I. Buddhism and Shamanism In Asia and Heian Japan (Continuation of Pre-recorded Lecture 1)
 

A. Review of the Doctrine of Expedient Means: that the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will use any means possible (whatever works best for you, the individual) to bring you to an understanding of the truth of Buddhism and onto the path of enlightenment

B. How was the doctrine of Expedient Means used as a strategy to incorporate local/native religions and gods into Buddhism?

C. How was Buddhism in turn affected by local religions, especially shamanism?
 

1. What did people demand?

a. Concrete help with real world problems (disease, infertility, bad harvests)

b. Result: development of shamanic Buddhist rituals of exorcism and paciication

1) rituals to deal with personal misfortunes such as illness
2). rituals to make sure there is a good harvest
3) rituals to prevent natural disasters
4) rituals to provide protection for individuals, their households, and eventually the nation

2. How did Buddhist priests justify using shamanic Buddhist rituals?

1) originally may have been expedient means to get people to convert

2) proves superiority of Buddhist rituals over local religions

3) Buddhist priests come to believe in power of shamanic Buddhism themselves

D. Idea of the Age of the Decline of the Dharma (Mappô)

1. Age of the Right Dharma (Jp: shobô)

a. 1000 years after Buddha's death: everyone can both understand and practice Buddha's teaching

2. Age of the Semblance Dharma (Jp: zobô)

b. Next 1000 years: you can understand, but not correctly practice Buddha's teaching

3. Age of the Degenerate Dharma (Jp. mappô)

a. Next 10,000 years: You can neither understand nor practice Buddha's teaching

b. Begins 2000 years after the death of the historical Buddha, Shakamuni Budhha

c. Assuming the date of the Buddha's death to be around 949 BCE (completely wrong dating), Japanese Buddhists calculated that the Age of the Degenerate Dharma (mappô) began about 1052 CE.

d. Will last 10,000 years until the coming of Miroku (Sk. Maitreya), the Future Buddha

II. Institutional Buddhism in Heian period

A. Tendai and Shingon (Esoteric Buddhism)

1. Esoteric versus Exoteric religion

exo=

eso=

2. How Esoteric Buddhism uses concept of expedient means

3. If so elitest, why so popular in Heian Japan?

a. Aesthetics: statues, paintings, rituals, temples

b. Develop notion of Universal Salvation (all living beings have the possibility of becoming Buddha because they contain a spark of ultimate reality or "Buddha nature")

c. Develop concept of "honji-suijaku" (Buddhas as "original source," Kami as "manifestations" or "manifest trace") to incorporate Shinto deities into Buddhist pantheon

  B. How does incorporation of Buddhist world view affect ghosts?

1. Why are Buddhist rituals seen as more powerful than pre-Buddhist shamanic rituals?

a. passionate attachment is better explanatory mechanism for ghosts

b. pacification by teaching ghost the truth of non-attachment seen as more effective to get rid of them permanently

2. Layering of beliefs: we will see this throughout the course!

 

III. How does the story of Sugawara no Michizane (845-903) fit the model of goryô discussed in pre-recorded lecture 2?

2. 866 sent to be governor of Sanuki province for four years (a mediocre governor).

3. Intercedes in a political incident between Emperor Uda and Fujiwara no Mototsune.

a.  Emperor Uda favors Michizane and recalls him from Sanuki province (890)

b. 891-897 Michizane rises to become high level senior minister to Uda

4. Emperor Uda abdicates, Emperor Daigo takes the throne, and Michizane loses his political support

B. Who was involved in his exile and death?

    1. Fujiwara no Tokihira (871-909)

     2. Miyoshi no Kiyoyuki (rival scholar): practioner of Onmyôdô

a. NOTE: Kiyoyuki's sons: Jôzô and Dôken (AKA Nichizô) were involved in Michizane's later deification

C. What happens after Michizane dies? How is he understood to have manifested as a GORYÔ?

1. 909: Tokihira dies at age 39 (image)

2. 922: Tokihira's nephew, the crown prince (son of Emperor Daigo), dies at age 21

3. 925: Tokihira's grandson is named crown prince, but dies at age 5

4. 930: Lightening strike at palace causes death of four courtiers including Fujiwara no Kiyotsura who had visited Michizane in 901 in Kyushu and reported that Michizane admitted plotting to overthrow the throne

5. 930: Emperor Daigo dies a few months later

 

D. How does Michizane become identified as the God of Thunder (NARUKAMI or RAIDEN, a raijin)?

1. (image)

2. earlier episode when Michizane was governor of Sanuki (image)

In-universe explanation of these events: Michizane's angry spirit is wreaking havoc on his enemies at court and therefore needs to be pacified

Critical (present day) perspective: court believes in his goryo and therefore tries to pacify him, but as part of that process we see different factions vying for power

II. Discussion questions to think about in section: Looking at oracles that develop around Michizane, what evidence do you see that various factions (religious, political, class-based) are struggling for control of Michizane's story?

A. Who was the "author" of each oracle? I.e. who became possessed to give the oracle or had the dream vision? (male or female? part of a religious institution or non-institutional?)

B. Who was the intended audience?

1. Four political factions:

a. peasants
b. Fujiwara family (have control of the court)
c. other aristocrats who want to wrest power away from Fujiwara
d. other aristocrats who want to position themselves favorably in relation to the court/Fujiwara

2. Two Religious Factions:

a. popular shamanic religion, often led by charismatic female shamans, tied to peasants
b. institutional religion, both Shinto and Buddhist, led by male religious figures, tied to aristocracy

C. Purpose? (not entertainment)

D. Main question to ask: What do they have to gain from the oracle? How do the oracles reveal various religious and political factions fighting for control over Michizane?

a. How do the common people view Michizane? That is, how does popular worship of Michizane link up to popular political protest?


b. How do the Fujiwara (and Kiyoyuki's family) view Michizane?


c. How do other powerful aristocrats view Michizane?

ORACLE 1: In 939 a "prostitute" (shamaness) becomes possessed at Hachiman Shrine and gives an oracular proclamation that the rebel Taira no Masakado is to be the new emperor; Michizane is supposed to have written the proclamation. [Borgen, p. 314]

ORACLE 2: Dôken (Nichizô)'s dream oracle of 941 [Borgen, pp. 315-319, Tyler, "God of Fire and Thunder"]

ORACLE 3: Tajihi no Ayako (peasant shamaness) oracle of 942 [Borgen, pp. 319-320]


ORACLE 4: In the third month of 947, oracle received in Ômi province by seven-year-old son of Shinto Priest Miwa no Yoshitane [Borgen, pp. 320-21]

Class discussion: looking at oracle 1

 

 

III. How does Michizane's angry spirit manifest itself in the Heian period? How is this different from contemporary notions of ghosts?