Manshi Kiyozawa

Japanese: 清沢満之 - きよざわ・まんし

Year of death: June 6, 1903 (Meiji 36)
Year of birth: Bunkyu 3.6.26 (1863.8.10)
He was a representative religious figure of the Meiji era, famous for his advocacy of "spiritualism" that aimed to establish a modern form of Buddhist faith. He was born in Kuromon-cho, Nagoya. He was the son of Tokunaga Naganori and Taki, samurai of the Nagoya (Owari) domain. In 1878, he was ordained as a monk in the Otani branch of the Shinshu sect and entered Higashi Honganji Ikuei Kyogyo School. In 1882, he entered the University of Tokyo as a foreign student from Higashi Honganji, and after graduating from the Department of Philosophy, he went on to graduate school. He was always top of his class and a scholarship student, and participated in the Tetsugakukai (Philosophy Society) founded by Inoue Enryo and others, where he was involved in editing the Tetsugakukai Zasshi (Philosophy Society Magazine). In 1896, at the request of Higashi Honganji, he was appointed principal of Kyoto Prefectural Ordinary Middle School, which was run under the trust of Higashi Honganji, and in the same year he married Kiyosawa Yasuko and entered the Ohama Saihoji Temple in Aichi Prefecture. From this time onwards, he aimed to reform the education system to promote Higashi Honganji's teachings and learning, and together with his comrades he made proposals to the authorities, but at the same time he adopted an extremely ascetic lifestyle as a way of putting his own religious philosophy into practice, and in 1902 he fell ill with tuberculosis and spent time recuperating. In 1903, he proposed reform of Higashi Honganji's academic affairs, focusing on teachings and learning, and established his base in Shirakawa, Kyoto, published Kyokai Jigen, and sought to advance the movement, but it was thwarted by attempts by the authorities and anti-reformists to undermine the movement. In 1907, Higashi Honganji asked him to manage Shinshu University (Otani University), and on conditions such as the university being moved to Tokyo and the authorities not interfering, he was appointed academic superintendent (president) in 1909 and worked hard to realize an ideal education, but resigned the following year due to a school turmoil. During this time, in 1900, he began living together with Tada Tei, Sasaki Gessho, and Gyoen Umin, all followers of Kiyozawa, in a community of seekers of the path, naming their lodgings "Koukoudou" and publishing the magazine "Seinenkai" (Spiritual World) in which they advocated "spiritualism." Although "spiritualism" is highly regarded as a religious movement that aims to establish modern Buddhist faith, historically it has also been criticized as a "logic of subordination" that unconditionally affirms the reality under the modern Emperor system. He has written the 8-volume "Complete Works of Kiyozawa Manshi." <References> Yoshida Kyuichi, "Kiyozawa Manshi," Fukushima Hirotaka et al., "Jodo Shinshu"

(Kusano Akiyuki)

Source: Asahi Japanese Historical Biography: Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc. About Asahi Japanese Historical Biography

Japanese:

没年：明治36.6.6(1903)
生年：文久3.6.26(1863.8.10)
明治時代を代表する宗教家で,近代的仏教信仰の確立をめざす「精神主義」を提唱したことで有名。名古屋黒門町で生まれる。名古屋(尾張)藩士徳永永則とタキの息子。明治11(1878)年真宗大谷派で得度し東本願寺育英教校に入学。同15年東本願寺の留学生として,東京大学に入り,哲学科を卒業後大学院に進む。常に首席で特待生であり,井上円了らが設立した哲学会に参加して『哲学会雑誌』の編集に携わった。同21年,東本願寺の要請により,東本願寺が依託経営していた京都府尋常中学校の校長に就任,この年清沢やす子と結婚して,愛知県大浜西方寺に入寺した。このころから,東本願寺の教学振興のための教育制度改革を目指し,同志と共に当局へ建言を行う一方で,自らの宗教哲学の実践として,極度の禁欲生活に入り,同27年結核を患って療養生活をおくる。同28年,教学を中心とした東本願寺学事改革を建言,拠点を京都白川におき,『教界時言』を発刊,運動の前進を図ったが,当局や反改革派の運動切り崩しにより頓挫した。同32年東本願寺より真宗大学(大谷大学)の運営を依頼されると,同大学の東京移転や当局の不介入などを条件に応じ,同34年に学監(学長)に就任して,理想的教育の実現に邁進したが,翌年には学校騒動によって辞職した。この間,同33年には清沢を信奉する多田鼎,佐々木月樵,暁烏敏らと求道の共同生活を開始,その宿舎を「浩々洞」と名付け,雑誌『精神界』を刊行して「精神主義」を提唱した。「精神主義」は近代的仏教信仰の確立を目指す宗教運動として高い評価を受けているが,歴史的には近代天皇制下の現実を無条件に肯定する「従属の論理」であるとの批判もみられる。著書は『清沢満之全集』8巻がある。<参考文献>吉田久一『清沢満之』,福島寛隆他『浄土真宗』

(草野顕之)

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