A comprehensive study of Yousai's thoughts : The difference between his actual thoughts and later generations' evaluations.

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K02094
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: History of thought
• Research Institution: Kobe Gakuin University
• Principal Investigator: YONEDA MARIKO 神戸学院大学, 法学部, 准教授 (00423210)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 栄西 / 密教 / 宋朝禅 / 改偏教主決 / 茶祖伝承 / 菩提樹の将来

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study is to consider Yousai’s thoughts from a new perspective. Through the understanding of the recently discovered works of Yousai and the works of Yousai's disciples, the characteristics of Yousai's thought were clarified. Furthermore, I considered the actual state of religious activities of Yousai and his students. As a result, the following was found. The Tendai Buddhist monks at that time, including Yousai, were trying to understand the Zen Buddhist thoughts that were popular during the Song Dynasty, through the esoteric thoughts that they were familiar with. Furthermore, there was a discrepancy between Yousai's actual activities and Yousai's subsequent generations' evaluations. The reason for this is that Yousai's thought was interpreted after the idea of Zen Buddhism was established in Japan.

Free Research Field

日本文学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

栄西といえば、鎌倉初頭に、中国で禅を学んで帰国し、日本に禅宗を広めた人物として知られてきた。本研究では、この評価には、栄西の活動実態と乖離する点が認められることを指摘した。その要因は、宋代に流行した禅宗が日本に定着した鎌倉時代後期に、栄西の思想を解釈したことによると結論づけた。栄西の禅始祖像は、鎌倉時代初期より禅が流行したという理解につながり、当時の文化を把握するさいにも少なからず影響した。本研究はそうした認識に再考を促す意義を有する。