Doctrinal Mapping of the Zen monks Kanahôgo

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K00343
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 02010:Japanese literature-related
• Research Institution: National Institute of Japanese Literature
• Principal Investigator: DAVIN Didier 国文学研究資料館, 研究部, 准教授 (90783291)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 仮名法語 / 臨済宗 / 大燈派

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The goal of this study was to analyze the doctrinal content of the kanahogo produced from the Middle Ages to the early modern period in order to understand how the Zen teachings transmitted by this corpus spread in Japanese society, and in what specific ways. Because of the new coronavirus, many of the research were cancelled, and it was not possible to create the database originally planned. I had to changed direction and, based on the results obtained in the first half of the program, moved on to examine some new questions. However, due to the postponement of the international conference caused by the coronavirus, some result will be present after the research period. The concrete results are two presentations in an international joint research (one after the research period), one English peer-reviewed paper, one presentation, and the formation - and one presentation - in an international conference panel.

Free Research Field

人文学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

仮名法語の研究は主に書誌や内容の紹介を中心に行われた事に対して、本研究は今まで着目されていなかった思想的な面に焦点を当てた。それによって、仮名法語は単なる仏教―或いは禅―の入門書だけではなく、日本の禅思想史に見られる教義的や実践的な立場を反映している事を判明した。本研究は手始めではあるが、今後の仮名法語研究で、その文学的な価値や社会への影響（日本人がもっている禅のイメージなど）のほかに、仏教学の検討をも視野に入れる必要があると証明されたことに十分意義があると思われる。