Hokke-e

A Buddhist ceremony to praise the Lotus Sutra. It is said that Prince Shotoku first lectured on this sutra at Okamoto Palace in 606 (the 14th year of the reign of Empress Suiko). Since then, it has been valued as one of the three sutras that protect the country, along with the study of doctrine, and has spread in parallel with the belief in Kannon. This ceremony was first established in March 746 (the 18th year of Tenpyo) by Roben in the Kenjakudo Hall of Todaiji Temple as a gift of four kindnesses, and was moved to the lecture hall in the mid-Heian period, but it was a conference to invite scholars from the great temples of Nara to study and discuss the teachings. In 817 (Kōnin 8), Fujiwara no Fuyutsugu held a Hoke-e ceremony for seven months from the end of September at the Nanendo Hall of Kofuku-ji Temple to pray for the soul of his father Uchimaro, and prayed for the prosperity of the northern branch of the Fujiwara clan. It became one of the most important events at Kofuku-ji Temple, and in August 833 (Tenchō 10), it was also held as an imperial ceremony at Daian-ji Temple. It was first held at Enshū-ji Temple, the temple of Emperor Gosanjō, in 1072 (Enkyō 4), and later became one of the three Tendai sect assemblies (the three Beijing assemblies), and was a stepping stone to becoming a sogo-bunin. Enryaku-ji Temple was particularly closely related to the Lotus Sutra, so in June, the month of Saicho's death, they held a Lotus Sutra ceremony to pray for his soul, which came to be known as the Rokugatsu-e. In 967 (Kōhō 4), the head priest Ryōgen held a Lotus Sutra gathering for the founder of the sect, Tendai Daishi Eon, which came to be known as the Shimotsuki-e, and a system of vertical teachings was established to foster learned monks. In addition, according to the Sanbō-e Kotoba, a memorial service for the soul of Kukai was held at Jingo-ji Temple in Takao, Rakusei. While these Hokke-e ceremonies were held to commemorate the achievements of the sect's founders and ancestors and to foster scholarly monks with the Lotus Sutra as the basis, there is also a Buddhist ceremony called the Hokke Hakko, in which eight people and eight seats read the eight volumes of the Lotus Sutra and pray for the repose of the deceased. It is said to have begun in 796 (Enryaku 15) when Daian-ji Gonso and seven of his fellow monks held a memorial service for the mother of his deceased friend Eiko at Iwabuchi-ji Temple in Higashiyama, Sakyo, Heijo. This Iwabuchi-ji Hakko was later introduced to Todai-ji Tenchi-in Temple, Kasagi-ji Temple, and other temples, and its widespread popularity is evident in works such as Gyokuyo.

[Horiike Harumo]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

『法華経(ほけきょう)』を講賛する法会。606年（推古天皇14）に聖徳太子が岡本宮で当経を講じたのが最初といわれ、以後教理の研究とともに護国三部経の一つとして重視され、さらに観音(かんのん)信仰と並行して流布するに至った。746年（天平18）3月には良弁(ろうべん)により四恩のために東大寺羂索(けんじゃく)堂で創始された当法会は、平安時代中期に講堂に移されて開講されたが、南都諸大寺の学僧を請(しょう)じて研学竪義(りゅうぎ)を設けた大会であった。また817年（弘仁8）に藤原冬嗣(ふゆつぐ)が父内麿(うちまろ)の菩提(ぼだい)を祈って興福寺南円堂で9月末日から7か月間法華会を行い、藤原氏北家一門の隆盛を祈願し、興福寺の屈指の大会となったし、833年（天長10）8月には大安寺においても勅会(ちょくえ)として行われるに至った。後三条(ごさんじょう)天皇の御願寺(ごがんじ)である円宗(えんしゅう)寺では1072年（延久4）に創始され、のち天台宗三会（北京(ほっきょう)三会）の一つに数えられ、僧綱補任(そうごうぶにん)への階梯(かいてい)となった。延暦(えんりゃく)寺においては、ことに『法華経』との関係が密接であったから、最澄(さいちょう)の命日にあたる6月に法華会を修してその菩提を祈り、世に六月会と称せられたし、967年（康保4）には座主良源(ざすりょうげん)によって、宗祖天台大師慧恩(えおん)のために法華大会が行われ、世に霜月会(しもつきえ)と称せられ、学僧育成のための竪義の制が設けられた。そのほかに空海の菩提を追修して洛西高雄(らくせいたかお)の神護(じんご)寺にも行われたことが『三宝絵詞(さんぼうえことば)』によって判明する。これらの法華会は宗祖や先祖の功績をしのび『法華経』を所依(しょえ)として学僧育成のために設けられた法会であったのに対して、『法華経』8巻を8人・8座で講賛し、故人の菩提を祈る法華八講と称する仏会がある。796年（延暦15）に大安寺勤操(ごんそう)が同朋(どうぼう)7人とともに亡友栄好(えいこう)の母のために平城左京東山の石淵(いわぶち)寺で菩提を追修したのに始まるという。この石淵寺八講はのち東大寺天地院、笠置(かさぎ)寺などにも伝わり、流布したことが『玉葉(ぎょくよう)』などでも判明する。

［堀池春峰］

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