Segaki; Zen sect in Medieval Japan; Shui-Lu rites; Chinese classics
摘要
The Segaki (Shishi, 施餓鬼, feeding the hungry ghosts) ceremony is one of the most popular Buddhist events in Japan today. During the Kamakura (鐮倉) era of Japan, the Segaki ceremony was introduced into Japan from China. In the records of Medieval Japan, the meanings of “Segaki”, “Suirikue (Shui-Lu rites, 水陸會)”, “Suirikusai (水陸齋)” and “Sejikie (施食會)” were the same.
This article uses the text of Daisegakisyuruibunge which was created in the Muromachi (室町) era as an entry point to analyze the source of the Segaki ceremony in Japan. There are two versions of Daisegakisyuruibunge. Both are versions of the Edo period，but the contents are quite different. According to the analysis of the texts quoted in Daisegakisyuruibunge, we know that in addition to Shishiyaolan (施食要覽), there are three kinds of Segaki ritual texts that are most valued in Daisegakisyuruibunge at least.
The first and most important one is Shishishishixinfa (釋氏施食心法) by Zheng Sixiao (鄭思肖), which has a high reputation in Medieval Japan and is likely to be the primary reference for the holding of the Segaki ceremony. Next is Zhongfeng Mingben (中峰明本)'s Kaiganlumen (開甘露門) and Yan Bin (顏丙)'s ShiShikei (施食科儀). About ShiShikei, There is still a copy of the Muromachi era that has a high historical value.
In addition to Daisegakisyuruibunge, there are numerous texts about the Buddhist rituals of the Segaki or Suirikue, which are kept in the quotations and diaries of the Zen sect in Medieval Japan. Through these records, we can roughly know the status of the Segaki held in Medieval Japan. These examples can provide a reference for our study of Buddhist rituals in China.
