Myokonin - Myokonin

Japanese: 妙好人 - みょうこうにん

It means the most excellent and supreme person among human beings, and especially refers to devout believers of Shinshu. It originates from the Chinese Nembutsu monk Zendo's Commentary on the Kankyo Sutra, which says, "If one is able to continue to chant the Nembutsu, this person is extremely rare. ... That is, he is the best person among people, the most wonderful person among people, the best person among people, the rare person among people, and the most excellent person among people." It is said that this special phrase began to be used after Gyosei of Josenji Temple in Iwami Province compiled Myokoninden in Bunsei 1 (1818). Since then, Monk Jun of Senjoji Temple in Mino Province compiled volumes 2 to 5 between Tenpo 14 (43) and Ansei 5 (58), and Shoo of Matsumae compiled a sequel to Gyosei's first volume in Kaei 3 (50). These are the six volumes of Myokoninden from the Edo period that are in circulation today, and various Myokoninden volumes have been published since then. The intentions behind the compilation of Myokoninden are explored based on their content and the era in which they were compiled. For example, the six volumes from the Edo period mentioned above have been pointed out as being about adapting to the system, and responding to new religions and different beliefs. The people featured in these six volumes were overwhelmingly farmers and small merchants, and it has become interesting to wonder how such people with no education and low social status were able to acquire such high levels of faith, and why the word Myokonin became a special idiom for devout Shinshu followers in particular.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

人間のなかで最もすぐれた最上至高の人を意味し，特に真宗の篤信者をさす。中国の念仏僧，善導の『観経疏』に「もし能く相続して念仏する者，此の人，甚だ稀有なりとなす。……即ち是れ人中の好人なり，人中の妙好人なり，人中の上上人なり，人中の稀有人なり，人中の最勝人なり」とあるのに由来している。このような特別な熟語として用いられるようになったのは，石見国浄泉寺の仰誓が文政1 (1818) 年に編集した『妙好人伝』以後とされる。これ以来，美濃国専精寺の僧純が天保 14 (43) 年から安政5 (58) 年の間に2編から5編までを編纂し，さらに松前の象王は嘉永3 (50) 年に仰誓の初編に続く続編を編んだ。これが今日流布している江戸時代の6編の『妙好人伝』で，これ以来，今日にいたるまで，諸種の妙好人伝が刊行されている。妙好人伝編纂には，その内容と時代から，それぞれの意図が探られている。たとえば，上記の江戸時代の6編は，体制への順応，新興宗教や異安心への対応などが指摘されている。上の6編に収載されている人たちは農民や小商人が圧倒的で，このように学問もなく，社会的地位も低かった人が，どうして高度な信仰を獲得したか，また妙好人という言葉が，なぜ特に真宗の篤信者に対する特別な熟語になったかなどが関心事となっている。

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