In thirteenth-century Japan, the charismatic monk Eison 叡尊 (or Eizon; 1201–1290) founded an influential monastic order from his base at the Nara temple Saidaiji 西大寺. The Saidaiji order later became known as the Shingon Ritsu 真言律 school due to its twofold specialization in Shingon esoteric rituals and the teachings and practices of the Buddhist disciplinary code (Jp. ritsu; Sk. vinaya). Under Eison, the order strove to establish a firmer ethical, ritual, and material foundation for Buddhism in the turbulent Kamakura period. To do so, Saidaiji-order monks and nuns widely promoted the precepts and charitable activities; performed state-protecting and other esoteric rites; and constructed temples, icons, and such public facilities as ports, hospices, and collective gravesites. Centering first on Saidaiji and other Nara-area temples, the order gradually expanded from Yamato province and formed a network of temples from Kantō to Kyushu. Essential to the order’s expansion was its vigorous engagement in deity and saint cults.
目次
The Early Medieval Context for the Shõtok Cult 155 Image Construction and Kõshiki Performances 164 Eisons Shõtoku Taishi kõshiki 176 Four Sculptures of Shõtoku Taishi Sponsored by Disciples 186 Part 1 : Eulogizing the Benefits He Conferred while He Was in the World 202 Part 2: Eulogizing the Benefits He Conferred after His Passing 205 Part 3: Vowing to Encounter Him in Future Lives 208
