar with both
European and East Asian systems of philosophy and religion and was also involved in their interreligious
debates. According to some fiction Fabian was engaged in a debate with Hakuo, a buddhist monk, in
Nanbanji Kohaiki ( 『南蛮寺興廃記』 ). On the other hand some accounts shows a notorious debate
between Fabian and Neo-Confucianist Hayashi Razan (林羅山) about claims of a round earth, as well as
the Christian view of god and creation.
Myotei Mondo and Ha Daisu:

Fabian is known for his two seemingly contradictory writings: Myotei Mondo 『妙貞問答』 written in
1605 and Ha Daiusu『破提宇子』written in 1620.
Fabian was a prominent Jesuit apologist, a public speaker, and author of the famous Japanese Jesuit text
Myōtei mondō 妙貞問答 . He was considered as the most influential of all Japanese Christian thinkers of
the so called first period of Christianity in the Japan of the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries.As
the most competent Japanese Jesuit rhetoricist of his time, he was dispatched in 1603 to the “Jesuit
Temple” in the Japanese capital, Kyoto. In this prime position in Kyoto, he authored Myōtei Mondō,
moreover he also became widely known in the city as a charismatic orator and representative of the Jesuits
in debates against notable Buddhist and Confucian figures.
By 1608, however, Fabian seems to have left the Jesuits. Remarkably, this was before the active
persecution of Christians by the Tokugawa Shogunate that began during 1613–1614.
By 1620, seven years into the active suppression of Christians by the Tokugawa government, he was back
in Nagasaki, however he was not on the Christian side.
He is ascribed as having participated in the suppression of Christianity through his authorship of Ha Daisu,
a text which became the most famous anti-Christian text of this period. After Fabian’s death, this dramatic
story of his life, particularly his so-called “apostasy,” appeared as a theme in a range of different literary
works.
Henceforth, Fabian’s Jesuit and post-Jesuit period thought, along with the story of his life, came to be
presented as an example of the intellectual and political clash between “Japan” and the “the West.” In other
words, we can say that his ideas and actions came to be understood in terms of an imagined conflict
constructed between images of ‘Japaneseness’ and ‘non-Japaneseness.’
Myotei Mondo
Myotei Mondo was set in a form of dialogue between Myoshu (妙秀) and Yutei (幽貞) in three books.
1) a refutation of Buddhism; Buppo no shidairyaku nukigaki (仏法之次第略抜書);
2) a refutation of Confucianism and Shinto; (judo no koto 儒道之事) and (shinto no koto 神道之事);
3) an apologetic on Christianity; kirishitan no oshie no taiko no koto 貴理志端之教之大綱之事).
According to Fukan himself, the writing is intended to provide Christian ladies with detailed knowledge of
the doctrines as they have little opportunity to visit churches and ask men about the teachings. However,
Fukan’s real audience was not restricted to ladies.
His arguments against Buddhism, Confucianism and Shinto are intended to refute their respective
explanations of how the phenomenal world arose, as well as to question their ability to offer salvation.
Fukan’s Critique on Japanese religions

Fabian’s crticism of buddhism: Buddhist thought does not offer a reasonable concept of salvation in the
afterlife. For one thing, he points at the human nature of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas like Shakyamuni or
Amida. How can human beings possibly help other humans to salvation in the afterlife? He also criticises
the Mahayana Buddhist concept of “emptiness” (kumu 空無) as rendering all ideas of afterlife pointless.
He emphasized that Buddhist concepts of afterlife belong to the realm of illusions, he argues, even the ten
worlds of existence are not more than “circumstances of the present (genzai no arisama 現在ノ有様), they
all belong to the world as we see it, and never are they a kind of afterlife.” (Myotei Mondo). Besides,
Fukan points at the ethical consequences of this worldview, namely the dissolution of a distinction between
good and bad, right and wrong. Without the promise of an afterlife, he fears there is no motivation for
proper moral conduct in everyday life: good deeds would not be rewarded and bad actions not be punished
(Myotei Mondo). Here, Fukan argues on the Christian premise that salvation is to be expected in the
afterlife, an idea he sees ultimately denied in Buddhism.
Fabian’s criticism on Confucianism: Fukan criticizes the confucian theory that everything is originated
from Yin and Yang, the two cosmic principle complementary and inseparable. His attack is that it does not
explain the origin of Yin Yang itself. Where do you think the Yin and Yang come from? He continues to
expound that Buddhas are illusionary, kami can be reduced to yin and yang, and therefore only the
Christian god is the true lord.
Fabian’s criticism on Shinto: Fabian dismissed the shinto myths as sexual fables. Shinto secrets in the
end are only the way of Yin-Yang the sexual relationship of men and women. Moreover shinto misteries
are shallow and insignificant. ‘All these “mysteries” that must be hidden are not all profound.’ He disputes
the belief that men came to inhabit the Japanese island on the command of shinto sun goddess, Amaterasu,
saying that in fact they arrived from neighbouring countries.
Fabian’s exposition on Chistanity: In line with this argument, he dedicates his apologetics to the
Christian interpretation of salvation. In six chapters, he argues in favour of a god who has created the
universe and governs nature as well as human fate; he introduces the concept of anima rationalis as the
eternal dimension of man, the Christian understanding of paradise and hell, and explains the moral and
ritual requirements for acquiring life in paradise. Fukan’s claim of exclusive worship rests on a logical and
a pragmatic reason: logically, he argues that the phenomenal world must have been created intentionally,
and there can be only one omnipotent creator-god; pragmatically, everybody should venerate the Christian
god because he is the only one who can guarantee a good life in this world and the next world.
Together with Myōtei mondō, printed in 1605, the most referenced and contemporarily most widely
distributed Japanese printed Christian text was Dochirina Kirishitan, written by Arimichi Ebisawa. This
text shared much in common with Myōtei mondō like the metaphorical language, in terms of its production
period, in terms of purpose and style: propagation of Christianity through comparison to other religions.
Like Myōtei mondō, Dochirina Kirishitan is also a dialogue. A significant difference, however, is that in
Myōtei mondō the dialogue is between two equals, whereas in Dochirina Kirishitan it is between a
“master” and a “disciple.”
Ha-Daisu
Ha Daisu was written after Fabian abandoned Christianity. In its first part, he explains and refutes basic
Christian doctrines in seven steps, comprising the Christian concept of God; the differentiation of anima
rationalis, sensitiva and vegetative, Aristotelian terms; the fall of the human being; the role of Jesus as
savior of mankind and the Ten Commandments. In its final part, he questions the value of Christianity,
mainly with regard to the conduct of the missionaries and other.
In this work, Fabian the apostate does not simply replace his former Christian belief with Buddhism or
other religious currents. Instead, he adopted a pluralistic view. His commitment to plurality is obvious in
the way he contrasts the Christian idea of the creator God with Buddhist, Confucian and Shinto narratives
of the world formation. He also opposes the Christian claim of universal truth with his pluralistic vision by
emphasizing the coexistence of Buddhism, Shinto and Confucianism.
Fukan explains his motivation to write Ha Daiusu as the desire to make up for his Christian past by
providing Buddhists and Shinto priests with solid knowledge of Christianity so they can refute it properly.
(Ha Daisu) However, discussions about his motivation often refer to the last chapter where he blames the
Jesuits for their arrogant behavior towards Japanese, in particular for their refusal to allow Japanese into
the priesthood: “Because they are arrogant people they don’t even consider Japanese to be human beings.
[...] Beside, they don’t let Japanese become padres. You can imagine what feeling it is not being able to
realize your heart’s desire.” (Ha Daisu)
Why did Fukan abandoned Vhristanity and Jesus school

Regarding abandoning Christianity, there are some hints in the last chapter of his work Ha Daisu, where he
blames the Jesuits for their arrogant behaviors toward the Japanese, especially for their refusal to allow
local catechists into priesthood. Moreover, Fabian was not amongst the fifteen Japanese who were
ordained as priests between 1601 and 1614.
Both Myotei Mondo and Ha Daisu are the works written by a learned man who was educated in the Jesuit
school and lived among Jesuit missionaries for almost 20 years. Before becoming a Christian irmão, he
was a Zen monk and learned the theological doctrines of the both camps in detail. The Jesuit education of
local students was designed to replace Japanese religious ideas by the Christian views of the human being
and its world. Being a Japanese and having once been a Buddhist bonze distanced Fabian from the
missionaries.
Conclusion
Fabian was familiar with popular Japanese religion, which was a fusion of Buddhist and Neo-Confucian
currents with Shinto’s mythology. In Myotei Mondo, Fabian the Christian explains and criticizes the
characteristics of Shintoism, Confucianism and all sects of Buddhism. He also tries to show that the ideas
advanced in those currents are based on an unscientific worldview, especially on the Buddhist notion. He
insists that Asian religions and philosophies have no power to save the human being.
In Ha Daisu, Fabian the apostate does not simply replace his former Christian belief with Buddhism or
other religious currents but he also opposes the Christian claim of universal truth with his pluralistic vision
by emphasizing the coexistence of Buddhism, Shinto and Confucianism.
Bibliography
• https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/230558889.pdf
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fabian_Fucan
• https://nirc.nanzan-u.ac.jp/nfile/2959

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Fukan Fabian (不干斎ハビアン)

Myotei Mondo and Ha Daisu:

Fukan’s Critique on Japanese religions

Why did Fukan abandoned Vhristanity and Jesus school

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