From Daoism to Buddhism: A study on the formation of tea-drinking culture in Chinese esoteric Buddhism

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K12806
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 01020:Chinese philosophy, Indian philosophy and Buddhist philosophy-related
• Research Institution: Jissen Women's University
• Principal Investigator: CHANG MINGYANG 実践女子大学, 研究推進機構, 研究員 (80850875)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 密教 / 道教 / 星供 / 「称名寺聖教」 / 喫茶文化 / ショウ（酉+焦） / 観想 / 法具

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study examines the Chinese Buddhist esoteric star offering, in which tea is offered, using the Shoumyouji shougyou 称名寺聖教 as a guide. The Buddhist esoteric star offering is a ritual that was devised after incorporating Chinese folk beliefs such as Daoism, but further investigation reveals its specific connection to the Sui-Tang period Daoist jiao {酉焦}; ritual’s star offering. Furthermore, according to esoteric Buddhist texts compiled in Japan, the ritual implements used to hold tea during the Buddhist esoteric star offering are made of shirashi 白瓷. This study makes clear that the combination of tea and shirashi is consistent with the secular culture and tea-drinking culture of China during the Tang Dynasty, and that Daoist elements can be seen in the content of the meditations performed during the Buddhist esoteric star offering.

Free Research Field

中国哲学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

現代社会に馴染み深い茶は、「茶禅一味」と言われるように、禅宗と結びつけて考えられることが多いが、喫茶文化と宗教はそのような単純ではなく、茶を用いる密教星供が、その一例といえる。密教星供ではどのように茶を供物として利用していたのか、また星供の儀礼はどのように形成されたのかを、寺院で生成される聖教を手がかりに、より具体的に考察していく点において学術的意義があると言える。さらにそれを中国密教や中国道教などと比較し、思想文化交流史における喫茶文化の伝承と変遷を明らかにする点に、本研究の社会的意義がある。