The Prince and the Monk: Shotoku Worship in Shinran's Buddhism

Introduction

Introduction Shotoku Taishi1 (574–622), or Prince Shotoku, was an imperial regent traditionally regarded as a cultural hero of Japan and the father of Japanese Buddhism . A member and representative of the Soga clan, the powerful Japanese court family that rose to prominence with the accession of the Emperor Kimmei in 531 C.E., Shotoku, whose name means “sovereign moral power,” is recognized for his pivotal role as the imperial regent (593–622) under Empress Suiko in the enhancement of Japanese politics and culture during the Asuka period (538–710). At this time, the Japanese government launched an exhaustive campaign to unify, reform, and modernize Japan by adopting Buddhism and instituting governmental and cultural reforms based on Chinese models. These included the promotion of the Confucian ideal of emperorship under the “mandate of heaven” concept,2 establishment of the twelve official ranks at court, and implementation of the Chinese written language, the Chinese calendar , the practice of recording history, the use of coins, and the standardization of weights and measures. Although Japan was culturally backward and conservative at the time of Shotoku’s birth in 574, by the time of his death in 622 Japanese political, economic, and religious infrastructures had been drastically and fundamentally changed by the impact of Chinese and Korean culture. As a result of his significant contributions to the governance of the Japanese nation and the promotion of Japanese Buddhism, Shotoku became a legendary figure over time, so much so that the character of the actual man had been lost. Following his death, Shotoku continued to be so highly venerated by all Japanese people that he was worshiped as a kami3 and an incarnation of the bodhisattva Kannon.4 For centuries, imperial authorities and temple establishments have worked together to successfully promote the image of Prince Shotoku as an ideal regent and Buddhist saint. This book addresses the historical development of the political and religious myths surrounding the legend of Shotoku Taishi and the role of faith in this figure for Shinran (1173–1262), the well-known founder of one of the Pure Land schools (Jodo Shinshu) of Buddhism in the Kamakura period (1185–1333). This study examines the development of Shotoku legends in 1 Japan and the importance of Shotoku worship in Shinran’s Buddhism, analyzing Shinran’s liturgical text, his dream of Shotoku’s manifestation as the guze Kannon (world-saving bodhisattva of compassion), and other relevant events surrounding his life. Additionally, this study shows that Shinran’s Buddhism was consistent with the honji suijaku culture—the synthesis of the Shinto and Buddhist pantheons—that existed in kenmitsu Buddhism,5 the dominant Buddhist establishment during the medieval period.6 In other words, Shinran’s worship of Shotoku as a manifestation of the bodhisattva Kannon was synonymous with devotion to Shotoku as a powerful kami. My thesis is that Shinran’s thought has been misunderstood among nearly all the major branches of Buddhism he founded precisely because his heirs in the dharma failed to appreciate the central importance of his worship of this historical and legendary figure of Shotoku. I believe that this is, in fact, the key element that helps us to better understand and appreciate the uniqueness of Shinran’s religious views. Traditional understanding of Shinran’s teaching by Western Shin scholars, such as the work by Dennis Hirota and Alfred Bloom, generally focuses on Shinran’s doctrinal teachings regarding the practitioner’s birth in the Pure Land through the primacy of shinjin7 (sincere mind entrusting ), and in reliance on Other-power (tariki) over self-power (jiriki). However, there is hardly any mention of Shinran’s worship of Shotoku, which I believe needs further examination since Shotoku figures prominently in the many liturgical hymns written by Shinran. Among the over 500 wasan (hymns) he composed, Shinran dedicated 190 of them in praise of Shotoku after he experienced a revelatory event connected with Shotoku that formed an important part of Shinran’s religious identity. But since Shinran fails to discuss Shotoku in any significant way in his doctrinal writings, the role of his reverence or devotion for Shotoku is not clear. The reasons why this problem has not been given much attention by Japanese scholars, and almost entirely ignored outside of Japan, center on two points. First, the cult of Shotoku (Taishi shinko) was quite widespread in Japan at the time, so Shinran’s view does not seem particularly noteworthy. Second, one simply does not see faith in Shotoku in the religious doctrines and...