Shingon sect

Japanese: 真言宗 - しんごんしゅう

A sect of Japanese Buddhism, also known as Shingon Esoteric Buddhism or Shingon Darani Sect. It was founded by Kukai (Kobo Daishi). Kukai introduced esoteric Buddhism from the Tang Dynasty in China to Japan in the early Heian period and established it as a sect. Shingon is the translation of mantra, and refers to the true words preached by Dainichi Nyorai, the founder of the religion. Synonyms include dharani, myoshu, shu, and mitsugon. The name of the sect was chosen to reflect the fact that the teachings of Shingon are at the core of the sect.

[Yukatsu Miyasaka]

history

In India, from around the 4th century, the so-called Zobumikkyo scriptures, which were believed to ward off disasters and bring good fortune, were actively practiced. Throughout the Gupta period from the 4th to 6th centuries, Buddhist ritual ceremonies, mantras, mudra, mandalas and other practices developed. Around the 7th century, the Mahavairocana Sutra and the Vajrasekhara Sutra were produced in succession, marking the completion of organized and systematic esoteric Buddhism.

These two branches of esoteric Buddhism were transmitted to China by Shanwuwei (Shubakarasinha), Kongouchi (Vajrabodhi), and Amoghavajra in the mid-8th century, and reached the height of their glory. At the beginning of the 9th century, Kukai entered China and received both Dainichi and Vajrapani esoteric Buddhism from Huiguo of the Eastern Tower of the Qinglong Temple in Chang'an (present-day Xi'an). After returning to Japan, he established the Shingon sect from his own perspective. There are two transmissions of esoteric Buddhism. One is the Eight Patriarchs of Transmission, Dainichi Nyorai → Vajrasattva → Ryumyo → Ryuchi → Kongouchi → Amoghavajra → Huiguo → Kukai. The other is the Eight Patriarchs of Transmission, Ryumyo → Ryuchi → Kongouchi → Amoghavajra → Dainichi Nyorai → Ikko → Huiguo → Kukai. After returning to Japan, Kukai lived at Takaosan-ji Temple in Kyoto, and later founded Mount Koya as a training center, and was also given To-ji Temple (Kyoogokoku-ji Temple) by Emperor Saga as the main training center. He worked hard to promote Shingon Buddhism, and was involved in a wide range of social and cultural activities. Of Kukai's ten greatest disciples, Jichie worked hard to develop To-ji Temple, and Shinzen worked hard to develop Kongobuji Temple at Mount Koya. The esoteric Buddhism lineage was later inherited by Masunin (Hongaku Daishi) and Shobo (Rigen Daishi), and Masunin's disciple, Emperor Uda, founded Ninna-ji Temple. Shoho founded Daigoji Temple and also climbed Mount Kinpu in Yamato (Nara Prefecture) to practice asceticism, and is revered as the founder of Shugendo. Shoho's disciple Kangen reported this to Emperor Daigo, who bestowed upon Kukai the posthumous title of Kobo Daishi. Many members of the imperial family and nobles became followers of Kukai, and as well as building temples, statues, and copying sutras, ascetic practices were actively carried out, and a sect of practical asceticism (Jiso, Eastern Esoteric Buddhism) began to branch out. The Hirosawa school of Kancho, who followed the lineage of Masunobu and built Henjoji Temple in Hirosawa, Kyoto, and the Ono school of Ningai, who followed the lineage of Shoho and built Mandalaji Temple in Ono, Kyoto, are called the Nozawa Two Schools. Later, each school split into six schools, and the Nozawa Twelve Schools were called the Thirty-six Schools of Tomitsu during the Kamakura period.

Mount Koya flourished as the sacred place where the great monk Daishi entered nirvana and as a mountain of faith in the Pure Land of Mount Koya, but it fell into decline for a time. In 1016 (Chowa 5), Joyo restored the mountain, and around this time Fujiwara no Michinaga and his son Yorimichi climbed it, and during the Insei period, the retired emperors Shirakawa and Toba also climbed it and became its devotion. Kakuban (Kogyo Daishi, 1095-1143) built Daidenpoin Temple on Mount Koya and tried to revive Kukai's teachings, but this did not sit well with Kongobu-ji Temple, and he retreated to Mount Negoro in Kishu (Wakayama Prefecture). 140 years later, Raiyu, Shoken and others established the teachings of Daidenpoin Temple at Negoro-ji Temple, and later the Kakuban line came to be called the Shingiha school, and the traditional teachings the Kogiha school. Kakuban is revered as the founder of the restoration of teachings at Mount Koya and the founder of the Shingiha school. In the early Kamakura period, Kakukai appeared at Mount Koya, and his disciples Dohan and Hossho were called the Eight Great Men of Mount Koya. Gyoyu, a disciple of Eisai, built Kongo Sammai-in Temple at Mount Koya and spread the Zen style, and Myohen, a disciple of Honen (Genku), built Renge Sammai-in Temple and spread the practice of chanting the name of Amida Butsu. Chogen also opened a new temple and made it a base for Pure Land Nembutsu. In this way, Mount Koya embraced various sects and enriched the teachings of the Shingon sect. In the Kamakura period, the Shingiha school spread to the Kanto region, and Eison of Saidaiji Temple in Nara founded a branch of the Shingon Ritsu sect. He is also known for promoting social activities and offering a helping hand to many people. In the Muromachi period, Chokaku and Yukai perfected the teachings of Mount Koya. At Toji Temple, Raiho and his disciples Goho and Kenpo flourished, greatly promoting teachings. However, in March 1585 (Tensho 13), Toyotomi Hideyoshi attacked Negoro-ji Temple and destroyed it. The head of the school at the time, Senyo, escaped the disaster by moving to Hasedera Temple in Yamato (Nara Prefecture), and Genyu moved to Kyoto (later known as Higashiyama Shichijo Chishakuin), where they each restored the Shingon sect. This marked the beginning of the Buzan and Chisan branches of Shingon, and Senyo and Genyu are revered as the founders of each branch. Persuaded by Mokujiki Ogo, Hideyoshi stopped attacking Mount Koya and instead assisted in the restoration of Mount Koya, so Mokujiki worked hard to restore the temple, building Seiganji and Kozanji temples. In the early Edo period, Raikei assisted in the enactment of the Koyasan Laws. Throughout the Edo period, Mount Koya produced many scholars, including Unsho at Chishaku-in in Kyoto and Ryota at Hasedera, who were highly praised. The Toyozan school's Hoju, Kaidou, and Kaijo are known as the Three Philosophers of Tenmei. Others, such as Jogon at Reiun-ji in Edo and Onko (Jiunsonja) at Koki-ji in Kawachi (Osaka Prefecture), studied Sanskrit and worked to restore the precepts. Keichu was a Shingon monk who pioneered the study of Japanese classics. It should also be noted that since the early Kamakura period, the Koyasan saints spread faith in Mount Koya and traveled throughout the country to raise funds for the restoration of the temple buildings and pagodas.

[Yukatsu Miyasaka]

Doctrine and Practice

The fundamental sutras are the Mahavairocana Sutra and the Vajrasekhara Sutra, and the five secret sutras include the Sukhāvatāraṇicha Sutra, the Yogacara Sutra, and the Yaolāku Nenju Sutra. The commonly used sutra is the Prajnaparamita Sutra. He also relies on treatises such as "Shakumakaenron," "Bodhicittaron," "Mahavairocana Sutra Commentary," and "Giketsu of the Vajrapani Sutra," as well as Kukai's works "Ten Stages of Mind," "Key to the Secret Treasure," "Discussion on the Two Teachings of Exoteric and Esoteric Buddhism," "Instant Body Enlightenment," "The Meaning of the True Nature of the Voice," "The Meaning of the Unwritten Word," and "The Secret Key to the Heart Sutra." Kukai's esoteric Buddhism distinguishes between exoteric and esoteric Buddhism, and clarifies the stages of mind development and the process of improvement in training through the Ten Stages of Mind system.

The doctrinal aspect is called Kyoso (teaching), and the practical aspect such as rituals and manners is called Jiso (practical), and the two are inseparably related. Kyoso is divided into Ontology (six great), Modal Theory (four mandalas), and Activity Theory (three mysteries). In Ontology, all existence is composed of six gross elements (six great) of earth, water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness, and the Buddha's body symbolized by these is called the Six Great Dharmakayas (six great dharmakayas), that is, the existence of Mahavairocana. Since the entire universe is composed of the six great elements, all individual beings are essentially the same as Mahavairocana. From the standpoint of Modal Theory, everything is called a mandala (maala). Mandala means a wheel-en-filled whole, and is expressed as a cosmic integrated entity with Mahavairocana at the center and various deities such as Buddhas and Bodhisattvas as his manifestations. There are four types of mandalas: one that expresses the various deities as a holistic world view (the Great Mandala), one that expresses the possessions of the various deities as a symbolic world view (the Sammaya Mandala), one that expresses the seeds (Sanskrit characters) that represent the various deities as a linguistic world view (the Law Mandala), and one that expresses the actions or material qualities of the various deities as an active world view (the Karma Mandala). These are called the four types of mandalas. There is the Womb Mandala from the Mahavairocana Sutra and the Vajrayana Mandala from the Vajrasekhara Sutra. The former expresses reason, law, and equality, while the latter expresses wisdom and discrimination. The two are considered to be one in two. According to the theory of activity, all living beings inherently possess the secret functions (three mysteries) of the body (actions), speech, and mind of Dainichi Nyorai. In order to develop these, one must first develop a desire for enlightenment, make mudras with one's hands, recite mantras, and place one's mind in the state of enlightenment of the Buddha, assuming the practice of daily life ethics. Then, the three mysteries of the Buddha and oneself will be united, and one will attain enlightenment in this world just as one's body does, and one will be realized as a Buddha. This is called the three mysteries of appearance, and when the movements, speech, and mental activities of daily life all conform to the practice of the three mysteries, this is called the three mysteries of absence of appearance. The three mysteries of appearance are the basis of the actual appearance, and specifically include the precepts, the four stages of training, goma, and kanjo, as well as the methods of offerings to various deities and various types of practices.

The focus of Kukai's Esoteric Buddhism is on attaining enlightenment in this life and achieving the highest religious personality, namely, immediate enlightenment, and on saving the world and benefiting all people.

[Yukatsu Miyasaka]

current situation

Since the early Meiji period, the sects have repeatedly split and merged, and during World War II they temporarily merged to become the Great Shingon sect, but split off again after the war, and now there are 48 sects, including the Koyasan Shingon sect (Kongobuji Temple), the Omuroha Shingon sect (Ninna-ji Temple), the Daigoha Shingon sect (Daigoji Temple), the Daikakuji sect (Daikakuji Temple), the Toji sect (a branch temple of the Toji Temple chain), the Toji Shingon sect (Toji Temple), the Yamashina sect of the Shingon sect (Kanshuji Temple), the Sennyuji sect (Sennyuji Temple), the Zentsuji sect (Zentsuji Temple), the Chizan sect (Chishakuin Temple), and the Tozan sect (Hasedera Temple).

[Yukatsu Miyasaka]

"Miyasaka Yusho (ed.), "Basic Lectures on Japanese Buddhism 3: Shingon Buddhism" (1980, Yuzankaku Publishing)" "Takagi Yoshimoto et al. (eds.), "Kobo Daishi and Shingon Buddhism" (included in "Collection of Essays on the History of Japanese Buddhism" (1985, Yoshikawa Kobunkan)"

[Reference item] | Mt. Koya | Tomitsu

Shingon sect/brief family tree
©Shogakukan ">

Shingon sect/brief family tree

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

日本仏教の一宗派で、真言密教、真言陀羅尼宗(だらにしゅう)ともいう。開祖は空海（弘法大師(こうぼうだいし)）。中国の唐代における密教を、平安初期に空海がわが国に伝えて一宗として開いたもの。真言はマントラmantraの訳で、教主大日如来(だいにちにょらい)が説いた真実のことば。類語に陀羅尼、明呪(みょうしゅ)、呪(しゅ)、密言(みつごん)などがある。真言の教えを中核とする意味で宗名としたもの。

［宮坂宥勝］

歴史

インドでは4世紀ころから除災招福のいわゆる雑部密教(ぞうぶみっきょう)の経典が盛んに行われ、4～6世紀のグプタ朝全期を通じて、仏教における儀礼儀式、真言、印契(いんげい)、曼荼羅(まんだら)などが発達し、7世紀ころ『大日経(だいにちきょう)』『金剛頂経(こんごうちょうぎょう)』の両部の経典が相次いで成立し、組織的、体系的な密教が完成した。

　この両部の密教は8世紀なかばころ、善無畏(ぜんむい)（シュバカラシンハ）、金剛智(こんごうち)（バジラボディ）、不空(ふくう)（アモーガバジュラ）によって唐へ伝えられ、密教の最盛期を迎えた。9世紀の初め、空海が入唐(にっとう)して、長安（現在の西安）の青龍寺(せいりゅうじ)東塔院の恵果(けいか)から大日・金剛頂両部の密教を授かり、帰国後に独自の立場から真言宗を開いた。密教の相承(そうじょう)は二つある。一つは付法の八祖で、大日如来→金剛薩た→竜猛(りゅうみょう)→竜智→金剛智→不空→恵果→空海、他は伝持の八祖で、竜猛→竜智→金剛智→不空→善無畏→一行→恵果→空海と伝承された。空海は帰国後、京都・高雄山寺(たかおさんじ)に住し、その後、高野山(こうやさん)を修行の道場として開創し、また根本道場として嵯峨(さが)帝から東寺（教王護国寺）を給預(きゅうよ)された。彼は真言宗の宣揚に努め、幅広く社会的、文化的活動を多方面にわたって展開した。空海の十大弟子のうち実慧(じちえ)は東寺の、真然(しんぜん)は高野山金剛峯寺(こんごうぶじ)の発展に努めた。その後、益信(やくしん)（本覚大師(ほんがくだいし)）と聖宝(しょうぼう)（理源大師(りげんだいし)）によって密教の法流は継承され、益信の弟子の宇多法皇(うだほうおう)は仁和寺(にんなじ)を開山した。聖宝は醍醐寺(だいごじ)を開山し、また大和(やまと)（奈良県）金峯山(きんぷせん)に登って修行し、修験道(しゅげんどう)の中興の祖と仰がれる。聖宝の弟子観賢(かんげん)は醍醐帝に奏上し、空海に弘法大師の諡号(しごう)を賜った。皇室・貴顕の帰依(きえ)が多くなり、造寺・造像・写経などとともに修法(しゅほう)も盛んに行われ、実修面（事相(じそう)。東密）の分派が始まった。益信の流れをくみ京都・広沢(ひろさわ)に遍照寺(へんじょうじ)を建てた寛朝(かんちょう)の広沢流、聖宝の流れをくみ京都・小野に曼荼羅寺(まんだらじ)を建てた仁海(にんがい)の小野流に分かれ、それらを野沢二流(やたくにりゅう)という。のちにそれぞれ6流に分かれたので、野沢十二流、その後さらに分派して鎌倉時代には東密三十六流を称した。

　高野山は大師入定(にゅうじょう)の聖地、高野山浄土の信仰の山として栄えたが、一時衰微した。1016年（長和5）定誉(じょうよ)が復興し、このころ藤原道長・頼通(よりみち)父子が登山し、また院政期には白河(しらかわ)、鳥羽(とば)両上皇の登山、帰依を受けた。覚鑁(かくばん)（興教大師(こうぎょうだいし)、1095―1143）は高野山に大伝法院(だいでんぽういん)を建て、空海の教学の復興に努めたが、金剛峯寺側と相いれず、紀州（和歌山県）根来山(ねごろさん)に退いた。140年後、頼瑜(らいゆ)、聖憲(しょうけん)らが根来寺大伝法院の教学を確立したので、のちに覚鑁系を新義派、伝統的な教学を古義派というに至った。覚鑁は高野山教学の中興の祖、新義派の祖師と仰がれる。鎌倉初期、高野山に覚海(かくかい)が出、門下の道範(どうはん)、法性(ほっしょう)らは高野の八傑といわれた。また、栄西(えいさい)の高弟の行勇(ぎょうゆう)は高野山に金剛三昧院(こんごうさんまいいん)を建てて禅風を伝え、法然(ほうねん)（源空）の高弟明遍(みょうへん)は蓮華三昧院(れんげさんまいいん)を建てて称名念仏(しょうみょうねんぶつ)を広めた。また重源(ちょうげん)は新別所を開いて浄土念仏の拠点とした。このように高野山は諸宗を包容し、真言宗の教学を豊かなものにした。鎌倉時代には新義派は関東方面に広まり、また奈良・西大寺(さいだいじ)の叡尊(えいぞん)は真言律宗の一派を開いた。彼は社会活動を進め、多くの人々に救済の手を差し伸べたことでも知られる。室町時代に長覚、宥快(ゆうかい)が高野山の教学を大成した。東寺では頼宝(らいほう)とその弟子の杲宝(ごうほう)、また賢宝(けんぽう)が出て、大いに教学を盛んにした。しかし1585年（天正13）3月、豊臣秀吉(とよとみひでよし)は根来寺を攻撃して壊滅させた。時の学頭の専誉(せんよ)は難を避けて大和(やまと)（奈良県）長谷寺(はせでら)に移り、同じく玄宥(げんゆう)は京都（後の東山七条智積院(ちしゃくいん)）に移って、それぞれ新義真言宗を再興した。これが新義真言宗の豊山派(ぶざんは)と同智山派(ちさんは)の始まりで、専誉、玄宥はそれぞれその派祖と仰がれる。秀吉は木食応其(もくじきおうご)の説得で高野山攻撃を中止し、かえって高野山の再興を援助したので、木食は復興に努め、青巌寺(せいがんじ)と興山寺(こうざんじ)を建てた。江戸初期には頼慶(らいけい)が高野山諸法度の制定に協力した。江戸時代全期を通じて高野山には山史の編集でみるべきものが多く、多くの学匠を輩出したが、とくに京都・智積院に運敞(うんしょう)、長谷寺に亮汰(りょうたい)が出て並び称された。豊山派の法住(ほうじゅう)・快道(かいどう)・戒定(かいじょう)を天明(てんめい)の三哲という。このほか、江戸霊雲寺(れいうんじ)の浄厳(じょうごん)、河内(かわち)（大阪府）高貴寺(こうきじ)の飲光(おんこう)（慈雲尊者(じうんそんじゃ)）のように梵学(ぼんがく)を研究し、戒律復興に努めた人々もいる。契沖(けいちゅう)は真言僧で国学研究に先鞭(せんべん)をつけた。なお、鎌倉初期以来、高野聖(こうやひじり)が高野山の信仰を広め、堂塔伽藍(がらん)の復興のため全国を勧進(かんじん)して歩いたことも特記すべきであろう。

［宮坂宥勝］

教理・実修

『大日経』『金剛頂経』を根本所依の経典とし、これに『蘇悉地経(そしつじきょう)』『瑜祇経(ゆぎきょう)』『要略念誦経(ようりゃくねんじゅきょう)』を加えて五部秘経という。常用経典は『般若理趣経(はんにゃりしゅきょう)』。また『釈摩訶衍論(しゃくまかえんろん)』『菩提心論(ぼだいしんろん)』『大日経疏(しょ)』『金剛頂経義訣(ぎけつ)』などの論書、空海著作の『十住心論(じゅうじゅうしんろん)』『秘蔵宝鑰(ひぞうほうやく)』『弁顕密二教論(べんけんみつにきょうろん)』『即身成仏義(そくしんじょうぶつぎ)』『声字実相義(しょうじじっそうぎ)』『吽字義(うんじぎ)』『般若心経秘鍵(はんにゃしんぎょうひけん)』を依用する。空海密教の立場では顕教と密教とを弁別し、また心の発達段階、修行の向上過程を十住心体系で明らかにする。

　教理的な面を教相(きょうそう)、儀式・作法などの実修的な面を事相(じそう)といい、両者は不可分の関係にある。教相は、本体論（六大）、様相論（四曼(しまん)）、活動論（三密）に分けられる。本体論では万有一切(いっさい)は地・水・火・風・空・識の六つの粗大な要素（六大）からなり、これらによって象徴された仏身を六大法身(ほっしん)といい、すなわち大日如来の存在である。全宇宙は六大から構成されているので、個別的な存在はすべて大日如来と本質的には同一であるとする。様相論の立場からはすべてを曼荼羅maalaとする。曼荼羅は輪円具足(りんねんぐそく)の意味があり、大日如来を中心とし、その顕現としての仏菩薩(ぶつぼさつ)など諸尊の集合した宇宙的統合体として表現される。曼荼羅は全体的世界像として諸尊を表現したもの（大曼荼羅）、象徴的世界像として諸尊の持物を表現したもの（三昧耶曼荼羅(さんまやまんだら)）、言語的世界像として諸尊を示す種子(しゅうじ)（梵字）を表現したもの（法曼荼羅）、活動的世界像として諸尊の動作または材質を表現したもの（羯磨曼荼羅(かつままんだら)）があり、これを四種曼荼羅(ししゅまんだら)という。なお、曼荼羅には『大日経』による胎蔵曼荼羅(たいぞうまんだら)と、『金剛頂経』による金剛界曼荼羅とがある。前者は理法・平等相、後者は智慧(ちえ)・差別相を表す。両者は二にして一者であるとみる。活動論によると、大日如来の身体（行為）・言葉・意(こころ)の秘密のはたらき（三密）は、そのまますべての生けるものが本来具有する。そこでこれを開発するためには、まず悟りを求める心をおこし、日常の生活倫理の実践を前提として、手に印契(いんげい)を結び、口に真言を唱え、心を仏の悟りの境地に置けば、如来と自己の三密は合一して、この身さながらに現世で悟りを得、自己がすなわち仏として実現されるとする。これを有相(うそう)の三密といい、日常生活の起居動作、言語、精神活動がすべて三密の実践にかなうとき、これを無相の三密という。有相の三密は事相の基本となり、具体的には受戒得度、四度加行(しどけぎょう)、護摩(ごま)、灌頂(かんじょう)をはじめ、諸尊の供養法、諸種の行法など多岐にわたる。

　空海密教は、現世において悟りを得て宗教的な最高の人格を完成する即身成仏、すべての人々を導き救う済世利民(さいせいりみん)をもって眼目とする。

［宮坂宥勝］

現状

明治初年以来、分立、併合を繰り返し、第二次世界大戦中に一時合同して大真言宗になったが、戦後ふたたび分派し、現在は、高野山真言宗（金剛峯寺）、真言宗御室派(おむろは)（仁和寺）、同醍醐派（醍醐寺）、同大覚寺派(だいかくじは)（大覚寺）、同東寺派（東寺系末寺）、東寺真言宗（東寺）、真言宗山階派(やましなは)（勧修寺(かじゅうじ)）、同泉涌寺派(せんにゅうじは)（泉涌寺）、同善通寺派（善通寺）、同智山派（智積院）、同豊山派（長谷寺）をはじめ48派がある。

［宮坂宥勝］

『宮坂宥勝編『日本仏教基礎講座3　真言宗』（1980・雄山閣出版）』▽『高木訷元他編『弘法大師と真言宗』（『日本仏教史論集』所収・1985・吉川弘文館）』

[参照項目] | 高野山 | 東密

真言宗／略系図

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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