Shuni-e

A Buddhist ceremony held at the beginning of February every year to pray for peace in the nation and the happiness of related people. It was also called Shunitsuki-e or Shuni-gatsu. In India, the Shukuyokyo Sutra states that Kenbo, or February, is the beginning of the year, and in Japan, the Buddhist ceremony at the beginning of the year is called Shusho-e, and the ceremony held in February was called Shuni-e during the Heian period. The Shunie (Omizutori) at Todaiji Temple's Nigatsudo Hall is famous for the Eleven-Headed Repentance Ceremony, which is dedicated to the Eleven-Headed Kannon Bodhisattva, but as seen in the Shunie month in the Sanbo Ekotoba of 984 (Eikan 2), Shunie was also held actively at mountain temples in Kyoto for three, five, or seven nights starting around February 1st, and the content of Shunie varied from temple to temple. The Shunie at Shin-Yakushi-ji Temple in Nara, seen in the Engishuzeishiki, was the Yakushi Repentance Ceremony, while the Shunie at Kinchokokuji Temple (Komyoji Temple) in Ise Province (Mie Prefecture) was the Eleven-Headed Repentance Ceremony. From the mid-Heian period onwards, it was also held at Rengezoin, Enryakuji, Hoshogonin, Hosshoji, Kofukuji, Akishino-dera and other temples, but it fell out of fashion in the Middle Ages and today it is only held in a few places, such as Todaiji's Nigatsudo, Yakushiji and Shin-Yakushiji.

[Horiike Harumo]

"The Shunie Ceremony at the Nigatsudo Hall and the Belief in Kannon," by Shunho Horiike (included in "Studies on the History of Buddhism in Nara, Vol. 1," 1980, Hozokan)" ▽ "The Omizutori Ceremony," by Shunho Horiike et al. (1985, Shogakukan)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

毎年2月の初めに国家の平安、有縁(うえん)の人々の幸福などを祈願する仏会(ぶつえ)。修二月会、修二月とも称した。インドでは建卯(けんぼう)すなわち2月を歳(とし)の首(はじめ)とすることが『宿曜経(すくようきょう)』にみえ、わが国では年頭の仏会を修正会(しゅしょうえ)、2月に行う法会(ほうえ)を平安時代には修二会と称した。東大寺二月堂の修二会（御水取(おみずとり)）は十一面観音菩薩(かんのんぼさつ)を本尊とする十一面悔過(けか)として有名であるが、984年（永観2）の『三宝絵詞(さんぼうえことば)』の修二月にみられるように、2月1日ころより、三夜、五夜、七夜にわたって、京都の山寺でも盛んに行われており、寺々により修二会の内容は異なっていた。『延喜主税式(えんぎしゅぜいしき)』にみえる奈良新薬師寺のそれは薬師悔過会で、伊勢(いせ)国（三重県）近長谷寺(きんちょうこくじ)（光明寺）の修二会は十一面悔過会であった。平安中期以降には、蓮華蔵院(れんげぞういん)、延暦寺(えんりゃくじ)、宝荘厳院(ほうしょうごんいん)、法勝寺(ほっしょうじ)、興福寺、秋篠寺(あきしのでら)などでも行われていたが、中世に至って廃絶し、今日わずかに、東大寺二月堂、薬師寺、新薬師寺などで行われているにすぎない。

［堀池春峰］

『堀池春峰著「二月堂修二会と観音信仰」（『南都仏教史の研究　上』所収・1980・法蔵館）』▽『堀池春峰他著『お水取り』（1985・小学館）』

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