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Tendai Elements in the Doctrinal Systems of Honen's Disciples

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Tendai Elements in the Doctrinal Systems of Honen's Disciples Tendai Elements in the Doctrinal Systems of Honen's Disciples Mitsuyuki Ishida I The greatest figure in Japanese Jodo Buddhism and one of the most note-worthy persons in the history of transmission of Amida pietism is, Honen (1133-1212). He is rightly accredited the title of the founder of the Jodo Sect, for he was the first who proclaimed the independence of the Nembutsu teaching, which had not been practiced independently of traditio- nal methods for attaining Bodhi. Today's most influencial schools belonging to Amidism look upon Honen as the founder. What is peculiar about him is the outward Tendai scholarship and the inward devotion to the Nembutsu. For the former quality, Honen passed his life as a Tendai preceptor of the Kurodani school of Mt. Hiei, and he- (1) was officially named "Genku, a Tendai priest at Kurodani". Records of (2) (3)hi s conferring precepts are seen in the Gyokuyo, Meigetsu Ki, etc.; and the (4) Sammai Hottoku Ki and others tell us of his realization of Samadhis. His devotion to Amida Buddha, on the other hand, is reflected in the persecu- tion of the Nembutsu teaching by priests of older sects. In the f ace of (5) their open attack, he composed the" Seven*-Article Prohibitions" to be . observed by his Nembutsu followers. He was finally exiled on charges of the disturbances caused by the Nembutsu practices of which he was the advocate. His doctrinal standpoint favoring the Nembutsu is clarified systemati- (1)「 天 壼 黒 谷 沙 門 源 室 」 (2)「 玉 葉 」, Kujo Kanezane's diary. (3)「 明 月 記 」, Fujiwara Teika's diary. (4)「 三 昧 獲 得 記 」. (5)「 七 箇 條 の 起 請 文 」. -803- Tendai elements in the doctrinal systems of HOnen's disciples (M. Ishida) (75) (6) cally in his masterpiece, Senjaku Hongan Nembutsu Shu. In this book, after distinguishing the Path of Sages and the Pure Land Path, he discards various practices of the former, such as meditation, contemplation, and observance of precepts, and advocated the exclusive practice of the Nembutsu. Follow- ing Shan-tao's teaching in particular, he excluded Tendai doctrines from (7) his system. Furthermore, in the chapter," Three Classes of Aspirants," he considered the Nembutsu. as the central practice of all Buddhist practices and disciplines and reckoned even the Tendai meditations as contained in the Nembutsu. His real intent, no doubt, lies in practicing and expounding to oth- ers the Nembutsu teaching. We often come across his profession of faith in (8) Amida in many of his disciples' writings. The Saiho Shinan Sho, a biography and collection of HOnen's sayings by Shinran, quotes Honen as saying, " Practices of the Path of Sages aim at deliverance from Birth -and-Death by developing wisdom, whereas in the practice of the Pure Land Path one (9) turns back to his ignorant state and seeks his Birth into the Pure Land." His scholarly attainments as well as his accomplishments in practicall disciplines were so distinguished as to command respect by high priests of the day, but, in the deep realization of his ignorance, he took to the Nem- butsu Path without any pretention. He respected Genshin as his predecessor of both the Nembutsu and the Tendai doctrine. In a sermon recorded in (10) the Kango To and others, he utilized, presumably under Genshin's influence, (11) the Tendai concept of the "interf usion of the Three Truths" to show the (12) signification of Amida's white twist of hair between the eyebrows. (6)「 選 揮 本 願 念 佛 集 」,"ACollection of Passages Concerning the Nembutsu of the Best-Selected Original Vow". (7)Cf. Chapters, Nigyo「 二 行 」,"Two Practices", and Fmoku「 付 厩 」,"Trans- mission of the Teaching for Future Generations". (8)「 西 方 指 南 抄 」,"Notes Indicating the Way to the Western Land". (9) Ibid., Vol.,III, Part 1, and the Wago To, Vol. V. (10) 「漢 語 灯 」, Vol. VIII. (11) 三 諦 圓 融. (12) After describing this physical mark of Amida in terms of Void, Temporary, and Middle, he goes on to show that every mark of the Buddha agrees with the Three Truths. -802- (76) Tendai elements in the doctrinal systems of Honen's disciples (M. Ishida) But he hastened, to add that this was the Tendai interpretation of the term. He thus consciously drew a distinct line between Tendai and Pure Land teachings. His efforts to present the Nembutsu in contradistinction to the Tendai and other sects naturally invited their criticism against his doctrine. The problem of how to defend the Nembutsu against these attacks' was left to his disciples. They generally tried to strengthen, and even develop, the master's Pure Land system by adopting the Tendai teaching. II (13) Ryukan, the eldest desciple of HOnen, is assumed to have passed his life, like his master, as a Tendai priest. His concept of Pure Land Buddhism (14) was much influenced, as he himself professed in the Gokuraku Jodo Shagi, by the Tendai doctrine; particularly by that of Genshin. Following Ryogen's (15) - Kubon Ojo Gi, he entertained the view that those born in the Recompenced Pure Land will realize partly the principle of the Middle Path and attain (16) (17) the stage of the lst Dwelling. He explains in his Mida Hongan Gi that A-mi-da' is identical with Reality and that this interpretation agrees with T'ien-t'ai's view of Amida as shown in his commentary to the Meditation Sutra. Again, in explaining how the sin committed by the lowest grade of men in the lowest class is to be extinguished, he resorted to the Tendai (18) theory of 100 worlds in 1,000 thusnesses'. Although he insisted consistently (19) on the practice of the Nembutsu accompanied ay the Three Minds, his attitude was not so exclusive as his master's. He admitted meditative goods' in the Meditation Sutra as causal practices for Birth in the Pure Land on (13) 隆 寛(1148-1227). (14)「 極 樂 浄 土 宗 義 」. (15)「 九 品 往 生 義 」by Ryogen良 源. (16) Cf. Sanzen Gi M: ondo「 散 善 義 問 答 」, 6, Gohuraku Jodo Shugi, Vol. II, and Genru Sho「 源 流 章 」. (17)「 彌 陀 本 願 義 」. (18) 百 界 千 如, cf. Metsuzai Kosu Gi 「滅 罪 劫 数 義 」. (19)The Three Minds三 心, set forth in the Meditation Sutra, are the follow- ing: 1. Shiloshin至 誠 心, Sincere Mind, 2. Jinshin深 心, Deep Mind, and 3. Eko-Hotsuganshin廻 向 獲 願 心, Mind of Merit-transference and Aspiration. -801- Tendai elements in the doctrinal systems of Honen's disciples (M. Ishida) (77) (20) sis that the Three Minds were supposed to attend meditative goods He. went so far as to maintain that other miscellaneous practices abandoned by Honen as futile could become efficient pdactices for attaining Birth if (21) accompanied by the Three Minds of the Other-Power. He, of course, had ample reason for asserting such a view, sinceShan-tao remarked that any practice was conducive to the attainment of Birth if accompanied by the (22)Th ree Minds. But from Ryukan's frequent recourse to the Tendai termino- logies and theories, we may assume that he made a conscious effort to adopt Tendai elements into his system. (23) Shoku, a noted disciple of Honen, did not draw so expressly on the Tendai doctrine in order to systematize his Jodo system as Ryukan did. (24) But, from what we find in his Kangyo Sho Kammon Gi and Kangyo Sho, (25) Taii, he obviously had recourse to the Tendai theory of the One Vehicle teaching' in presenting the basic tenets of Pure Land Buddhism. He con- sidered the Meditation Sutra to be the conclusion of all the teachings of Path of Sages and looked upon the Nembutsu practice as embodying all meritorious goods. He maintained that the principle of the One Vehicle of the Lotus Sutra was merely an abstract noumenon and that Amida's Vow was the genuine One Vehicle teaching which could lead even a common man to Enlightenment. In Shoku's system, all the miscellaneous practices which Honen cast aside were revived so that, when accompanied by the Three Minds, they assumed the same status as that of the Nembutsu. Kosai (26) doctrine can be traced in his only extant book, Gengi Bun (27) and also in Gyonen's Genru Sho. He conceives that the three sutras of Pure Land Buddhism, i. e. Dai Muryoju Kyo (Larger Sutra), Kan Muryoju Kyo (Meditation, Sutra), and Amida Kyo (Smaller Sutra), reveal the true teach- (28) ing of the implicit One Vehicle, which is contrasted to the explicit One (20) Cf. Gokuraku Jodo She Gi, Vol. II, Gu Sanshin Gi, Vol. II. (21) Cf. Gu Sanshin Gi, Vol. I. (22) Cf. Sanzen Gi. (23)謹 室(1177-1247). (24)「 観 経 疏 観 門 義 」. (25)「 観 経 疏 大 意 」. (26)幸 西(1163-1247). (27)「 玄 義 分 抄 」. (28) 隠 一 乗. -800- (78) Tendai elements in the doctrinal systems of Honen's disciples (M. Ishida) (29)V ehicle teaching of the Lotus Sutra. The latter One Vehicle teaching in- culcates the difficult practices, whereas the former sets forth the Easy Practice of the Nembutsu based on the Original Vow. He emphasizes the practice of the Nembutsu Samadhi with singleness of mind, or with a mind pervaded by Buddha's Wisdom, in which the aspirant becomes united with the Buddha. He states that the Buddha's true intent for appearing in this world is to provide the way of deliverance for the deluded sentient beings, and that with this view in mind He taught, at first, the difficult One Vehicle teaching of the Lotus Sutra.
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