Monzeki - Head priest

The term originally referred to the tradition of a sect's teachings passed down from founder to disciple, and to the successors of that tradition. However, after Emperor Uda became a monk in 899 (Shotai 2) and entered Ninna-ji Temple, this was later called Gomonzeki, and temples headed or founded by retired emperors or princes, as well as their head priests, came to be called Gomonzeki or Monshu. Later, Kugyo Monzeki were created not only for members of the imperial family but also for aristocrats, and in the Muromachi period, the term Monzeki came to refer to the status of specific temples associated with the imperial family or aristocrats. The Muromachi Shogunate appointed Monzeki Bugyo (magistrates of temples) to oversee the government affairs of monzeki temples, while the Edo Shogunate institutionalized this system by dividing monzeki into Miya Monzeki, Sekke Monzeki, Seiga Monzeki, and Jun Monzeki.

Monzeki temples are found across a wide range of sects, including Tendai, Shingon, Hosso, Jodo, and Shinshu. For example, there are nine in the Tendai sect, and the head priests of the Sanmonzeki temples at Awataguchi Shoren-in, Daibutsu Myoho-in, and Ohara Enyu-in also serve as the abbots of Mount Hiei, so they are called the "Sanmonzeki of Mount Hiei." The Sanmonzeki temples at Mitsui Enman-in, Shogo-in, and Iwakura Jisso-in also serve as the abbots of Mii-dera, so they are called the "Sanmonzeki of Mitsui." In the Jodo Shinshu sect, there are five schools: Honganji, Higashi Honganji, Senshu-ji, Kosho-ji, and Bukkoji, of which Honganji and its chief priest are called Monzeki or Gomonzeki.

[Fujii Noriaki]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

一門一派の法跡の意で、元来は、祖師から弟子へと継承されていく宗門の教えの伝統のことを、またその伝統の継承者のことをいった。しかし、899年（昌泰2）に宇多(うだ)上皇が出家して法皇となり仁和寺(にんなじ)に入ってからは、後世にこれを御門跡(ごもんぜき)と称したために、法皇や法親王(ほうしんのう)が住持したり開創した寺院、またその住持を御門跡または門主とよぶようになった。のちには皇族だけでなく貴族についても公卿(くぎょう)門跡ができ、室町時代には、門跡という語はこうした皇族・貴族のかかわる特定寺院の格式を表す語となった。室町幕府は門跡奉行(ぶぎょう)を置いて門跡寺院の政務をつかさどり、江戸幕府は門跡を宮(みや)門跡、摂家(せっけ)門跡、清華(せいが)門跡、准(じゅん)門跡に区別してこれを制度化した。

　門跡寺院は、天台、真言(しんごん)、法相(ほっそう)、浄土、真宗などの各宗にわたってあるが、たとえば天台宗では九家あり、そのうちの粟田口青蓮(あわたぐちしょうれん)院、大仏妙法(みょうほう)院、大原円融(えんにゅう)院の三門跡の住持は叡山(えいざん)の座主(ざす)を兼職するので「叡山の三門跡」といい、三井円満(みいえんまん)院、聖護(しょうご)院、岩倉実相(じっそう)院の三門跡は三井寺の長主を兼ねるので「三井の三門跡」とよぶ。浄土真宗では、本願寺、東本願寺、専修(せんじゅ)寺、興正(こうしょう)寺、仏光寺の五家があるが、そのうちとくに本願寺とその管長を門跡、御門跡とよんでいる。

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