Holy Path Gate - Shoudoumon

In the various Pure Land sects, as one of the teachings, Buddhism is broadly divided into two schools, the Holy Path School and the Pure Land School. The Holy Path School is a school of teachings that preaches the way to attain enlightenment and become a Buddha in this world through self-effort training, and includes all Buddhist sects other than Pure Land Buddhism (also called the Pure Land School). It originally appeared in the Anrakushu by Doshaku, the founder of Chinese Pure Land Buddhism, in which he contrasted the Holy Path School with the Pure Land School, saying that although its teachings are excellent, since we are now in the Latter Day of the Law and the Age of Five Corrupted Evils, no one can attain enlightenment through its teachings, and he emphasized that the Pure Land School is the only path to salvation. Honen (Genku) responded to this by proclaiming the independence of Pure Land Buddhism, and in his main work, "Senchaku Hongan Nembutsu Shu," he preached that we should abandon the Holy Path and return to the Pure Land. Honen said that within the Holy Path there are Mahayana and Hinayana, and both are about practicing hard in this world and trying to attain enlightenment through that, but that this is a difficult path that is difficult to achieve in reality. Furthermore, Shinran made it clear that the Holy Path, which aims to attain enlightenment in this world through self-practice, was preached as a provisional expedient (provisional means) that is only applicable to saints, and is not the true teaching of direct entry for ordinary people.

[Uryuuzu Takamasa]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

浄土教諸派において、教判(きょうはん)の一つとして、仏教を聖道門と浄土門の二門に大別する。聖道門とは、自力(じりき)の修行によってこの土（世界）で悟りを得て仏になる道を説く法門（教え）ということで、浄土教（これを浄土門という）以外の仏教各宗をこれに収める。もとは中国浄土教の始祖道綽(どうしゃく)の『安楽集(あんらくしゅう)』に出ていて、彼は聖道門を浄土門と対比して、その教えは優れているが、いまは末法で五濁悪世(ごじょくあくせ)であるため、この教えによって悟りを得るものは1人もないといい、浄土門こそ唯一の救いの道であることを強調した。法然(ほうねん)（源空）はこれを受けて、浄土教の独立を打ち出し、主著『選択本願念仏集(せんちゃくほんがんねんぶつしゅう)』において、聖道門を捨てて浄土門に帰すべきである、と説いた。法然は、聖道門のなかに大乗と小乗とがあり、いずれもこの世界において修行に努力し、それによって悟りを得ようとするものであるが、これは現実には達成しがたい難行の道である、という。さらに、親鸞(しんらん)は、自力修行によってこの土で悟りを得ようとする聖道門は聖者のみに妥当する権仮方便(ごんけほうべん)（仮の手段）として説かれたもので、凡夫直入(ぼんぶじきにゅう)の真実の教えではない、と明らかにした。

［瓜生津隆真］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例