The Owa sect theory

A doctrinal debate took place between the Hosso and Tendai sects from August 21st to August 22nd, 963 (Owa 3), for five days to celebrate the completion of Emperor Murakami's wish to copy the Lotus Sutra. Ten eminent scholars from both Nanto and Hokuriku were invited to the Seiryoden hall of the Imperial Palace to give lectures on the principles of the Lotus Sutra.

The Tendai sect of Hokuriku asserted the theory of all beings attaining Buddhahood, while the Hosso sect of Nara held the theory of the five classes of beings, which stated that there are five types of innate qualities that all beings possess, and that some do not attain Buddhahood. Two lectures were held every day, morning and evening, with lecturers and questioners from both schools coming out to debate each other, and on the third day, in the morning session, Tendai's Ryogen debated Nara's Hozo, and on the fifth day, Nara's Chuzan debated Tendai's Juchō, and finally, by imperial decree, Ryogen and Chuzan debated in a heated debate at the evening session of the same day. In the Genko Shakusho volume 4 and Fuso Ryakki volume 26, Ryogen wins, while in the Owa Shuron Nikki and Honcho Kosoden volume 9, Chuzan wins, but the truth is that the outcome was not decided. This issue can be said to be a conflict between the Honkaku school of Buddhism and the Shikaku school of Buddhism, between idealism and realism, and the solution to this issue can be seen as being left to Kamakura Buddhism.

[Kou Sonoda]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

963年（応和3）8月21日から5日間、村上(むらかみ)天皇御願の『法華経(ほけきょう)』書写の成就にあたり、宮中清涼殿(せいりょうでん)に南都と北嶺(ほくれい)の碩学(せきがく)各10人を招いて『法華経』の義理を講ぜしめた際、法相(ほっそう)と天台の両宗間で行われた教義論争。

　北嶺の天台宗はいっさいの衆生(しゅじょう)はすべて成仏(じょうぶつ)するという一切皆成(いっさいかいじょう)説を主張、南都の法相宗は衆生が先天的に備えている素質に5種あるという五姓各別(ごしょうかくべつ)説にたって、成仏しないものがあることを主張した。講経は毎日朝夕2座行われ、両方から講師と問者が相互に出て論義問答したが、第3日朝座に天台の良源(りょうげん)が南都の法蔵(ほうぞう)を論伏するに及び、第5日朝座には南都の仲算(ちゅうざん)が天台の寿肇(じゅちょう)を痛論し、ついに勅令により同日夕座には良源と仲算が討論し、激論を戦わせた。『元亨釈書(げんこうしゃくしょ)』巻4、『扶桑略記(ふそうりゃっき)』巻26などには、良源の勝ちとしてあり、『応和宗論日記』、『本朝高僧伝』巻9などには仲算の勝ちを伝えるが、勝敗は決しなかったというのが真相であろう。この問題は、仏教における本覚門(ほんがくもん)思想と始覚門(しかくもん)思想、理想主義と現実主義との対立ともいうべきもので、その止揚解決は鎌倉仏教にゆだねられたとみることができる。

［薗田香融］

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