Hidden Nembutsu - Kakushinenbutsu

A secret religious cell organization that is practiced in the Tohoku region, especially from Iwate and Miyagi prefectures to parts of Hokkaido. The believers call themselves "Gonaiho," but the public calls them "Okura Nembutsu," "Kurahomon," "Dozouhiji," and so on. It is said to be the hidden Nembutsu of the east, as opposed to the hidden Christians of the west. The esoteric Nembutsu that was originally practiced in the Tohoku region during the Muromachi period was brought under the religious policy of the Edo Shogunate, and as temples were separated into branches and temple parishioners were institutionalized, it was found to be advantageous to come under the umbrella of Jodo Shinshu, so it abandoned its esoteric Buddhist characteristics on the surface, adopted the external appearance of Shinshu doctrine, and continued to maintain its secret Nembutsu character on the inside. For this reason, it was often treated as a type of heretical Hijibomon, which was often seen in Shinshu. The scripture upon which it relies is "Gorin Kuji Myohimitsushaku" (also known as "Gorin Kuji Hishaku") by Kakuban (Kōkyō Daishi), and it venerates three statues of Kōbō Daishi, Kōkyō Daishi, and Shinran Shonin. In particular, it treasures a wooden statue of Shinran Shonin that it claims to have made itself at the age of 71, and its initiation ceremony, known as "Otoriage," involves a ritual of "crossing the fingers," which is similar to the mantra mudra of Shingon Buddhism, and so it contains elements of esoteric Buddhism. Hidden Nembutsu first became known to the public in 1753 (the third year of the Horeki era), when Yamazaki Mokuzaemon, a vassal of Date Date Mondo, lord of Mizusawa in the Sendai domain, and three others received instruction from Kagiya Gobei Zenkyu in Kyoto, returned to Japan and began preaching, but were exposed as heretical and crucified the following year. This Zenkyu lineage began with Kagiya Ubei Dosei (died 1663) in Kyoto, and many branches have sprung up since the end of the Edo period, and it is widely practiced. In addition, the secret doctrine of the lineage of Oami Jozui-ji Temple (Shirakawa City) in Fukushima Prefecture is said to have been handed down from Shinran, Zenran, and Nyoshin, and is also known as hidden Nembutsu in the Tohoku region. Many of these ceremonies are held in the dark with only a little light, and are led by a lay leader who repeatedly chants the Nembutsu or "Help Me," until the person becomes dazed. The person's mouth and eyelids are examined, and the person declares that they have been saved, and is made to promise that they will never tell anyone after they regain consciousness. Each village also has officials, who use the farming off-season to perform "Oshijo" (initiation ceremony) for children between the ages of 6 and 15, and once this is completed, they are expected to have a stable life as a member of the community, and this is often done when someone is marrying or marrying someone else.

[Tatsuo Hagiwara]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

東北地方のうち、とくに岩手・宮城両県から北海道の一部にかけて行われている秘密宗教細胞組織。信徒たちは自ら「御内法(ごないほう)」とよぶが、世間からは「御庫(おくら)念仏」「庫法門(くらほうもん)」「土蔵秘事(どぞうひじ)」などとよばれる。西の隠れキリシタンに対して、東の隠し念仏といわれる。もと室町時代に東北地方に行われていた密教系の念仏が、江戸幕府の宗教政策のもとに、寺院本末化、檀家(だんか)制度化が進むにあたり、浄土真宗の傘下に入るのを得策として、表面からは密教色を去り、真宗の教義による外貌(がいぼう)をとり、内面では秘密念仏的性格を堅持し続けた。それゆえ、真宗に往々みかけられた異端としての秘事法門(ひじぼうもん)の一種のごとくに扱われたことが多い。所依の経典としては覚鑁(かくばん)（興教大師）の『五輪九字明秘密釈(ごりんくじみょうひみつしゃく)』（『五輪九字秘釈』ともよぶ）で、弘法(こうぼう)大師、興教大師、親鸞上人(しんらんしょうにん)の3像を崇(あが)め、とくに親鸞上人71歳御自作と称する木像を秘蔵することもあり、「御執上(おとりあげ)」と称する入信式では「指を組む」とて真言の印契(いんかい)に似た法式をとるなど、密教色を中心に含んでいる。隠し念仏が世間に知られたのは、1753年（宝暦3）仙台藩水沢領主伊達主水(だてもんど)の家臣山崎杢左衛門(もくざえもん)ら4名が京都で鍵屋(かぎや)五兵衛善休から相伝を受けて帰り布教するうち、邪宗として摘発され、翌年磔刑(たっけい)に処せられた一件であった。この善休の系統は京都の鍵屋宇兵衛道清(どうせい)（1663没）に始まり、幕末から分派も多く発生し、広く行われているほか、福島県の大網常瑞(じょうずい)寺（白河市）系統の秘事法門は、親鸞―善鸞―如信と相伝したものと伝え、同じく東北の隠し念仏として知られている。その儀式の多くは、暗夜にわずかの燈火のもとで行われ、俗人の指導者に導かれて、ひたすら念仏または「助けたまえ」の繰り返しのうちに、放心状態になると、口中やまぶたを調べて、救済された旨宣言をし、意識の回復したのちは、けっして他言しないと誓約させられる、というものである。また村ごとに役員を置くが、農閑期を利用して「御執上」（入信式）を6～15歳の児童に施し、それを済ませると共同体成員として一生涯が安定することになっており、嫁取り・婿取りに際してこれを行うことも多い。

［萩原龍夫］

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