This article examines the Raun kōshiki, a liturgical text composed by the priest Yuishin, a scholar of both the Hossō and Ritsu (Vinaya) traditions who studied under Nara priests interested in the revival of the precepts. The Raun kōshiki, which is focused on Śākyamuni’s son, Rāhula, captures both the Ritsu school’s interest in “returning” to the foundational teachings of the historical Buddha and his immediate disciples, as well as its support of “early” Buddhist practices associated with the Indian and Chinese Sanghas, such as the veneration of the Buddha’s disciples and the cult of the arhats. In addition to tracing the use of the Raun kōshiki in medieval Ritsu-school circles, this article also undertakes a close reading of the liturgy’s textual content, comparing Yuishin’s portrayal of Rāhula with other textual descriptions of the Buddha’s son circulating in Japan during Yuishin’s time.
目次
Rāhula Veneration in Medieval Nara 132 The Structure, Style, and Content of the Raun kōshiki 137 The First Section: Rāhula’s Birth and Going Forth 139 The Second and Third Sections: Rāhula as a Savior Figure 144 The Fourth and Fifth Sections: Venerating Rāhula and Transferring Merit 146 The Raun kōshiki in the Religious Landscape of Medieval Japan 147 References 149
