The theory of divination

It is a prophetic theory based on the interpretation of the Classics of the Chinese Scriptures that was popular from the Former Han to the Later Han dynasty in China. A chan is a kind of prediction or prophecy, which is "a method of making secret words and determining good or bad fortune in advance," and is also called a tu or tu shi. A weft is the horizontal thread, and in contrast to a vertical thread, a weft is "a branch of the Classics that extends into a secondary meaning," that is, it is an explanation and expansion of the Classics of the Chinese Scriptures. Although chan and wei are different, they actually coexist, and since most wei shi contain elements of chan, they are lumped together. Simple predictions of the future have existed throughout history, it is generally believed that the unified idea of ​​chan and wei was first formulated at the end of the Former Han dynasty, "during the Aiping period" (during the reign of Emperor Ai and Emperor Ping).

The first person to use these mysterious prophecies was Wang Mang, who usurped the Western Han dynasty, and Emperor Guangwu, who restored the Eastern Han dynasty, was an extraordinary believer in divination. Emperors Ming and Zhang both believed deeply in divination, and those who criticized them were persecuted. "Confucians competed to learn divination," and interpreted the classics using divination. This was found throughout the Book of Changes, Book of Documents, Book of Songs, Book of Rites, Book of Music, and Spring and Autumn Annals, and together with the Filial Piety and Diao Zhi, they were called the "Seven Wei," and the Analects of Confucius was also created. Even a great scholar like Zheng Xuan introduced the theory of wei into the interpretation of the classics, and the spiritual world of the Eastern Han dynasty was immersed in the abyss of mystery.

What were the ideological characteristics of the Book of Chanwei that was so popular? Several characteristics can be pointed out, such as that it was transcendental and mystical compared to the humanistic and realistic scriptures, that it was based on the theory of the five elements generating each other rather than the theory of the five elements being superior to each other, and that it clearly put forward the theory of the fire virtue instead of the theory of the five elements being superior to each other, which had been the case until now as a dynasty of water or earth virtue. However, its greatest significance in the history of thought is that it completely changed the traditional view of Confucius and deified Confucius (Kongqiu). Traditionally, Confucians had always shown the utmost respect for Confucius, but this was only as a human being and an object of rational respect. However, the Book of Chanwei endowed Confucius with mysticism and superhumanity, elevating him to the heights of a god and turning him into an object of religious faith. This was the beginning of the religious transformation of Confucianism.

[Toshiaki Hihara]

The theory of divination was already introduced to Japan in the Nara period, and a list of the Wei Shu was included in the Nihon Kuni Kenzai Mokuroku (Catalog of Books Found in Japan) from the early Heian period. This idea of ​​divination influenced all aspects of Onmyodo. It is also said that the theory of the Xinyou Revolution and the Kasshi Revolution in the Wei Shu was used to set the first year of the Japanese calendar, the Jinmu era. Since Miyoshi Kiyoyuki submitted the Revolutionary Kanmon (Revolutionary Report), this theory was implemented as a way to reform the world, and it had a major ideological impact, with a change of era taking place in almost every year of the Xinyou and Kasshi until the end of the Edo period.

[Yasui Kozan]

"Aigo Kozan and Nakamura Shohachi, 'Basic Research on the Weishu' (1976, Kokusho Kankokai)" ▽ "Aigo Kozan, 'The Development of Chinese Mystical Thought in Japan' (1983, Daiichi Shobo)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国の前漢から後漢(ごかん)に流行した経書の解釈に仮託した予言的な学説をいう。讖は「詭(いつわ)って隠語をつくり、予(あらかじ)め吉凶を決する」ことで、一種の未来記、予言であり、図(と)また図讖ともよばれる。緯は横糸で、縦糸を意味する経に対し、「経の支流にして傍義に衍及(えんきゅう)する」、つまり経書を解説敷衍(ふえん)したもの。讖と緯は別なのだが、実際上は共存し、緯書はほとんど讖の要素を含んでいるので一括される。素朴な未来記はいつの世にもあるが、まとまった讖緯思想として組成されたのは、前漢の末「哀平の際」（哀帝・平帝の時代）というのが大方の定説となっている。

　その神秘な予言を最初に利用したのは、前漢を簒奪(さんだつ)した王莽(おうもう)であり、後漢を復興した光武帝(こうぶてい)は讖緯の異常な信者であり、明帝も章帝も厚く讖緯を信じ、これを批判する者は迫害され、「儒者は争って図讖を学び」、図讖によって経書を解釈した。それは『易経』『書経』『詩経』『礼経』『楽経』『春秋』にあまねく及び、『孝経緯』をあわせて「七緯」の称があり、「論語讖」もつくられた。鄭玄(じょうげん)のような一代の碩学(せきがく)も経書の解釈に緯説を導入したほどであり、後漢の精神界は神秘の深淵(しんえん)に浸された。

　それほどに盛行した讖緯の書は、いったい、いかなる思想的特色をもったものなのか。人間的、現実的な経書に比べて超越的、神秘的であるとか、五行相勝(ごぎょうそうじょう)説でなくて五行相生(そうせい)説にたち、従来、漢を水徳または土徳の王朝としたのを改めて、はっきり火徳説を打ち出したとか、いくつかの特色が指摘されよう。が、思想史的にみてその最大の意義は、伝統的な孔子観を一変して孔子（孔丘(こうきゅう)）を神格化したことであろう。従来も儒家は孔子に対して最大の敬意を惜しまなかったが、しかし、それは人間として理性的尊敬の対象としてであった。ところが讖緯の書は、孔子に神秘と超人性を付与して神の高みにのぼせ、宗教的信仰の対象へと転じたのである。儒教の宗教的変質がここに始まることになる。

［日原利国］

　讖緯説は日本にもすでに奈良時代には伝えられ、平安初期の『日本国見在書目録』にも緯書の目録が掲げられている。陰陽道(おんみょうどう)にはこの讖緯思想があらゆる面に影響している。また緯書の辛酉(しんゆう)革命・甲子(かっし)革令の説は、日本紀元の神武(じんむ)元年の設定に用いられたとされる。三善清行(みよしきよゆき)の革命勘文(かんもん)奏上以来、この説は世直しの改元として実施され、江戸末期までほとんどの辛酉(かのととり)・甲子(きのえね)の年には改元が行われるなど、大きな思想的影響を与えた。

［安居香山］

『安居香山・中村璋八著『緯書の基礎的研究』（1976・国書刊行会）』▽『安居香山著『中国神秘思想の日本への展開』（1983・第一書房）』

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