Buddhist service - Houe

Japanese: 法会 - ほうえ

A gathering related to Buddhism. It is also called a Buddhist ceremony, a Buddhist memorial service, a Buddhist memorial service, a Buddhist memorial service, or a Buddhist memorial service. It is a general term for gatherings that honor the virtues of the Buddha by offering food to the Buddha or Bodhisattva, preaching his teachings, or reciting the sutras. Buddhist memorial services have been popular since India until today, and there are many different types.

[Akiyoshi Sasaki]

India

In India, Book 5 of the Ten Recitations of Vinaya describes the Five-Year-Old Ceremony (Banjaba-se Ceremony, Bansha-yu-se Ceremony) which commemorates the cutting of the Buddha's topknot (the small amount of hair that is left on top of the head when shaving) when he was five years old, as well as the Six-Year-Old Ceremony (Shababa-se Ceremony) which commemorates his re-standing of the topknot when he was six years old, as well as the February Ceremony to celebrate the cutting of the topknot of ordinary people, and the Initiation Ceremony to celebrate coming of age. Furthermore, in volume 33 of the Makasogiritsu, there are listed various ceremonies held regarding Shakyamuni, such as the Bushonichidai (celebration of the Buddha's birth), the Bodai (celebration of his enlightenment), and the Tenbourin (celebration of the first turning of the wheel of the Dharma), as well as the Rahula and Anan ceremonies, which were held to make offerings for the stupas of the Buddha's disciples. Other ceremonies held included those for the Tripitaka of the sutras, Vinaya, and treatises, as well as for the Perfection of Wisdom, Manjusri, and Kannon Bodhisattva. In addition, the 17th chapter of the "Long Agama Sutra," the "Shamanagara Sutra," and the first volume of the "Vimalakirti Sutra" discuss the Great Almsgiving, that is, the Undisputed Gathering in which alms are given to the masses without distinction between monks, laypeople, men, women, and high and low classes. Volume 5 of the "Great Tang Records of the Western Regions" tells us that a Undisputed Gathering was held once every five years, and the section on Bon'ennakoku in Volume 1 describes how the king held a Undisputed Gathering on the day of the Buddha's death.

[Akiyoshi Sasaki]

China

In China, too, from early times, emperors would set up festivals to make offerings to monks and laypeople, and to have them lecture and debate on Buddhist scriptures. Ceremonies to which many monks were invited were called Senzo-e (a Thousand Monks' Effort) or Manzo-e (Ten Thousand Monks' Effort), and there were also other festivals such as Suiriku-e (a type of Segaki-e, also called Suiriku-sai or Hisai-e), in which food and drink are scattered on land and water to give to various demons, Hojo-e (a type of Segaki-e, also called Suiriku-sai or Hisai-e), in which caught fish and birds are released into the mountains and waterside, Kegon-e, Ullambana-e, Zuda-e, Shishi-e, and Ryuge-e. According to the Zen sect's "Imperially Imposed Hyakujo Shingi" and "Genjuan Shingi," various ceremonies were held every year, such as the Shukushin ceremony (celebrating the saint's infinite lifespan), prayer ceremonies (prayers for rain, sunshine, snow, removal of locusts, solar eclipses, lunar eclipses, and other wards off disasters), the Ryogon ceremony (prayers for a safe stay), the Seibyo ceremony (prayers for the ripening of seedlings when farmers plant them), Ullambana, the birthday of Kannon Bodhisattva, Daruma's memorial service, Hyakujo's memorial service, the memorial service for the founder's long life, and the memorial service for the successor to the Dharma order.

[Akiyoshi Sasaki]

Japan

In Japan, Gosai-e, Nio-e, and Kinomi-do-kyo were held at the Imperial Court, and in the Heian period, Gosai-e at the Imperial Court, Yuma-e at Kofuku-ji Temple, and Saisho-e at Yakushi-ji Temple were called the Nanjing Three Elections, while Daijo-e at Hosho-ji Temple, Hokke-e at Enshu-ji Temple, and Saisho-e were called the Beijing Three Elections (Tendai Three Elections), and these were called Chokue.In addition, according to the second volume of the "Sanbo Ekotoba," various Buddhist ceremonies were held as annual events at major temples, from Shushou-e in the New Year to Butsumyo-e at the end of the year. The Daihannya-e is a ceremony to offer prayers to the Prajnaparamita Sutra, a custom passed down from India, in which 600 volumes of the sutra are enshrined along with a picture of the Sixteen Good Gods. The Kegon-e is a ceremony to offer prayers to the Kegon-sutra, in which a picture of the Fifty-five Good Knowledges is hung in the dojo. In Nara, there are also Yuishiki-e and Kusha-e. A lecture on the sutra is called a ko, and later came to be more widely called a shari-ko or yishaku-ko. In each sect, a ceremony is held on the anniversary of the death of the founder to praise his virtues. In addition, there are various other types of Buddhist ceremonies, such as the eye-opening ceremony held when a Buddhist statue is made, the Buddha enshrining ceremony, completion ceremony and celebration ceremony held when a Buddhist hall is built, memorial services for ancestors, and Higan ceremonies.

The rituals for the ceremony are not fixed, but usually, the dojo or the Buddha is decorated, incense and flowers and lamps are offered, and then a confession (announcing the purpose to the Triple Treasures and the congregation), a prayer (the donor expresses his/her wish), and a sutra are recited. Among these, a large ceremony attended by seven monks with important roles, namely the leader, the reader, the prayer master, the three bowers, the singer, the flower scattering master, and the leader, is called a Shichiso ceremony. The four types of rituals performed at the large ceremony (Bonbai, flower scattering, Bonnon, and shakujo) are called Shika no Hoyo.

[Akiyoshi Sasaki]

Vimalakirti in the Kasuga Gongen Miracle Record
A lecture is held in front of the altar of the lecture hall of Kofukuji Temple in Nara, and people listen to it. "Kasuga Gongen Miracle Record" (copy held at the National Diet Library )

Vimalakirti in the Kasuga Gongen Miracle Record

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

仏法に関係した集会のこと。法事、仏事、斎会(さいえ)、法要(ほうよう)、法養ともいう。仏・菩薩(ぼさつ)を供養し、斎(さい)（おとき、食事）を設けて物を施し、その教えを説き、あるいは経典を読誦(どくじゅ)したりして、仏徳をたたえる集まりを総称していう。法会はインド以来今日まで盛んに行われ、その種類も多種多様である。

［佐々木章格］

インド

インドでは『十誦律(じゅうじゅりつ)』巻5に、仏が5歳のときに頂髻(ちょうけい)（頭を剃(そ)るとき頂上に残しておくすこしの髪）を切られたのを記念した五歳会（般闍婆瑟会(はんしゃばしつえ)、般遮于瑟会(はんしゃうしつえ)）、また6歳のときにふたたび立てられたのを記念した六歳会（娑婆婆瑟会(しゃばばしつえ)）や、一般民衆の頂髻を切るのを祝う二月会、成年を祝う入舎会(にゅうしゃえ)などが説かれる。また『摩訶僧祇律(まかそうぎりつ)』巻33には、釈尊に関しては仏生日大会(ぶっしょうにちだいえ)（灌仏(かんぶつ)会。その誕生を記念する）、菩提(ぼだい)大会（成道(じょうどう)会。悟りを開いた日を記念する）、転法輪(てんぼうりん)大会（初転法輪。初めて教えを説いた日を記念する）をはじめ、仏弟子の塔所を供養する羅睺羅(らごら)大会や阿難(あなん)大会などがあげられている。そのほか経律論の三蔵、般若波羅蜜(はんにゃはらみつ)、文殊(もんじゅ)・観音(かんのん)菩薩などを供養する法会も行われた。また『長阿含経(じょうあごんきょう)』第17の「沙門果(しゃもんか)経」や『維摩経(ゆいまぎょう)』巻上には、大施会(だいせえ)、つまり僧俗男女貴賤(きせん)上下を遮することなく、あまねく大衆(だいしゅ)に施与する無遮(むしゃ)大会が説かれる。『大唐西域記(だいとうさいいきき)』巻5には、5年に一度無遮大会を行ったことが伝えられ、巻1の梵衍那国(ぼんえんなこく)の条には、王が仏の入滅(にゅうめつ)の日に、無遮大会を行っていると記される。

［佐々木章格］

中国

中国においても、早くから帝王が斎を設けて僧俗を供養し、また経論を講説討論させることなどが行われた。多数の僧を招く法会を千僧(せんぞう)会、万僧(まんぞう)会などといい、そのほか水陸に飲食を散じてもろもろの鬼に施す水陸(すいりく)会（施餓鬼(せがき)会の一種で、水陸斎(さい)、悲斎(ひさい)会ともいう）、とらえられた魚鳥を山野水辺に放す放生会(ほうじょうえ)をはじめ、華厳(けごん)会、盂蘭盆(うらぼん)会、頭陀(ずだ)会、獅子(しし)会、竜華(りゅうげ)会などの諸会がある。また禅宗の『勅修百丈清規(ちょくしゅうひゃくじょうしんぎ)』や『幻住庵清規(げんじゅうあんしんぎ)』などによると、祝聖(しゅくしん)（聖寿無窮(せいじゅむきゅう)を祝う）、祈祷(きとう)会（祈雨、祈晴、祈雪、除蝗(じょこう)、日食、月食など、災いを除くよう祈る）、楞厳(りょうごん)会（安居(あんご)の無事を祈る）、青苗(せいびょう)会（農家が苗を植えるときその成熟を祈る）、盂蘭盆会、観音菩薩生日(しょうにち)会、達磨忌(だるまき)、百丈(ひゃくじょう)忌、開山歴住忌、嗣法師(しほうし)忌などの諸会が毎年修せられた。

［佐々木章格］

日本

日本では、宮中において御斎(ごさい)会、仁王(にんのう)会、季御読経(きのみどきょう)などが修せられ、平安時代には宮中御斎会、興福寺維摩会、薬師寺最勝(さいしょう)会を南京(なんきょう)三会とし、法勝(ほっしょう)寺大乗(だいじょう)会、円宗(えんしゅう)寺法華(ほっけ)会および最勝会を北京(ほっきょう)三会（天台三会）とし、これらが勅会(ちょくえ)とされた。そのほか諸大寺院では、『三宝絵詞(さんぼうえことば)』巻下などによると、正月の修正(しゅしょう)会から年末の仏名(ぶつみょう)会に至るまでのさまざまな法会が、年中行事として修せられた。大般若(だいはんにゃ)会は『般若経』を供養する法会で、インド以来の風習を伝え、600巻の経とともに十六善神図を奉安する。華厳会は『華厳経』を供養する法会で、五十五所善知識図を道場に掛ける。また南都では唯識(ゆいしき)会、倶舎(くしゃ)会などがある。経典を講説するのを講(こう)といい、のちには広く舎利(しゃり)講、遺跡(ゆいしゃく)講などと称するようになる。各宗においても、祖師の忌日に法会を修してその徳をたたえることが行われる。そのほか、仏像をつくったときの開眼(かいげん)供養、仏堂建立の際の入仏(にゅうぶつ)供養・落慶(らっけい)供養・慶讃(けいさん)会、祖先の追善(ついぜん)のための法会、あるいは彼岸(ひがん)会などさまざまな法会がある。

　法会の儀式は一定しないが、通常、道場あるいは仏祖前を荘厳(しょうごん)し、香華(こうげ)・灯明などを献じて、表白(ひょうびゃく)（趣旨を三宝および会衆に告げる）、願文(がんもん)（施主(せしゅ)が願意を述べる）、諷誦(ふじゅ)（経文を唱える）などを行う。このうち重要な役に服する7人の僧、すなわち導師、読師、呪願(じゅがん)師、三礼(さんらい)師、唄(ばい)師、散華(さんげ)師、堂達(どうたつ)が出仕して行う大法会を七僧(しちそう)法会という。また大法会に行う4種の儀式作法（梵唄(ぼんばい)、散華、梵音(ぼんのん)、錫杖(しゃくじょう)）を四箇(しか)の法要という。

［佐々木章格］

『春日権現霊験記』にみる維摩会
奈良・興福寺講堂の須弥壇前で講師の問答が行われ、人々がこれを聴聞する。『春日権現霊験記』　写国立国会図書館所蔵">

『春日権現霊験記』にみる維摩会

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