Honen

Japanese: 法然 - ほうねん

Year of death: 25th January 1212 (29th February 1212)
Year of birth: 7th April 1133 (13th May 1133)
If one were to choose a single person who adapted Buddhism to the Japanese climate, it would have to be Honen (originally given the given name Genku, and the Buddhist name Honen). Before Honen, Buddhism was more or less an importation of foreign Buddhist sects, but Honen, who was active from the end of the 12th century to the beginning of the 13th century, founded a new sect called Jodo sect under the ideological influence of Zendo, who was active in the 7th century, and had a great influence on Japanese Buddhism thereafter. Honen is said to have been born in 1133 (Chōshō 2) as the son of Uruma Tokikuni, the Oshiryōshi of Inaoka Manor in Kumenanjō, Mimasaka Province (Okayama Prefecture). When Honen was nine years old, his father was killed by Akashi Sadaaki, the shogun. Honen became a monk, eventually climbing Mt. Hiei, and at the age of 18 became a disciple of Eiku of Saitō Kurodani. Eiku was a reclusive nembutsu practitioner in the style of Genshin. Although there are some doubts about this biography of Honen, there is no doubt that from his youth he was deeply disgusted with the world and had high hopes for the future. His ideological starting point was Eshin Sozu's Ojoyoshu, but he soon came to have a different interpretation of Nembutsu from his teacher Eiku and others. Eiku believed that Nembutsu should be primarily contemplative Nembutsu as taught in the Contemplation of the Sutra of Infinite Life, whereas Honen believed that Genshin's true intention was not contemplative Nembutsu but oral Nembutsu, that is, Nembutsu chanted "Namu Amida Butsu" by mouth. Honen gained the idea of limiting Nembutsu exclusively to oral Nembutsu from Zendo's Commentary on the Contemplation of the Sutra of Infinite Life. Through this interpretation of Nembutsu, he fell out with Eiku, and finally left the mountain in 1175 at the age of 43. This year is considered the year that the Jodo sect was founded. Why did Honen make such a revolutionary interpretation of Pure Land Buddhism that limited Nembutsu to oral recitation? If we consider Nembutsu to be contemplative, only a very small number of people can do it, and the majority of people cannot go to the Pure Land. This is contrary to the equality of Buddhism. If we limit Nembutsu to oral recitation, it becomes a truly easy practice, and no matter how foolish or bad a person is, they can go to the Pure Land. Honen's conviction in the equality of salvation led him to dare to teach oral recitation and exclusive devotion to Nembutsu. At the beginning of the Middle Ages, just after the end of the Genpei War, Honen's teachings were accepted by the public like water flowing to the lowest point, and he gained many followers. The regent of the time, Kujo Kanezane, was one of those followers, and in 1198 (Kenkyu 9), at Kanezane's request, he wrote the "Senshu Hongan Nembutsu Shu" (Selected Original Vow Nembutsu Collection), which explained the essential points of Nembutsu. However, this teaching of exclusive nembutsu aroused resentment within traditional Buddhism, and eventually Honen was exiled due to incidents caused by Junsai, Juren and others. In 1211, he was pardoned and returned to Kyoto, but died the following year at the age of 80. His teachings are passed down by various Jodo sect sects founded by Seikou, Shoku and others, but it is said that Shinran, the founder of Jodo Shinshu, himself only taught the teachings taught by Honen.

(Umehara Takeshi)

Source: Asahi Japanese Historical Biography: Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc. About Asahi Japanese Historical Biography

Japanese:

没年：建暦2.1.25(1212.2.29)
生年：長承2.4.7(1133.5.13)
もしも,仏教を日本という風土に適合させた人をひとり選ぶとしたならば,それはやはり法然(初め諱を源空,法然は房号)であるといわざるを得ないであろう。法然以前の仏教は多かれ少なかれ外国の仏教宗派の移入であったが,12世紀の末から13世紀の初めに活躍した法然は,7世紀に活躍した善導の思想的影響によって浄土宗なる新しい宗派を創設し,その後の日本仏教に大きな影響を残した。法然は長承2(1133)年,美作国(岡山県)久米南条稲岡荘の押領使の漆間時国の子として生まれたといわれる。彼が9歳のときに,父は預所の明石定明によって殺された。法然は僧となり,やがて叡山に登り,18歳のときに西塔黒谷の叡空の弟子となった。叡空は,源信の流れを汲む隠遁念仏者であった。この法然の伝記には多少の疑問があるが,彼が少年のころから深く世を厭い,後世に期待をかけていたことは間違いない。彼の思想的な出発点は恵心僧都の『往生要集』であったが,やがて師の叡空などと念仏の解釈を異にするようになった。叡空は,念仏というのは「観無量寿経」で説くような観想の念仏を主とすべきであるというのに対し,法然は,源信の真意は観想の念仏ではなく,口称の念仏,すなわち口で「ナムアミダブツ」と称える念仏にあったというのである。この念仏をもっぱら口称念仏に限るという考えを法然は,善導の『観無量寿経疏』によって得た。この念仏解釈を通じて,彼は叡空と仲違いをし,ついに安元1(1175)年,43歳にして山を降りた。この年を浄土宗開宗の年とするのである。法然はなぜ,念仏を口称念仏に限る浄土教の革命的解釈を行ったのか。もしも念仏を観想の念仏と考えたならば,それができるのはごく少数の人であり,そうなれば大多数の人間は極楽浄土へ行けない。それは仏教の平等の精神に相反する。念仏を口称念仏に限れば,念仏はまことに易行となり,どんなに愚かな人間でも,どんなに悪い人間でも極楽浄土へ行けるということになる。救いの平等性への確信が,法然をしてあえて口称念仏,専修念仏の教えに踏みきらせた。時はちょうど源平の戦いが終わった中世の初め,法然の教説は,水の低きに流れるが如く世間に受け入れられ,多くの信者をつくった。時の関白,九条兼実もその信者のひとりであったが,建久9(1198)年,兼実の依頼によって念仏の肝要を述べたのが『選択本願念仏集』である。ところが,この専修の念仏の教えは伝統的な仏教の反感を招き,ついに遵西,住蓮などの起こした事件によって法然は流罪になった。建暦1(1211)年,許されて京に帰ったが,翌年80歳の生涯を閉じた。彼の教説は,聖光あるいは証空などによって作られた浄土宗の諸派によって伝えられるが,浄土真宗の開祖,親鸞も自ら,法然によって教えられた教説以外のことは語っていないという。

(梅原猛)

出典　朝日日本歴史人物事典：（株）朝日新聞出版朝日日本歴史人物事典について　情報

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