Tachikawa style

A branch of Shingon Buddhism that arose in the late Heian period by combining esoteric Shingon Buddhism with Onmyodo and folk beliefs. It is also written as Tachikawa-ryu. Its name comes from its birthplace, Tachikawa in Musashi Province (Tokyo). Its founder was Ninkan, a disciple of Shokaku of Daigo-ji Temple in Kyoto. When Ninkan was exiled to Izu in 1113 (Eikyu 1), it spread to the eastern provinces and Hokuetsu. During the Nanboku-cho period, Koshin (1278-1357) greatly popularized the Tachikawa-ryu, but in 1335 (Kenmu 2), he was criticized by the monks of Mount Koya and exiled to Kai Province (Yamanashi Prefecture). The Hokyosho, a criticism of the Tachikawa school by Yukai (1345-1416) of Mount Koya, is well known. The Tachikawa school was marked as a heretical sect because it claimed that the realization of instantaneous enlightenment, the practical goal of Shingon Buddhism, was achieved through the practice of great joy through sexual relations between men and women. It also contained elements of agricultural rituals, and its true nature remains unknown.

[Yukatsu Miyasaka]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

平安末期、真言(しんごん)密教に陰陽道(おんみょうどう)、民俗信仰を交えて興起した真言宗の一派。立河流とも書く。発生の地、武蔵(むさし)国（東京都）立川に由来する。開祖は京都・醍醐(だいご)寺勝覚(しょうかく)の弟子仁寛(にんかん)。彼が1113年（永久1）伊豆に流罪になったのを機会に東国、北越に広まる。南北朝時代に弘真(こうしん)（1278―1357）は立川流を大いに広めたが、1335年（建武2）高野山衆徒(こうやさんしゅと)の非難を受け、甲斐(かい)国（山梨県）に流された。高野山の宥快(ゆうかい)（1345―1416）が立川流を批判した『宝鏡鈔(ほうきょうしょう)』は著名である。立川流は真言宗の実践目標である即身成仏(そくしんじょうぶつ)の実現が男女の性関係による大楽の実践にありとしたので、邪教の刻印を受けた。農耕儀礼の要素も含み、実体は不明のままである。

［宮坂宥勝］

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