A fundamental study on the acceptance of Chinese anthologies of Buddhist literatures in Japanese narrative literatures

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24520204
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Japanese literature
• Research Institution: University of Tsukuba
• Principal Investigator: MOTOI Makiko 筑波大学, 人文社会系, 准教授 (00410978)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 金蔵論 / 釈氏源流 / 仏教類書 / 譬喩因縁譚 / 仏伝 / 釈迦の本地

Outline of Final Research Achievements

A philological research on Chinese anthologies of Buddhist literatures revealed how these anthologies were accepted and developed into narrative stories in Japanese narrative literature/Buddhist preaching, and how they acted as a catalyst between the two. I made a fundamental analysis of the text of the Jin zang lun, the Chinese anthology of Buddhist literature, and its influence on Konjaku Monogatari Shu with regard to newly found documents, such as the Dunhuang manuscripts, and the woodblock prints of the Goryeo era. Widening the scope of research objectives to include not only tales focused on karmic retribution but also stories found in the biographies of the Buddha, I could trace the development of the literature on the biographies of the Buddha, such as Shaka no Honji, from the Buddhist scriptures found in the Chinese anthologies of Buddhist literature and from the commentaries on the scriptures.

Free Research Field

日本文学