The Kumeda Temple 久米田寺 in Izumi Province belongs to the Todaiji Kaidan-in lineage. From the time Gyōnen’s凝然 （1240-1321） disciple Zenni禅爾 （1252-1325） was the head priest, Kegon doctrine was freely studied there. This was documented in such doctrinal discourse materials as Jōyo’s盛誉 （1273-1362） Kegon tekagami華厳手鏡, and Tannei’s湛睿 （1271-1364） Kodai kagushō 古題加愚抄 and Muchūgi夢中戯.
The debates conducted by Jōyo and Tannei at Kumeda Temple were organized into a fixed formula of two questions and two answers, with follow-up questions supplementing criticism. With these discourses they conducted an elaborate interpretation of the Perfect Teaching 円教 of Kegon.
Many priests from a variety of schools gathered at Kumeda Temple, and exchange with Shingon doctrine thrived there. It is for that reason that the doctrinal discourse that developed at Kumeda Temple shares similar points of interest and subjects of debate with other schools.
This paper focuses on the debate surrounding the subject of “That Aspect is the Path” 当相即道, which deals with the relation of mental afflictions and the bodhi mind. Through an analysis of that debate we clarify the influence of Shingon thought, as well as trace how doctrinal debate of the Kaidan-in lineage was formed.
