Mokurenki - Mokurenki

Japanese: 目連記 - もくれんき

The title of a sekkyobushi song. It consists of six sections. The name of the narrator is unknown. It was published around Manji (1658-61). It is also written as Mokuren-ki. It is based on the legend of Mokuren saving his mother, which originated in Mokuren Henbun. Mokuren went to the underworld to save his mother, who had fallen into hell due to his evil deeds, and arrived at Yama's palace with the guidance of Jizo at Sai-no-kawara and the old woman at the River Sanzu. With the guidance of a prison guard, he found his mother burning in the raging flames of the eight hot hells, and helped her to cleanse her sins and attain Buddhahood by offering a memorial service for hungry ghosts and reciting the Lotus Sutra. It was widely known in the Middle Ages as Mokuren's Tour of Hells.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

説経節の曲名。六段構成。太夫の名は未詳。万治(1658‐61)ころの刊行。《目蓮記》とも記される。《目連変文》を始源とする目連救母伝説から取材したもの。悪業によって地獄に落ちた母を救うために冥途に赴いた目連が，賽の河原の地蔵や，三途河（しようずか）の姥の教えで閻魔宮につく。獄卒の案内で八熱地獄の猛火に焼かれる母を見いだし，施餓鬼供養と法華経転読によって罪をはらい成仏させる。〈目連地獄めぐり〉として中世に広く知られていた。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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