Segaki - Segaki

Giving food and drink to hungry ghosts who have fallen into evil ways and are suffering from hunger. It is an abbreviation of Segaki-e. It is also called Suiriku-e. Gaki is a translation of the Sanskrit word preta, which originally meant "the dead" or "spirits of the dead." Later, it came to mean ghosts who have no descendants and are always suffering from hunger because memorial services are not performed. In Buddhism, it is said that those who are stingy and do not give alms are born as hungry ghosts after death and suffer from hunger and thirst, and the hungry ghost world (hungry ghost world) where they live is one of the six realms of reincarnation. In China, the ritual of offering food and drink to hungry ghosts and demons developed, and it was also considered a ritual to offer food and drink to ancestors who have fallen into evil ways and suffered, combined with the legend of Maudgalyayana's mother rescue in the Ullambana Sutra. In particular, many Buddhist scriptures were compiled during the Tang dynasty, and were introduced in Japan by Kukai and others. Segaki ceremonies were first held in the Shingon sect, but after the Kamakura period they came to be held in all sects except for Jodo Shinshu, and continue to be held to this day. The content of the rituals differs somewhat between sects, but they all share the same meaning of praying for the repose of the spirits of the newly deceased and offering prayers for the abandoned dead. They are often held in conjunction with the Obon festival, but can actually be held at any time. There are also river segaki and water segaki ceremonies for those who have drowned or died in childbirth.

[Yasuaki Nara]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

悪道に堕(お)ちて飢えに苦しむ餓鬼に飲食物を施すこと。施餓鬼会(え)の略。水陸会(すいりくえ)ともいう。餓鬼はサンスクリット語プレータpretaの訳で、「死者」または「死者霊」を原義とし、のちには子孫が絶えて供養(くよう)がなされず、つねに飢餓に苦しむ亡霊の意味がある。仏教では吝貪(りんどん)で布施せぬ者が死後、餓鬼に生まれ、飢渇に苦しむとされ、彼らの住む餓鬼世界（餓鬼道）は六道輪廻(りんね)の一となった。中国では、飢餓に悩む鬼神や餓鬼に飲食を施す餓鬼供養の法会が発展し、また、『盂蘭盆経(うらぼんぎょう)』の目連(もくれん)救母伝説と合して、悪道に堕ちて苦しむ先祖供養のための法会ともされた。とくに唐代には多くの経軌(きょうき)が編纂(へんさん)され、日本にも空海らにより将来された。施餓鬼会は最初真言(しんごん)宗で、鎌倉期以降は浄土真宗を除く各派で行われるようになり、今日に至っている。各派で儀式の内容はいくぶん異なるが、いずれも新亡精霊の冥福(めいふく)と無縁仏(むえんぶつ)への追善供養の意味が重なっている。盂蘭盆会に付随して行われることが多いが、本来は随時に行いうるものである。水死者やお産で亡くなった人のための川施餓鬼、水施餓鬼もある。

［奈良康明］

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