Oral Tradition - Kuden

This refers to the oral transmission of teachings and manners from master to disciple, without relying on written texts. It is also called kuketsu, kuju, or menju. It is usually used when passing on secret teachings that should not be known to anyone other than the two people receiving and passing them on, and in the past, the ancient Indian Vedic texts, such as the Aranyakas (Book of Forests) and the Upanishads (Book of Secret Instructions), were secretly transmitted orally from master to disciple. In Buddhism, it has been considered particularly important in esoteric Buddhism, which deals with the secret arts of prayer. In Japan, it is particularly valued in Shingon Esoteric Buddhism (Tomitsu), and is abbreviated to "roi sojo" or simply "roi." In particular, the Ono school, which began with Ninkai, formed a style based on oral transmission (kuden ihon). Like Tomitsu, Tendai Esoteric Buddhism (Taimitsu) also valued oral tradition, but Tendai sects themselves began to place more importance on it after the end of the Heian period, and various oral teachings were born. The Tendai Hongaku Method is a product of this. Each sect of the New Buddhism of the Kamakura period was influenced by it to a greater or lesser extent. In addition to Buddhism, flower arranging, tea ceremony, waka poetry, incense ceremony, martial arts, and other schools also had their own unique secret techniques and methods, and oral transmission was valued.

[Fujii Noriaki]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

文字によらないで口伝えに教法や作法を師から弟子へ伝えることをいう。口訣(くけつ)、口授(くじゅ)、面授などともいう。授受する当事者同士以外に知られたくない秘法を伝える場合に用いられるのが通例で、古くは古代インドのベーダ文献であるアーラニヤカ（森林書）やウパニシャッド（奥義書(おうぎしょ)）などもひそかに師から弟子へ口授された。仏教ではとくに祈祷(きとう)の秘法秘術を扱う密教において重要視されてきた。わが国では真言密教（東密(とうみつ)）でとくに重んじられて、略して「ロイ相承(そうじょう)」あるいは単に「ロイ」などと称し、なかでも仁海(にんかい)に始まる小野流は口伝為本(くでんいほん)の流儀を形成した。天台密教（台密(たいみつ)）も東密同様に口伝を重んじたが、天台宗学自身も平安末期以後に重要視するようになり、種々の口伝法門(ほうもん)を生じた。天台本覚法門(ほんがくほうもん)はその所産である。鎌倉新仏教の各宗も大なり小なりその影響がある。また仏教に限らず、華道、茶道、和歌、香道、武芸などでもその派独自の秘技秘法があり、口伝が重んじられた。

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