Original Enlightenment and the Transformation of Medieval Japanese Buddhism (Studies in East Asian Buddhism) by Jacqueline I. Stone (1-Aug-2003) Paperback

Kuroda Studies in East Asian Buddhism

by Jacqueline I. Stone

This study moves beyond the treatment of the original enlightenment doctrine as abstract philosophy to explore its historical dimension. Drawing on a wealth of medieval primary sources and modern Japanese scholarship, it places this discourse in its ritual, institutional and social contexts.

Genres: Buddhism, History, Japan, Japanese Literature, Religion

Paperback

First published October 1, 1999

Reviews

[Jessica Zu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply brilliant, Hongaku as an embodied in rituals, debate in institutional education, social context of aristocracization and secret transmission. The interactive theory about the emergence of different forms of religious communities still stand as a viable way of understanding religion today, 16years after the book was first published. The shared paradigm of hongaku between Tientai and Kamakura buddhism and its later variations are still a useful heuristic tool! Her section on Kanjin-style interpretation is simply marvelous, funny yet thought provoking.
I only hope that she can work on shared strategies of legitimazation in her interactive theory. Maybe we should not call that a theory, just a perspective that foregrounds the interactions which draw our attention to the dynamics rather than static concepts of faith, doctrine, sacred books etc ...

[Dennis Merimsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Shakyamuni's early sayings, enlightenment is a distant goal, accessible only to the few, who succeed in slogging their way through lifetime after lifetime of stringent practice to eradicate delusion, bad karma, earthly desires and defilements in order to liberate themselves from the twelve links of dependent origination. This is known as "acquired enlightenment", which fits in with the notion of Buddhas as resplendent beings with special physical characteristics and supernormal powers.
In contrast, the doctrine of "original enlightenment" (hongaku) makes liberation readily accessible to all beings in a moment's realization. Jacqueline Stone writes :" Liberation is reimagined, not as the eradication of mental defilements or as achieving birth in a pure land after death, but as the insight, or even the faith, that one has been enlightened from the very beginning." This idea was immensely appealing to the Japanese who lived in the dangerous Kamakura period (1185-1333), and suffered from a whole series of natural disasters and violent events, but its source was much earlier. Jacqueline considers the most influential source to be the sixth century treatise "The Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana" which likened the originally enlightened mind to the still depths of the ocean which when stirred by the winds of ignorance produces waves of deluded thoughts. In truth, a similar idea can already be found in the Shakyamuni's Numerical Discourses (not mentioned in this book) " mind, monks, is luminous, but it is cleansed of taints that come from without. This the educated disciple understands as it really is". Moving on to chapter twelve of the Lotus Sutra, which reflects Shakyamuni's later thought, we find an example of instant and universal enlightenment in the attainment of Buddhahood in a moment by the eight year old daughter of the dragon king. If such a lowly creature can attain enlightenment so quickly, maybe we all can? This example was cited by Saicho (also known as Dengyo) who founded the Tendai school in ninth century Japan and asserted the superiority of The Lotus sutra over all others because it reflected the Buddha's own enlightenment. But if the self is postulated to be a delusion where does Buddhahood come from?
The Nirvana Sutra postulated the existence of a universal Buddha nature (the tahagata-garbha or womb of Buddhahood).and the sixth T’ien-t’ai patriarch Chan-jan argued that not only human beings but even the grasses and trees have Buddha nature. Jacqueline Stone writes:
"the doctrine of the Buddha nature of insentient beings would exert a profound influence on both Tendai thought and Japanese Buddhism generally"
In the Kamakura period, a privileged group of well-educated male aristocrats filled the ranks of the clergy in the established Buddhist institutions of Tendai, Shingon and Nara which shared a base in esoteric Buddhist teachings and practices, while each school propagated its own particular exoteric doctrine. Fundamental to this exoteric-esoteric system (known as kenmitsu) were the esoteric magic Mikyo rituals performed by the temple shrine complexes for their aristocratic patrons to ward off danger and invite prosperity.. In return they received grants of extensive private estates. "Original enlightenment" doctrines were perfectly suited to establishment needs. Siacho initiated new precepts expressing innate Buddhahood, but the de-emphasis on external regulations led to the abandonment of moral guidelines, the development of warrior monks who razed rival temple shrines and also married and amassed property in violation of the monk's code. Clerical positions were kept within the noble families by father-to-son secret precept-essence transmissions or sold.
It was no wonder,that in this corrupt environment, there emerged new Kamakura Buddhist sects led by Nichiren, Honen, Esai, Shinran and Dogan "who began their careers as Tendai monks and studied on Mt. Hei, where hongaku thought was flourishing. They shared many ideas with Tendai hongaku like the direct access to Buddhahood for all even evil and ignorant people, and the primacy of faith. Each one of the new founders emphasized a single practice of Buddhism as a means of salvation e.g Nichiren chanting daimoku (the title of the Lotus Sutra), Honen reciting nembutsu (Amida;s name), Dogen's zazen. They were united in their condemnation of the corrupt self-interested establishment which gave priority to abstract thought divorced from the reality of everyday life. Nichiren, in particular was highly critical of Tendai scholars who now" fashion a document describing that heritage, put it in a brocade bag and hang it around their neck, or hide it away in a box and sell it for a high price".
The new movements denied the authority of the religious establishment, none more so than Nichiren, Jacqueline Stone expresses the uniqueness of Nichiren's ideas." Nichiren's uniqueness (as opposed to the Tendai or Shingon schools) was that, for him, the identity of the saha world (our world of suffering) and the Buddha's land was not only to be realized subjectively in the moment of practice but manifested in actuality; as faith in the Lotus Sutra spread from one person to another, there would occur an objective visible transformation of the outer world." For this, to happen it would be necessary to maintain staunch faith not only to realize Buddhahood but also to continue proving its effectivity in overcoming the adversities of this world. On the one hand, Nichiren saw innate Buddhahood as readily accessible for everybody so he could write" With regard to the Lotus Sutra, when one’s hand takes it up, that hand immediately attains Buddhahood, and when one’s mouth chants it, that mouth is itself a Buddha, " On the other hand, he strongly emphasized the need for continuous practice in order to triumph over inner darkness and their inevitable reflection in outer obstacles. In his words :"To accept is easy; to continue is difficult. But Buddhahood lies in continuing faith"
Jacqueline Stone has written a fine book about "original enlightenment" emphasizing its central role in transforming medieval Japanese Buddhism. This is book is a classic in its field.