Buddhism in the Heian period reflected in the Tale of Genji

Essay from the year 2008 in the subject History - Asia, grade: 1,0, Muhlenberg College, course: Introduction to Traditional Japan, language: English, abstract: The Tale of Genji (TG) by Murasaki Shikibu written in the late 10th Century describes an aristocratic worldview in the Heian period (794-1185) and allows therefore a closer look at the religious and spiritual understanding of the Japanese upper class in this timeframe. Before discussing Shikibu's view on Buddhism the characters' access to Buddhism will be focused on by first, discussing official appearance and second, private practise.