Prompt for Module 4 Discussion:

Prince Shotoku and His Constitution 57

,I/I THE PARABLE OF THE BURNING HOUSE

"Shariputra, I will now make use of similes and parables to further clarify this doctrine. For through similes and parables those who are wise can obtain understanding. Shariputra, suppose that in a certain town in a certain country there was a very rich man. He was far along in years and his wealth was beyond measure. He had many fields, houses, and menservants. His own house was big and rambling, but it had only one gate. A great many people-a hundred, two hundred, perhaps as many as five hundred-lived in the house. The halls and rooms were qld and decaying, the walls crumbling, the pillars rotten at their base, and the beams and rafters crooked and aslant. At that time a fire suddenly broke out on all sides, spreading through the rooms of the house. The sons of the rich man, ten, twenty, perhaps thirty, were inside the house. When the rich man saw the huge flames leaping up on every side, he was greatly alarmed and fearful and thought to himself, I can escape to safety through the flaming gate, but my sons are inside the burning house enjoying themselves and playing games, unaware, unknowing, without alarm or fear. The fire is closing in on them, suffering and pain threaten them, yet their minds have no sense of loathing or peril and they do not think of trying to escape! Shariputra, this rich man thought to himself, I have strength in my body and arms. I can wrap them in a robe or place them on a bench and carry them out of the house. And then again he thought, This house has only one gate, and moreover it is narrow and small.

Wm. Theodore de Bary et al., ed., Sources of Japanese Tradition, 2nd ed. (New York: Columbia University Press, 2001)

58 EARLY JAPAN

My sons are very young, they have no understanding, and they love their games, being so engrossed in them that they are likely to be burned in the fire. I must explain to them why I am fearful and alarmed. The house is already in flames and I must get them out quickly and not let them be burned up in the fire!

Having thought in this way, he followed his plan and called to all his sons, saying, 'You must come out at once!' But though the father was moved by pity and gave good words of instruction, the sons were absorbed in their games and unwilling to heed him. They had no alarm, no fright, and in the end no mind to leave the house. Moreover, they did not understand what the fire was, what the house was, what danger was. They merely raced about this way and that i1'. play and looked at their father without heeding him.

At that time the rich man had this thought: The house is already in flames from this huge fire. If I and my sons do not get out at once, we are certain to be burned. I must now invent some expedient means that will make it possible for the children to escape harm.

The father understood his sons and knew what various toys and curious objects each child customarily liked and what would delight them. And so he said to them, 'The kind of playthings you like are rare and hard to find. If you do not take them when you can, you will surely regret it later. For example, things like these goat-carts, deer-carts, and ox-carts. They are outside the gate now where you can play with them. So you must come out of this burning house at once. Then whatever ones you want, I will give them all to you!'

At that time, when the sons heard their father telling them about these rare playthings, because such things were just what they had wanted, each felt em­ b oldened in heart and, pushing and shoving one another, they all came wildly dashing out of the burning house.

At this time the rich man, seeing that his sons had gotten out safely and all were seated on the open ground at the crossroads and were no longer in danger, was greatly relieved and his mind danced for joy. At that time each of the sons said to his father, 'The playthings you promised us earlier, the goat-carts and deer-carts and ox-carts-please give them to us now!'

Shariputra, at that time the rich man gave to each of his sons a large carriage of uniform size and quality. The carriages were tall and spacious and adorned with numerous jewels. A railing ran all arnund them and bells hung from all four sides. A canopy was stretched over the top, which was also decorated with an assortment of precious jewels. Ropes of jewels twined around, a fringe of flowers hung down, and layers of cushions were spread inside, on which were placed vermilion pillows. Each carriage was drawn by a white ox, pure and clean in hide, handsome in form and of great strength, capable of pulling the carriage smoothly and properly at a pace fast as the wind. In addition, there were many grooms and servants to attend and guard the carriage.

What was the reason for this? This rich man's wealth was limitless and he

Prince Shotoku and His Constitution 59

had many kinds of storehouses that were all filled and overflowing. And he thought to himself, "There is no end to my possessions. It would not be right if I were to give my sons small carriages of inferior make. These little boys are all my sons and I love them without partiality. I have countless numbers of large carriages adorned with seven kinds of gems. I should be fair-minded and give one to each of my sons. I should not show any discrimination. Why? Because even if I distributed these possessions of mine to every person in the whole country I would still not exhaust them, much less could I do so by giving them to my sons!"

At that time each of the sons mounted his large carriage, gaining something he had never had before, something he had originally never expected. "Shari­ putra what do you think of this? When this rich man impartially handed out to his sons these big carriages adorned with rare jewels, was he guilty of false­ hood or not?"

Shariputra said, "No, World-Honored One. This rich man simply made it possible for his sons to escape the peril of fire and preserve their lives. He did not commit a falsehood. Why do I say this? Because if they were able to preserve their lives, then they had already obtained a plaything of sorts. And how much more so when, through an expedient means, they are rescued from that burning house." ...

[Adapted from Watson, The Lotus Siitra, pp. 23-31, 56-63)

106 EARLY JAPAN

THE SOTRA OF THE GOLDEN LIGHT

The full title of this work, Sutra of the Sovereign Kings of the Golden Light Ray (Konko myo saisho ogyo), refers to the Deva Kings who came to pay homage to the Buddha. The s(ltra is credited with inspiring the first temple built by the court, the Shitennoji (or Temple of the Four Deva Kings). When Tenmu seized the throne in 672, this sutra appears to have influenced his decision to promote Buddhism in the interest of the new regime. His pre�ecessor, Tenchi (Tenji), had been clearly associated with the Confucian political order, and as we have seen, Tenchi's assumption of power was justified by numerous portents indicating that he had received the Mandate of Heaven. Tenmu found a similar justification in the Golden Light Sutra, which set forth a doctrine of kingship based on merit-merit achieved in former existences and through the wholehearted support of Buddhism. It thus strongly implied that kings rule by a kind of "divine right" not based on any hereditary claim but, rather, on the ruler's religious merit. In Tenmu's case, his realm would enjoy peace and harmony from the beneficial influence of Buddhist teachings on public morality, and even the cosmic order would respond to his virtue and bestow blessings on him and his people. Here, then, is a Buddhist claim to religious legitimacy overriding any customary right

4. Sansom, "The Imperial Edicts in the Shoku-Nihongi," p. 26.

Nara Buddhism 107

of dynastic inheritance. It is no wonder that Tenmu held this sutra in particular honor· and fostered the growth of Buddhism by ordering every family to have a Buddhist shrine in its house. THE PROTECTION OF THE COUNTRY BY THE FOUR DEVA KINGS

Then the Four Deva Kings, their right shoulders bared from their robes in respect, arose from their seats and, with their right knees touching the ground and their palms joined in humility, thus addressed Buddha: "Most Revered One! When, in some future time, this Sutra of the Golden 1Light is transmitted to every part of a kingdom-to its cities, towns, and villages,, its mountains, forests, and fields-if the king of the land listens with his whole/ heart to these writings, praises them, and makes offerings on their behalf, and/ if moreover he supplies this siltra to the four classes of believers, protects them, j and keeps them from all harm, we Deva Kings, in recognition of his deeds, will '1• protect the king and his people, give them peace and freedom from suffering, prolong their lives, and fill them with glory. Most Revered One! If when the 1, king sees that the four classes of believers receive the siltra, he respects and Iprotects them as he would his own parents, we Four Kings will so protect him always that whatever he wishes will come about, and all sentient beings will h. " respect 1m . ...Then Buddha declared to the Four Deva Kings: "Fitting is it indeed that you Four Kings should thus defend the holy writings. In the past I practiced bitter austerities of every kind for 100,000 kalpas [eons]. Then, when I attained supreme enlightenment and realized in myself universal wisdom, I taught this law. If a king upholds this siltra and makes offerings in its behalf, I will purify him of suffering and illness and bring him peace of mind. I will protect his cities, towns, and villages and scatter his enemies. I will make all strife among the rulers of men to cease forever., "Know ye, Deva Kings, that the 84,000 rulers of the 84,000 cities, towns, and villages of the world shall each enjoy happiness of every sort in his own land; that they shall all possess freedom of action and obtain all manner of precious things in abundance; that they shall never again invade each other's territories; that they shall receive recompense in accordance with their deeds of previous existences; that they shall no longer yield to the evil desire of taking the lands of others; that they shall learn that the smaller their desires the greater the blessing; and that they shall emancipate themselves from the suffering of w a r ­fare and bondage. The people of their lands shall be joyous, and upper and lower classes will blend as smoothly as milk and water. They shall appreciate each other's feelings, join happily in diversions together, and, with all compas­sion and modesty, increase the sources of goodness. "In this way the nations of the world shall live in peace and prosperity, the

10 8

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14 EARLY JAPAN

BUDDHISM AND THE STATE IN NARA JAPAN

PROCLAMATION OF THE EMPEROR SHOMU-ON THE ERECTION OF

THE GREAT BUDDHA IMAGE

I' Having respectfully succeeded to the throne through no virtue of our own, out of a constant solicitude for all men, We have been ever intent on aiding them to reach the shore of the Buddha land. Already even the distant seacoasts of

this land have been made to feel the influence of our benevolence and regard for others, and yet not everywhere in this land do men enjoy the grace of

Buddha's law. Our fervent desire is that under the aegis of the Three Treasures,

the benefits of peace may be brought to all in heaven and earth, even animals and plants sharing in its fruits, for all time to come.

Therefore on the fiftee·nth day of the tenth month of the fifteenth year of

the Tempyo reign [ 743], which is the year of the goat and water junior,9 We take this occasion to proclaim our great vow of erecting an image of Lochana Buddha in gold and copper. We wish to make the utmost use of the nation's resources of metal in the casting of this image, and also to level off the high hill on which the great edifice is to be raised, so that the entire land may be

joined with us in the fellowship of Buddhism and enjoy in common the ad­ vantages which this undertaking affords to the attainment of Buddhahood.

It is we who possess the wealth of the land; it is we who possess all power in the land. With this wealth and power at our command, we have resolved to create this venerable object of worship. The task would appear to be an easy one, and yet a lack of sufficient forethought on our part might result in the people's being put to great trouble in vain, for the Buddha's heart would never be touched if, in the process, calumny and bitterness were provoked which led unwittingly to crime and sin.

Therefore all who join in the fellowship of this undertaking must be sincerely pious in order to obtain its great blessings, and they must daily pay homage to Lochana Buddha, so that with constant devotion each may proceed to the creation of Lochana Buddha. 10 If there are some desirous of helping in the

9. Year designation according to the Chinese sexagenary cycle (see chapter 4). 10, Although it might seem impious to think that the Cosmic Buddha himself could be so

created, in the Kegon philosophy the particular and the universal are one and inseparable, so

that an image properly conceived with a devout realization of the Buddha's true nature might stand for the Buddha himself.

,

I Nara Buddhism 115 construction of this image, though they have no more to offer than a twig or handful of dirt, they should be permitted to do so. The provincial and county authorities are not to disturb and harass the people by making arbitrary demands on them in the name of this project. This is to be proclaimed far and wide so that all may understand our intentions in this matter.

[From Shoku Nihongi, in Rikkokushi, III, pp. 320--321]

THE BODHISATTVA GYOGI

Gyogi [670?-749], a major figure in the Buddhism of the Nara period, gained great renown as a popular teacher and practitioner of good works-establishing hospitals, orphanages, old people's homes, rest houses, and the like and performing public works such as the construction of bridges, harbors, and canals for navigation and irrigation. At these sites, he established practice halls (dojo) that also served as seminaries for those serving on these projects. Although early on, the court looked askance at Gyogi's unconventional and unauthorized activities, in time, as he became popularly revered as a bodhisattva incarnate, the court sought lo appropriate his popularity and prestige for itself, at which point Emperor Shomu conferred on him high ecclesiastical rank (daisojo) in recognition of his standing among the people.

The following is taken from a collection of hagiographical writings compiled by the Tendai monk Chingen around 1040, containing miracle stories ostensibly con­ nected with the Lotus Sutra. It shows how a charismatic figure like Gyogi quickly became the stuff of legend and how the popularization of Buddhism attended the slate-building process in the Nara period.

Bodhisattva Gyogi was a man from the Otori District of Izumi Province. Koshi was his secular clan name.

When born, he was wrapped in a caul. His parents placed him on a tree branch as a method of decontaminating him. After one night, the parents found that their baby was out of the skin and already spoke well. They took him home and reared him.

When still a boy, Gyogi used lo praise the Law together with the neighbor­ hood children. As time passed, Gyogi had several followers, including young cowherds who attended Gyogi and ignored their cows and horses. When the masters of these cowherds needed them, they sent people to fetch the boys. But those who were sent for the boys, including men and women, the young and the old, listened to Gyogi preach and stayed with him, forgetting to ask the cowherds about the cattle. So finally Gyogi would climb to a high place and c·all out to gather the cattle. The scattered cows and horses gathered near Gyogi and each master took his cattle home by himself.

Later Gyogi took the tonsure and became a monk ofYakushiji Temple. He

116 EARLY JAPAN

read the commentaries including the Yugayuishikiron" and perceived the deep significance in these writings.

Gyogi traveled widely in cities and in rural areas, cultivating the people.

Nearly one thousand people followed him, wishing to be taught. ... Gyogi visited various dangerous and yet important places. He constructed

bridges and roads. He investigated the irrigation and cultivation of rice fields

and he dug ponds for reservoirs and built dikes. Those who heard of his projects

all gathered and helped him. So the construction was finished in a short time.

Since then, farmers and peasants have greatly benefited.

Gyogi built as many as forty-nine halls" in the area near the capital including

Yamato, Kawachi, Yamashiro, Izumi and Settsu and built more in other

provmces.

Once while on his way home after traveling in various provinces practicing

the Way, Gyogi saw some villagers including adults and children gathered

around a pond, catching fish and eating them. As Gyogi passed by, one of the

youngsters playfully urged Gyogi to eat some of the cut-up raw fish. As Gyogi

put the morsels into his mouth and spat them out, the fish meat became small

fish. Those who watched marveled greatly.

Emperor Shomu respected Gyogi and granted him the rank of Grand Ab­

bot.13 Chiko, 14 another eminent monk of that time, felt jealous of Gyogi, and

thought, "I am a learned Grand Abbot while Gyogi is a mere monk without

much learning. Why does the emperor appreciate him so much more and

ignore me?" Holding a strong grudge against the emperor and Gyogi, Chiko

retired into a mountain and soon died there. According to his wishes, Chiko's body was not immediately buried but was left as it was.

Ten days later, Chiko revived and said to his disciples, "Messengers from King Yama's palace pursued me. As we ran, we saw a beautiful golden edifice

glittering with radiance. I asked the messengers whose palace it was. The mes­

sengers replied that it was the place where Bodhisattva Gyogi was born. As we proceeded further, we saw fire and smoke ahead. When I asked the messengers,

they said that the fire and smoke were from the hell where I was going. Soon

we arrived there.

King Yama told me in a roaring voice that I was brought down to hell to be

punished for my evil and jealous feelings toward Gyogi in the country of Japan.

Soon I was made to hold a hot copper pole and my flesh and bones burned

and festered. After I atoned for my sins, I was released."

11. A major text of the Dharma Character (Hosso) school translated by Xuanzang. 12. Temple construction was restricted in the Nara period, so village temples, which did not

conform to government restrictions, were called d6ji5, "practice halls."

13. Grand abbot or superintendent. 14. An eminent scholarly monk of the Nara period who studied the Three Treatise (Sanron)

Teachings, belonged to the Gang6ji Temple, and left numerous commentaries on the sutras.

N a ra B

u d

d h ism

117

N o w

th at C

h iko h

ad revived

, h e w

ish ed

to ap

o lo

gize to G

yo gi. A

t th at tim

e, G

yo gi w

as en gaged

in co

n stru

ctin g a b

rid ge sp

an n

in g N

an iw

a B ay in

T su

P rov­

in ce. W

h en

G yo

gi saw C

h iko

at a d istan

ce, h e sm

iled at h

im . C

h ik

o p ro

strated

h im

self b efo

re G yo

gi an d tearfu

lly b egged h

is p ard

o n

. W

h en

th e em

p ero

r b u

ilt th e T

od aiji T

em p le,

15 h

e o

rd ered

G yo

gi to o

ff er a

d ed

icatio n

service fo r th

e tem p le as lectu

rer. G yogi replied

th at h

e w o u

ld n

o t

b e ab

le to serve as a lectu rer at su

ch a great m

eetin g, b

u t th

at a h o ly m

an fr

o m

a fo

reig n co

u n

try w o u

ld co

m e to o

ff er th

e service. W

h en

th e d

ay arrived , G

yogi said th

at th ey sh

o u

ld w

elco m

e th e h

o ly m

an .

W ith

an im

perial o rd

er, G yogi led

n in

ety-n in

e p riests an

d th

e o ffi

cials fr o m

th

ree o ffi

ces in clu

d in

g th o se fo

r aristo crats, fo

r priests an d n

u n

s, an d

fo r m

u sic.

H e w

en t to

th e p

o rt o

f N an

iw a an

d w aited th

ere w ith

m u

sic. H

o ld

in g a set o

f a rg

h a

16 (B

u d d

h ist u

ten sils fo

r o ff

erin g s), w

ith arran

ged fl

o w

­ ers an

d b

u rn

in g in

cen se, G

y o gi to

o k th

e h u

n d

red th

p lace am

o n

g th e p

riests

an d

bo ard

ed a b

o at. ..

A fter a w

h ile .

. . th

ey saw a sm

all b o at ap

p ro

ach in

g. A

s it arrived at th

e sh

o re, an

In d ian

step p

ed o

n th

e b each

. S eein

g th is, G

yogi raised a h

an d , sm

iled

at th e In

d ian

p riest, an

d recited

a p o em

,

T h

e tru th

o f th

e w o rd

s V

ow ed

b efo

re Sh akyam

u n i

A t V

u ltu

re P eak

D id

n ot d

ie an d

W e h

ave m et again

.

T h

e h o ly m

an fr

o m

th e fo

reign co

u n try resp

o n

d ed

b y recitin

g h is p

o em

,

A s p

ro m

ised to each o

th er

A t K

ap ilavastu

, I can

n o w

see T

h e fa

ce o f M

an ju

sh rI.

G yogi said

to th

e m o n

ks an d

lay m en

in h

is p resen

ce th at th

e h o ly m

an w

as B

o d

h isen

a, a m o n

k fr o m

S o u

th In

d ia. T

h e p

eo p le gath

ered at th

e p lace n

o w

k n

ew th

at G yo

gi w as an

in carn

atio n

of M aii

ju sh

d . T

h ere is n

o m

o re sp

ace to

item ize o

th er m

iracu lo

u s h

ap p en

in gs.

G yog i, at th

e age o f eigh

ty, p assed

aw ay on

th e fo

u rth

d ay of th

e seco n

d m

o n

th o

f th e fi

rst year o f T

en p yo

sh o h

o (7 49

).

[T rans. adap

ted fr om

D ykstra, M

irac u lou

s T ales, pp

. 27- 29]

15.T h

e In d ian

B o d h

isen a ( 70

4- 760

) cam e to Jap

an in

736 an d , o

n G

y og

i's reco m

m en

d atio

n ,

p resid

ed at the E

ye-O p en

in g C

erem o n y of th

e G reat B

u d

d h a of th

e T od

aiji T em

p le in

7 52.

16 . A

se t o

f sp ecial co

n tain

e rs are u

sed fo

r th e a

k a

o r th

e w ater o

ff e

red to

th e

B u

d dh

a.

' il£ ~I~

' : i ' . .