Shoeki Ando

Japanese: 安藤昌益 - あんどうしょうえき

A thinker from the mid-Edo period. He was commonly known as Magozaemon. His temple name when he wrote was Kakuryudo Ryochu, and his other name was Ryushiken. He was also known as Masanobu and Kusataka.

[Masahiko Miyake April 18, 2016]

Life and actions

Much of his career is unknown, but all that is known is that he was born in 1703 (Genroku 16), practiced medicine as a local doctor in Hachinohe town, Sannohe county, Mutsu province (Hachinohe city, Aomori prefecture) between 1744 (Enkyo 1) and 1746, and died on October 14, 1762 (Horeki 12) in Niida village, Akita county, Dewa province (Odate city, Akita prefecture) and that his grave is located at Onsen-ji temple of Ganshozan Matsuyama, a temple of the Soto sect of Buddhism, in the same village. His ancestor Magozaemon served as the kimoiri (headman) of Niida village in 1674 (Enpo 2), and Masayoshi also paid taxes in the same village under the name Magozaemon on October 14, 1761 (Horeki 11). His descendants also currently live in the same area under the family name Magozaemon. Based on these facts, it is assumed that Masayoshi was born in Niida village and came from an upper-class farming family of village official class.

During his time in Hachinohe, Shoeki was highly regarded as a doctor and scholar, and was ordered by the Hachinohe domain to treat distinguished guests. He had over 10 disciples, including magistrates, physicians, assistants, head priests, and merchants. In 1756 (the 6th year of the Horeki era), the head of the Ando family in Niida village died, and around 1758, Shoeki returned to the village to take over the family business. Niida is a village along the Sai River, a tributary of the Yoneshiro River, and is said to be the birthplace of the Nie no Saku. With a rice-growing farm of 1,500 koku and 160 households and 750 people, it was the largest village in Kitaakita, dominating the surrounding villages. However, when Shoeki returned to the village, it had been impoverished by the Horeki famine, and while Shoeki made influential landowners and village officials his disciples, he proposed and implemented plans to help the village, such as suspending the Shinto rituals, which were expensive for food and drink. The unusual title of "Shoeki-ro" in the Onsenji temple's death register is probably a sign of the respect shown to him by the villagers.

[Masahiko Miyake April 18, 2016]

Thoughts and writings

Chang Yi's thought is characterized by Qi monism, social reform, and reverence for the king. The act of differentiation of Qi (the living essence), the fundamental reality, to generate all things is called "direct cultivation." The first thing to be generated on earth was rice, from which humans, birds, animals, insects, and fish were differentiated. Human productive activities are also "direct cultivation." All things are in pairs, such as male and female, or water and fire, and the true nature of men is female, and the true nature of women is male, making the nature of mutually opposed things their own true nature. This relationship is called "mutual nature." As long as "direct cultivation" is performed and "mutual nature" is maintained, nature, society, and the body are in harmony without contradiction. This kind of era is called the "world of nature." However, Chinese saints and Indian Buddhas appeared, creating an absolute oppositional relationship of "two differences" between those who dominate and exploit, and those who are dominated and submit to production. The systems based on the "two distinctions" are called "private law," and the era in which private law is practiced is called the "Dharma world." The "Dharma world" is an anti-natural state in which "direct cultivation" and "mutuality" are denied, so disasters, conflicts, and illnesses are endless. A transitional society is envisioned to transform the "Dharma world" into the "natural world."

This transitional society, while formally maintaining the classes and status of the "Dharma World," is a society in which the "two distinctions" are essentially rendered into a mere formality by making everyone "direct cultivation." The power of the transitional society is based on the "kami" (the Emperor) nationwide, and on the "family clan" (blood-related community) locally. The latter autonomy is called "Yusei." When a truly righteous person, a "Shojin," who embodies "direct cultivation" and "mutuality," appears in the transitional society, it will transition to a "natural world." Shoeki rejects Chinese kings, but respects the Japanese Emperor, seeing him as not a plunderer. Although he rejects later Shintoism, such as the syncretism of Shinto and Buddhism, he respects the Shintoism of Amaterasu Omikami as the embodiment of "nature." We must not overlook the lineage of the Sonno-no-Sekiha theory in Shoeki's ideological tendency.

Furthermore, Shoeki's writings are permeated with the characteristics of the Tohoku dialect, especially the Akita dialect, which defines his thought.

Some of Shoeki's writings include "Shizen Shin'ei-do" (a manuscript copy is held in the University of Tokyo Library, and a published copy is held by Keio University Library and Murakami Toshiaki), "Tōdō Shinden" (held at Keio University Library), "Shizen Shin'ei-do: The Natural Movement of Sweet Medicines" (held by Uesugi Osamu), and "Kakryū Sensei Rhyming Classic" (same).

[Masahiko Miyake April 18, 2016]

"The Complete Works of Ando Shoeki, compiled by the Ando Shoeki Research Group, 21 volumes (22 separate volumes), 1 supplementary volume, and 3 supplementary volumes (1983-2004, Rural Culture Association)" ▽ "Ando Shoeki and the True Way of Nature, by Watanabe Taito (1970, Keiso Shobo)" ▽ "The Forgotten Thinker - Ando Shoeki, by Herbert Norman, translated by Okubo Genji (included in The Complete Works of Herbert Norman, Volume 3, 1977, Iwanami Shoten)" ▽ "The Intellectual Climate of Ando Shoeki: Odate Niida Folklore, compiled by Miyake Masahiko (1983, Soshiete)"

[Reference items] | Natural Shineido | Todoshindenden

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

江戸中期の思想家。通称は孫左衛門。著作時の堂号は確龍堂良中(かくりゅうどうりょうちゅう)、別号は柳枝軒(りゅうしけん)。正信、草高とも名のる。

［三宅正彦　2016年4月18日］

生涯と行動

経歴の大部分は不明で、1703年（元禄16）に生まれ、1744年（延享1）から1746年の間、陸奥(むつ)国三戸(さんのへ)郡八戸(はちのへ)町（青森県八戸市）で町医者を開業、1762年（宝暦12）10月14日に出羽(でわ)国秋田郡二井田村（秋田県大館(おおだて)市）で死没し、同村の曹洞(そうとう)宗巌松山(がんしょうざん)温泉寺(おんせんじ)に墓所があることだけが確実である。先祖の孫左衛門が1674年（延宝2）に二井田村の肝煎(きもいり)（名主）を務め、昌益も1761年（宝暦11）10月14日に同村で孫左衛門と称して課役を負担し、子孫も孫左衛門(まごじやむ)という屋号で同地に現住していることなどから、昌益の出生地も二井田村で、村役人クラスの上層農民出身と推定される。

　昌益は八戸時代、医者、学者として高い評価を得、八戸藩から賓客の治療を命ぜられ、代官、側医、祐筆(ゆうひつ)、神官支配頭(がしら)、御用商人など10余人を門人にしていた。1756年（宝暦6）二井田村の安藤本家の当主が死去し、1758年ごろ、昌益は帰村して本家を継ぐ。二井田は米代(よねしろ)川支流の才(さい)川沿いの村で、贄柵(にえのさく)の故地と伝えられる。稲作一本の水田地帯で村高1500石、160戸750人、北秋田随一の大村で近郷の諸村を威圧していた。しかし、昌益が帰村したとき、村は宝暦(ほうれき)の飢饉(ききん)で疲弊(ひへい)しており、昌益は有力地主や村役人層を門人にしつつ、酒食の費用がかさむ神事の停止など、村救済案を郷中(ごうちゅう)に提案し実現している。温泉寺の過去帳に「昌益老」と異例の敬称がつけられているのは、村人の敬意を示すものであろう。

［三宅正彦　2016年4月18日］

思想と著作

昌益の思想は、気一元論、社会変革論、尊王論を特色とする。根源的実在である「活真」（気）が分化して万物を生成する営為を「直耕(ちょくこう)」という。地上で生成された最初の存在は米であり、米から人や鳥獣虫魚が分化する。人の生産活動も「直耕」である。万物は、男と女、水と火というように対をなしており、男の本性は女、女の本性は男と、相互に対立するものの性質を自己の本性にしている。このような関係を「互性(ごせい)」という。「直耕」を行い「互性」を保つ限り、自然や社会、身体は矛盾なく調和している。このような時代を「自然の世」という。しかし、中国の聖人やインドの釈迦(しゃか)などが現れ、支配し収奪するものと支配され生産に従うものとの絶対的対立関係「二別」をつくりだす。「二別」に基づく諸制度を「私法」、「私法」の行われる時代を「法世」という。「法世」は「直耕」と「互性」が否定される反自然的状態なので、災害や闘争や病気が絶えない。「法世」を「自然の世」に変革するために過渡的社会が構想される。

　その過渡的社会は、「法世」の階級や身分などを形式的に保ちつつも、すべての人に「直耕」させることによって、実質的に「二別」を形骸(けいがい)化させていく社会である。過渡的社会の権力は、全国的には「上(かみ)」（天皇）、地域的には「一家一族」（血縁共同体）を基盤とする。後者の自治を「邑政(ゆうせい)」とよぶ。過渡的社会に「直耕」と「互性」を体現した真に正しい人「正人」が現れたとき、「自然の世」に移行するのである。昌益は中国の王を否定するが、日本の天皇は収奪者ではないとして尊ぶ。神仏混淆(こんこう)など後世の神道を否定しても、天照大神(あまてらすおおみかみ)の神道は「自然」の体現として尊ぶ。昌益の思想傾向のうちに尊王斥覇(せきは)論の系譜を見落としてはならない。

　なお昌益の文章には、東北方言とくに秋田方言の特徴が貫徹し、その思想を規定している。

　昌益の著書として、『自然真営道』（東京大学総合図書館所蔵の稿本と、慶応義塾大学図書館・村上寿秋所蔵の刊本とがある）、『統道真伝』（慶大図書館所蔵）、『自然真営道　甘味の諸薬自然の気行』（上杉修所蔵）、『確龍先生韻経書』（同）などがある。

［三宅正彦　2016年4月18日］

『安藤昌益研究会編『安藤昌益全集』全21巻（22分冊）・別巻1・増補篇3（1983～2004・農山漁村文化協会）』▽『渡辺大濤著『安藤昌益と自然真営道』（1970・勁草書房）』▽『ハーバート・ノーマン著、大窪愿二訳『忘れられた思想家――安藤昌益のこと』（『ハーバート・ノーマン全集　第3巻』所収・1977・岩波書店）』▽『三宅正彦編『安藤昌益の思想的風土　大館二井田民俗誌』（1983・そしえて）』

[参照項目] | 自然真営道 | 統道真伝

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

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