Yoshida Shinto

A school of Shinto preached by the Yoshida family of priests at Yoshida Shrine in Kaguraoka, Yoshida, Sakyo Ward, Kyoto City. It calls itself Genpon Sogen Shinto, Yuitsushu Gen Shinto, etc. It is also called Urabe Shinto, as the Yoshidas' original surname was Urabe. It is said to have originated in the early Middle Ages, but in fact it is thought to have been assembled almost entirely by Urabe (Yoshida) Kanetomo at the end of the Muromachi period. Its theory is that all things are manifestations of god, and that humans equally harbor gods in their hearts. The heart is god in itself. In this respect, Shakyamuni and Confucius were no exceptions, and their teachings were closely related to Shinto. If they were to compare them to a tree, Shinto would be the roots, Confucianism the branches and leaves, and Buddhism the flowers and fruits (the original form of this theory appears in the theory of the Tendai monk Jihen, a century before Kanetomo). This theory was often used in the early modern period as the theory that the three religions are the roots, branches, leaves, flowers and fruits. On the other hand, in terms of practices, they preached Shinto goma, Sansai 9bu Myodan 18 Shinto, Shinto Kanjo, Anchinho, etc., and transmitted the mystical secrets. They were also active in missionary activities, establishing Daigengu Shrine on Yoshidayama, calling it the head temple of Shinto, and winning the favor of the Imperial Court and the Shogunate. They gained the power to appoint and dismiss Shinto priests, surpassing the previous Shirakawa family, and brought many shrines and priests under their influence throughout the country. In this way, Yoshida Shinto is based on Shinto as the foundation of Japanese religion, but it also freely blends medieval Confucianism and Buddhism, as well as Taoism and Onmyo-do, and has developed into a Shinto with its own unique flavor.It is a highly artificial form of Shinto, but on the other hand, its rich fusion is thought to be the reason why it spread so widely and for so long in the early modern period.

[Haruo Ogasawara]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

京都市左京区吉田(よしだ)神楽岡(かぐらおか)の吉田神社の神職吉田家で唱えた神道の一流派。元本宗源(げんぽんそうげん)神道、唯一宗源神道などと自称。また吉田の本姓卜部(うらべ)をもって卜部神道とも呼称する。中世初期の起源というが、実は室町末期に卜部（吉田）兼倶(かねとも)がほとんど一人で集成したとみられる。その所説は、万物はすべて神の顕現であり、人間も等しくその心に神を宿す。心はすなわち神である。この点で釈迦(しゃか)や孔子(こうし)も例外ではなく、彼らの説く教えも神道と密接な関係を有し、一樹に見立てれば神道は根、儒教は枝葉、仏教は花実に相当する（この説の原形は兼倶より1世紀前の天台学僧慈遍(じへん)の説にみえる）とする。これは三教根本枝葉花実説として近世に多く用いられた。一方、行法面では神道護摩(ごま)、三才九部妙壇十八神道、神道灌頂(かんじょう)、安鎮法等々を唱道し、神秘奥伝授受を行った。宣教運動も活発で吉田山に神道の総本山と称して大元宮を創建、朝廷や幕府に取り入り、従来の白川家をしのいで神職の任免権を得、全国的に多くの神社・神職をその勢力下に収めた。このように吉田神道は神道を日本の宗教の根本としながら、中世の儒教、仏教のほか、道教、陰陽道(おんみょうどう)などを自由に混用、そのうえに形成された独得の趣(おもむき)をもつ神道であり、きわめて作為的なものだが、他面その融合性に富むところが近世に広く長く浸透した理由とみられる。

［小笠原春夫］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例