日本の密教曼陀羅と神仏習合
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概要
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This is a study of mandalas unique to Esoteric Buddhism and the influence they had on religious developments in Japan, especially in terms of movements toward a union of Buddhism and Shintoism. Several sites of esoteric Buddhism are examined, including Koyasan, Hieizan, Kumano, and stone images of the Buddha found in Oita Prefecture. Since ancient times, natural phenomen, especially mountains, were considered as gods or kami in Japan. This polytheistic nature of Shinto agreed with Buddhism, and allowed Japanese to believe that the Buddha could be identified with the Japanese gods.This identification between Buddhist deities and nature influenced the themes portrayed in Buddhist iconography, particularly the mandala. The lack of a sense of the absolute also contributed to change in the construction of mandalas. Furthermore, these "emblems of the other world" were somewhat more malleable in Japan, perhaps because Japanese themselves felt so close to the other world. In was through this indigenization of the mandala that we can see the indigenization of Buddhism, that is the transformation of Buddhism into a Japanese religion.
- 2005-04-01