A Study of the Vicissitudes of Sectarian Precious Volumes during the Ming-Qing Period: On the Cults of Martial Gods and the Goddess Sacred Mother

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25370040
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Chinese philosophy/Indian philosophy/Buddhist studies
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: Isobe Akira 東北大学, 東北アジア研究センター, 名誉教授 (90143841)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 西大乗教 / 泰山娘娘 / 順天保明寺 / 教派系宝巻 / 無為教 / 女性信者 / 観音菩薩 / 関帝

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Throughout the research period, basing myself on the division of “precious volumes” ( baojuan ) into those associated with the goddess Sacred Mother ( Shengmu ), with gods of war, and with gods of literature, I have been investigating the contents, characteristics, and religious background of sectarian precious volumes, chiefly those of Xi dasheng jiao .
In the course of this research, I deduced that tales about Guandi ,Taishan Niangniang , Meng Jiang,Erlangshen ,and so on, which were closely related to Wuwei jiao founded by Luozu and were circulating in Shandong province, along the Grand Canal, and in the Yellow River basin, were incorporated into the doctrines of Xi dasheng jiao, turned into precious volumes, and printed in Beijing with donations from distinguished persons.

Free Research Field

中国文学・東アジア文化史