The relationships between Buddhism and the State in the 8th and 9th Centuries Japan from the Perspective of the ideology of protecting the country in East Asia

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K13108
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 03020:Japanese history-related
• Research Institution: Shikoku University
• Principal Investigator: Komai Takumi 四国大学, 文学部, 講師 (30794945)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 護国思想 / 東アジア / 国家と仏教 / 仏教制度史

Outline of Final Research Achievements

I re-examined the relationship between the state and Buddhism in 8th and 9th centuries Japan, focusing on the influence of the ideology of protecting the country in East Asia. In the Tendai sect in the latter half of the 9th century, the idea that Emperor Seiwa, who was enthroned as a young emperor at that time, was regarded as a bodhisattva appeared, and the idea existed that the emperor as a bodhisattva would bring peace in this world and the next world.
Also, in the first half of the ninth century, when the spirit of the deceased emperor caused a curse, Buddhism was able to suppress the curse, but in the second half of the ninth century, it became clear that the relationship between the curse of the emperor's spirit and Buddhism disappeared.
In addition, I examined Buddhism control measures from the end of the 8th century to the beginning of the 9th century, and clarified that they were based on the annotation of "Konkomyo Saisho O Kyo" prepared in Tang in the early 8th century.

Free Research Field

日本史

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究課題により、9世紀後半に天皇菩薩観が喧伝されるその政治的意義が明らかになった。また死した天皇の霊魂への祈願内容の変遷も検討したが、そこには必ずしも中国仏教から影響を受けていない点も明らかにできた。加えて、8世紀末から9世紀初頭日本の仏教統制策を検討し、8世紀初頭の唐仏教からの影響を受けていることがわかり、その歴史的位置が解明された。従来、その政策が国王の在るべき姿を説く経典の注釈に依拠していることが明らかにでき、統制的側面を重視する従来の研究とは異なる研究方法を提示できた。これらを通じて、東アジアにおける日本仏教の位置づけを考える上でも重要な論点を提示できた点に大きな意義があると考える。