Includes bibliographical references (leaves 304-317)
關鍵詞
Buddhism; Japanese Buddhism; Japanese history; Buddhist history
摘要
This dissertation is an attempt to clarify and define the images of tengu and their significance in medieval Japan. Numerous references to tengu in medieval literature present them in surprisingly diverse forms, depending on when and by whom they are being portrayed: as comets, as demoniacal possessing spirits, as enemies of Buddhism, and as Buddhist priests who could not achieve nirvana because of their pride and worldly attachment. Such variegations in the image of tengu reflect the diversity of beliefs and values of the people of medieval Japan, and how they were transformed over time. This dissertation concentrates on tengu from the late twelfth century to the late fourteenth century, focusing specifically on the images of tengu as manifestations of Buddhist concepts of evil. In Buddhism, evil (ma) is a force which defies Buddhism or disturbs Buddhist priests and hinders them from attaining enlightenment. It originally meant death or delusion, but various concepts develop from this original definition, and new images of tengu are created accordingly. The dissertation also examines tengu as images which were created to legitimize ideal social order as construed under Buddhism. Evil is often a representation of those who disturb the order, that is, the people of ideas which challenge or deny certain social order. It is also manipulated to justify and reinforce the legitimacy of a social institution. On examination, the images of tengu, too, prove that they were created to legitimize the Buddhist institutions of medieval Japan, and were transformed to suit the changes which took place in the Buddhist world. The images of tengu which appear in literature and paintings of medieval Japan, therefore, reveal what the Buddhist institutions considered to be a threat to their order, whether it be death or delusion which disturb the priests' striving effort to attain enlightenment, their social ”enemies”, or the other religious groups and thoughts which conflict with them, or even internal evil, or corruption within their own institution. These images were also manipulated and reconstructed in an effort to sustain their legitimacy.
