Dear Readers,
Thank you for following the essays on this blog in spite of the fact that I can write only a few times a month. It is awesome to know that I am communicating with people around the world through this blog.
In Japan, the temperature has suddenly dropped. Until four days ago, the high of the day was about 25 degrees Celsius, which was way warmer than the average temperature of the same day in recent years, but then three days ago, the maximum temperature of the day in Osaka dropped to 14 and the lowest to 10 degrees, which are as low as in mid-December. Therefore, people suddenly had to take out winter clothes, even overcoats and mufflers and put away summer slothes.
A week ago, there was a very strong typhoon (Typhoon 13). It hit the lowest pressure ever recorded: 895 hectopascal. Even the Hurricane Katrina, which wreaked great havoc in southern U.S.A., was about 905 hectopascal at its heyday. I assume the people in the Philippines, Taiwan and southern China were severely affected. It didn't hit Japan directly, but it brought heavy rains on the Southwest Islands (Okinawa Prefecture) and caused a lot of damages. When I am writing this today, I hear about the next typhoon (Typhoon 14) that is heading toward the Southwest Islands and then Japan's mainland.
Two or three days ago, there was also a big earthquake near the island of Sumatra and, I have just learned that there was a 30-meter-high tidal wave on the nearby islands.
Whenever I hear of natural calamities, I cannot help realizing that our seemingly "normal" and "eventless" daily life is actually a miracle, a gift from nature. We humans have developed science and technology and are acting as if we were the rulers of the entire earth. We are even trying to extend our influence to the moon and other planets. However, we mustn't forget the fact that the human species came into existence after many rises and extinctions of other species. It is said that even the human species faced extinction several times in its existence of about 5 million years. We should appreciate the fact that we are only granted a limited time of existence on this planet and on this universe.
読者の皆さま
このブログを読んでいただいて有難うございます。月に数回しか書けなくて申し訳ありません。このブログを通じて世界中の人々と交信できることは、本当に素晴らしいことです。
日本は４日ほど前までは、夏からの連続で暖かい日が続いていたのですが、３日前に急に温度が下がりました。今日なども大阪の最低気温は11度、最高気温15度で、例年の12月ほどの寒さだそうです。皆さん急に夏物をしまって、冬物の衣類を取り出さなければなりませんでした。
1週間前、台風13号というすごい台風がフィリッピンを襲い、中国南部に向かいました。この台風の最盛期には気圧が895ヘクトパスカルという、気象庁が記録をはじめて以来の低い気圧だったそうです。数年前アメリカで大被害を及ぼしたタリケーン・カトリナでさえ905ヘクトパスカルだったそうです。まだ情報がとどいていませんが、おそらくフィリッピンの人たちは大被害を受けたのでしょう。日本には直接やってきませんでしたが、南西諸島、特に鹿児島県徳之島では大雨のため多くの被害が出ているようです。今これを書いている間にも、非常に強い台風第14号が沖縄県の方に向かっています。
また二、三日前にスマトラ島の南で震度7．5の大地震があったと聞きましたが、今朝に新聞によると、震源地の近くの島々に30メートルの大津波が押し寄せたとのことで、まだ被害状況が把握されていません。
こういった自然災害のニュースを聞く度に、私たちの「代わり映えしない」「毎日繰りかえされる」日常の生活が、奇跡であり、自然から与えられる贈り物だということを忘れてはならないと思うのです。私たち人類は科学・技術を高度に発展させ、あたかもこの地球の支配者であるかのように振る舞っています。人類は今やその影響力を月や太陽系の惑星にまで広げようとしています。しかし、忘れてならないことは、人類が現れたのは、地球の歴史の中で、多くの種の誕生と絶滅のあとであったということです。人類でさえ、その500万年の存在の中で、何度か絶滅の危機に瀕してきた、ともいわれています。私たちはこの惑星、この宇宙で、ごく限られた期間の存在を許されているのだ、ということを常に記憶しているべきでしょう。
2010年10月28日木曜日
2010年10月25日月曜日
Amida's "Command" 本願招喚の勅命
In the “Volume on True Practice” of the Kyōgyōshinshō, Shinran quotes Shan-tao’s definition of the six-letter Name, Namo Amida Butsu:
Namo means kimyō, or to take refuge. It further signifies aspiring for birth and directing virtue. Amida-butsu is the practice Because of this, one necessarily attains birth.” (cf. Collected Works of Shinran, Vol. 1, p. 37)
Shinran further interprets this definition by Shan-tao, a gist of which is as follows:
Namo is kimyō,… Thus, kimyō means the command of the Vow calling to and summoning us. Aspiring for birth and directing virtue indicates the mind of the Tathāgata who, having already established the Vow, gives sentient beings the practice necessary for their birth. The practice is the selected Primal Vow. One necessarily attains birth indicates the attainment of the stage of nonretrogression. (ibid. p. 38)
If you compare Shan-tao’s definition of the Name and Shinran’s interpretation of Shan-tao’s statement, it will become clear that while Shan-tao regarded taking refuge and aspiring for birth and directing virtue as the practicer’s acts, Shinran considered them as the Tathāgata’s compassionate acts directed toward us sentient beings.
Especially I would like to invite your attention to the sentence, “kimyō means the command of the Vow calling to and summoning us.” Shinran is using a very strong word “command” here, literally, its original word means “imperial command.” The imperial command is issued to suit the emperor’s policies, and if we do not obey it, we will be severely punished. However, Amida’s command comes from the Buddha’s compassion toward us. Amida is whole-heartedly inviting us to come to his land and has provided us with the grand passage to the Pure Land in the form of the Primal Vow.
Amida cannot just sit back and observe us lost and confused in the life of birth-and-death and shouts at us to come to his land. Imagine your little child straying into the raiway track. The first thing you would do is shouting at him, "Come back here!" That is Namo Amida Butsu.
『教行証文類』の行巻で、親鸞聖人は善導大師による六字名号「南無阿弥陀仏」の意味の解釈を引用されています。
「『南無』というのは、帰命（きみょうーー帰依）です。これはまた、発願回向（ほつがんえこう）、すなわち、功徳を回向して浄土に往生することを願う事を意味します。『阿弥陀仏』はそのための行です。だから南無阿弥陀仏を称えると必ず往生します。」
親鸞聖人はこの善導大師の解釈をさらに解釈して次のように仰っています。
「『南無』は帰命です。（中略）。『帰命』は本願が私たちに呼びかけ、呼び寄せている勅命です。『発願回向』というのは、阿弥陀如来がすでに願をおこして、私たち衆生に行を与えてくださった、という意味です『そのための行』というのは、如来の選択本願（第18願）です。『必ず往生する』というのは、不退の位につくこと、すなわち、決して以前の迷いの状態に戻らない、ということです。」
善導大師の原文と親鸞聖人の解釈を比べると、善導大師の文は、帰命も発願回向も阿弥陀仏の名を称えるのも行者自身の行為となっていますが、親鸞聖人の解釈では、これらはすべて、如来から私たちへの働きかけ、ということになっています。
特に注意していただきたいのは、「『帰命』は本願が私たちに呼びかけ、呼び寄せている勅命です」という文です。ここで親鸞聖人は「勅命」という非常に強い言葉を使っておられます。「勅命」のもとの意味は国王や皇帝が出す命令です。世俗の皇帝の命令は皇帝の政策を推進するために出されるものであり、それに逆らったり従わなかったりすると、重罰を科されます。それに反して阿弥陀仏の「勅命」は仏の慈悲の心から出ているのです。迷い迷っていて、進む方向も分からない私たちを見ておれなくて、大声でこちらに来い、といわれる叫び声です。
阿弥陀仏は私たちが迷い迷って、生きる方向も分からない状態をただ傍観することができなくて、「こちらにおいで、必ず護って上げるから」と叫んでおられます。私たちは自分の子どもが鉄道線路の方に歩いていくとしたら、最初にすることは「危ない！こっちにもどっておいで」と叫ぶでしょう。それが如来からいただく南無阿弥陀仏なのです。
Namo means kimyō, or to take refuge. It further signifies aspiring for birth and directing virtue. Amida-butsu is the practice Because of this, one necessarily attains birth.” (cf. Collected Works of Shinran, Vol. 1, p. 37)
Shinran further interprets this definition by Shan-tao, a gist of which is as follows:
Namo is kimyō,… Thus, kimyō means the command of the Vow calling to and summoning us. Aspiring for birth and directing virtue indicates the mind of the Tathāgata who, having already established the Vow, gives sentient beings the practice necessary for their birth. The practice is the selected Primal Vow. One necessarily attains birth indicates the attainment of the stage of nonretrogression. (ibid. p. 38)
If you compare Shan-tao’s definition of the Name and Shinran’s interpretation of Shan-tao’s statement, it will become clear that while Shan-tao regarded taking refuge and aspiring for birth and directing virtue as the practicer’s acts, Shinran considered them as the Tathāgata’s compassionate acts directed toward us sentient beings.
Especially I would like to invite your attention to the sentence, “kimyō means the command of the Vow calling to and summoning us.” Shinran is using a very strong word “command” here, literally, its original word means “imperial command.” The imperial command is issued to suit the emperor’s policies, and if we do not obey it, we will be severely punished. However, Amida’s command comes from the Buddha’s compassion toward us. Amida is whole-heartedly inviting us to come to his land and has provided us with the grand passage to the Pure Land in the form of the Primal Vow.
Amida cannot just sit back and observe us lost and confused in the life of birth-and-death and shouts at us to come to his land. Imagine your little child straying into the raiway track. The first thing you would do is shouting at him, "Come back here!" That is Namo Amida Butsu.
『教行証文類』の行巻で、親鸞聖人は善導大師による六字名号「南無阿弥陀仏」の意味の解釈を引用されています。
「『南無』というのは、帰命（きみょうーー帰依）です。これはまた、発願回向（ほつがんえこう）、すなわち、功徳を回向して浄土に往生することを願う事を意味します。『阿弥陀仏』はそのための行です。だから南無阿弥陀仏を称えると必ず往生します。」
親鸞聖人はこの善導大師の解釈をさらに解釈して次のように仰っています。
「『南無』は帰命です。（中略）。『帰命』は本願が私たちに呼びかけ、呼び寄せている勅命です。『発願回向』というのは、阿弥陀如来がすでに願をおこして、私たち衆生に行を与えてくださった、という意味です『そのための行』というのは、如来の選択本願（第18願）です。『必ず往生する』というのは、不退の位につくこと、すなわち、決して以前の迷いの状態に戻らない、ということです。」
善導大師の原文と親鸞聖人の解釈を比べると、善導大師の文は、帰命も発願回向も阿弥陀仏の名を称えるのも行者自身の行為となっていますが、親鸞聖人の解釈では、これらはすべて、如来から私たちへの働きかけ、ということになっています。
特に注意していただきたいのは、「『帰命』は本願が私たちに呼びかけ、呼び寄せている勅命です」という文です。ここで親鸞聖人は「勅命」という非常に強い言葉を使っておられます。「勅命」のもとの意味は国王や皇帝が出す命令です。世俗の皇帝の命令は皇帝の政策を推進するために出されるものであり、それに逆らったり従わなかったりすると、重罰を科されます。それに反して阿弥陀仏の「勅命」は仏の慈悲の心から出ているのです。迷い迷っていて、進む方向も分からない私たちを見ておれなくて、大声でこちらに来い、といわれる叫び声です。
阿弥陀仏は私たちが迷い迷って、生きる方向も分からない状態をただ傍観することができなくて、「こちらにおいで、必ず護って上げるから」と叫んでおられます。私たちは自分の子どもが鉄道線路の方に歩いていくとしたら、最初にすることは「危ない！こっちにもどっておいで」と叫ぶでしょう。それが如来からいただく南無阿弥陀仏なのです。
2010年10月18日月曜日
Ajatasatru and Salvation of Evil Ones 阿闍世王と悪人の救済
This is a gist of one of the lectures I gave during the Buddhist Study Center summer session in Honolulu, Hawaii.
This essay is connected with the short sentence at the end of the eighteenth vow, which goes:
When I attain Buddhahood, the sentient beings in the ten quarters will, with sincere mind, entrust themselves to me with joy and will, aspiring to be born in my land, recite my name up to ten times; if they are not born, I shall not attain perfect enlightenment. Excluded are those who commit the five grave offenses and who slander the Dharma.
The meaning of the main part of the vow is that when Bodhisattva Dharmākara attains Buddhahood as Amida Buddha, all persons who, entrusting themselves to the Buddha and aspiring to be born in the Pure Land, say the nembutsu even ten times will attain birth without fail. On the other hand, the last sentence sets an exception, seemingly contradicting the promise mentioned in the main sentence.
This short sentence is called “okushi-mon,” or “a sentence for holding people back from committing evil deeds.” Shinran took it very seriously. Toward the end of the Volume on True Faith, he says:
These two kinds of deeds (committing the five grave offenses and slandering the Dharma) bring to the offenders extremely heavy karma. If sentient beings commit them, they immediately fall into Avici Hell and find no way out of the ever-lasting, uninterrupted suffering there. However, the Tathāgata was afraid that they commit those offenses and said out of compassion, “They (the offenders of those evil deeds) will not attain birth,” in order to hold them back from committing those evil acts. It does not mean that they are not saved.
In order to prove the compassionate working of the Primal Vow, Shinran quotes passages concerning the salvation of King Ajātaśatru from the Nirvana Sutra. As discussed in the previous entry to this blog, King Ajātaśatru killed his father and usurped the throne. He even tried to kill his mother. That means that he committed three of the five grave offenses: killing of his father, mother and an arhat (an enlightened disciple of Śākyamuni Buddha) because his father was a devout disciple of the Buddha. The king even slandered the Buddha and the Dharma. That means he is already “excluded” from the Buddha’s salvation. The story goes as follows.
King Ajātaśatru is filled with remorse about his evil conduct and suffers from a heavy skin disease. His body is covered with boils. He has a high fever and smells very bad. Queen Vaidehī collects medicines from all over the country and tries to cure the illness, to no avail. The king says that his illness comes from his mind, not from his body, so it is incurable. Six ministers come one after another to advise him to meet their teachers, but he is not convinced. Then Minster Jīvaka, who is a medical doctor and a devout disciple of Śākyamuni Buddha, advises him to meet the Buddha. The minister feels that the Buddha is the only person that can cure him from the disease.
On their way to the Buddha's residence, the minister tell him that there is a strong possibility that the king will be saved from falling into hell because he has the strong sense of shame and self-reproach over what he has done. By “shame and self-reproach” is meant not committing further evil oneself and not leading others to commit evil; feeling ashamed within oneself and expressing this outwardly; feeling before others and feeling humility before heaven. Because one feels this kind of shame and self-reproach, one is called a human being. Without the sense of shame and self-reproach, one cannot be counted as a human being. Although the king has committed a terrible evil, he has this sense of shame and self-reproach. Therefore he is worthy of the Buddha’s guidance.
On the other hand, Śākyamuni Buddha knows through the power of wisdom that the king is coming and says that until he saves Ajātaśatru, he will not enter nirvana, for Ajātaśatru is an ordinary foolish being, always confused in illusion and lost in blind passions of greed, anger and ignorance. The Buddha was born to save such an ordinary person. To save Ajātaśatru is to save all sentient beings.
First, the Buddha heels the king’s physical illness through the “Moon-love Contemplation” and then cures him from his spiritual illness by expounding the Dharma. The king is completely emancipated from the physical and spiritual sufferings and says to the Buddha;
O World-honored one, observing the world, I see that the seed of the eranda grows the eranda tree. I do not see a candana tree growing frm an eranda seed. But now for the first time I see a candana tree growing from the seed of an eranda. The eranda seed is myself, the candana tree is shinjin (true faith) that has no root in my heart. ‘No root’ means that at the beginning I did not know to rever the Tathāgata, and did not entrust myself to the Dharma and Sangha. World-honored one, if I had not encountered the Tathāgata, the World-honored one, I would have undergone immesurable suffering for countless kalpas in the great hell.
In this way, Shinran uses the story of salvation of King Ajātaśatru as the model of evil ones who are the targets of the compassion of Amida Buddha.
This essay is connected with the short sentence at the end of the eighteenth vow, which goes:
When I attain Buddhahood, the sentient beings in the ten quarters will, with sincere mind, entrust themselves to me with joy and will, aspiring to be born in my land, recite my name up to ten times; if they are not born, I shall not attain perfect enlightenment. Excluded are those who commit the five grave offenses and who slander the Dharma.
The meaning of the main part of the vow is that when Bodhisattva Dharmākara attains Buddhahood as Amida Buddha, all persons who, entrusting themselves to the Buddha and aspiring to be born in the Pure Land, say the nembutsu even ten times will attain birth without fail. On the other hand, the last sentence sets an exception, seemingly contradicting the promise mentioned in the main sentence.
This short sentence is called “okushi-mon,” or “a sentence for holding people back from committing evil deeds.” Shinran took it very seriously. Toward the end of the Volume on True Faith, he says:
These two kinds of deeds (committing the five grave offenses and slandering the Dharma) bring to the offenders extremely heavy karma. If sentient beings commit them, they immediately fall into Avici Hell and find no way out of the ever-lasting, uninterrupted suffering there. However, the Tathāgata was afraid that they commit those offenses and said out of compassion, “They (the offenders of those evil deeds) will not attain birth,” in order to hold them back from committing those evil acts. It does not mean that they are not saved.
In order to prove the compassionate working of the Primal Vow, Shinran quotes passages concerning the salvation of King Ajātaśatru from the Nirvana Sutra. As discussed in the previous entry to this blog, King Ajātaśatru killed his father and usurped the throne. He even tried to kill his mother. That means that he committed three of the five grave offenses: killing of his father, mother and an arhat (an enlightened disciple of Śākyamuni Buddha) because his father was a devout disciple of the Buddha. The king even slandered the Buddha and the Dharma. That means he is already “excluded” from the Buddha’s salvation. The story goes as follows.
King Ajātaśatru is filled with remorse about his evil conduct and suffers from a heavy skin disease. His body is covered with boils. He has a high fever and smells very bad. Queen Vaidehī collects medicines from all over the country and tries to cure the illness, to no avail. The king says that his illness comes from his mind, not from his body, so it is incurable. Six ministers come one after another to advise him to meet their teachers, but he is not convinced. Then Minster Jīvaka, who is a medical doctor and a devout disciple of Śākyamuni Buddha, advises him to meet the Buddha. The minister feels that the Buddha is the only person that can cure him from the disease.
On their way to the Buddha's residence, the minister tell him that there is a strong possibility that the king will be saved from falling into hell because he has the strong sense of shame and self-reproach over what he has done. By “shame and self-reproach” is meant not committing further evil oneself and not leading others to commit evil; feeling ashamed within oneself and expressing this outwardly; feeling before others and feeling humility before heaven. Because one feels this kind of shame and self-reproach, one is called a human being. Without the sense of shame and self-reproach, one cannot be counted as a human being. Although the king has committed a terrible evil, he has this sense of shame and self-reproach. Therefore he is worthy of the Buddha’s guidance.
On the other hand, Śākyamuni Buddha knows through the power of wisdom that the king is coming and says that until he saves Ajātaśatru, he will not enter nirvana, for Ajātaśatru is an ordinary foolish being, always confused in illusion and lost in blind passions of greed, anger and ignorance. The Buddha was born to save such an ordinary person. To save Ajātaśatru is to save all sentient beings.
First, the Buddha heels the king’s physical illness through the “Moon-love Contemplation” and then cures him from his spiritual illness by expounding the Dharma. The king is completely emancipated from the physical and spiritual sufferings and says to the Buddha;
O World-honored one, observing the world, I see that the seed of the eranda grows the eranda tree. I do not see a candana tree growing frm an eranda seed. But now for the first time I see a candana tree growing from the seed of an eranda. The eranda seed is myself, the candana tree is shinjin (true faith) that has no root in my heart. ‘No root’ means that at the beginning I did not know to rever the Tathāgata, and did not entrust myself to the Dharma and Sangha. World-honored one, if I had not encountered the Tathāgata, the World-honored one, I would have undergone immesurable suffering for countless kalpas in the great hell.
In this way, Shinran uses the story of salvation of King Ajātaśatru as the model of evil ones who are the targets of the compassion of Amida Buddha.
2010年10月12日火曜日
王舎城の悲劇
このお話は『観無量寿経』の冒頭に語られるものですが、『大般涅槃経』にはもっと広範囲な話があります。今回は『観無量寿経』の話をご紹介します。
釈尊がマガダ国の首都・王舎城（ラージャグリハ）の郊外の霊鷲山（りょうじゅせん）にお住まいのころ、マガダ国は頻婆沙羅王（びんばしゃらおう）という王が治めていました。この王は釈尊に深く帰依していました。王妃は韋提希夫人（いだいけぶにん）といい、二人の間に阿闍世（あじゃせ）太子という男の子がありました。阿闍世は釈尊の従兄弟でもあり弟子でもある提婆達多（だいばだった）にそそのかされて、父王を幽閉し、家来たちに決して父王の部屋に近づかないよう、命令しました。王妃は毎日自分のからだを浄めて、小麦粉と蜂蜜を混ぜたものを体に塗りつけ、身の飾り物にブドウのジュースを入れて、毎日王に会いに行き、食事をさせました。王はまた霊鷲山におられた釈尊の方向に一心に祈って、お弟子の一人、大目犍連をおくるようお願いをしました。釈尊は大目犍連を送って王に戒を授け、正式に仏弟子に加えました。またもう一人の弟子を使わして、説法もさせました。このように王は、21日たったあとでも身心ともに健全な状態でした。
阿闍世がこのことを知ったとき激怒して、王妃を引き出し、今にもいのちを奪おうとしましたが、二人の大臣が現れて、「今まで王子が父王を殺して王位を簒奪した例は多くあるが、母を殺した者は一人もいない。もしそんなことをすれば、それはクシャトリア（武士階級）にあるまじき行為であるから、我々はあなたのもとを去らなければならない」と迫りました。そこで阿闍世も折れて、母を殺すことはあきらめましたが、母も王宮深く閉じこめました。そのために、父王は餓死しました。
一方、韋提希夫人は、宮廷内の牢獄から霊鷲山の釈尊に祈って、弟子を送って説法してくれるようにお願いします。すると釈尊自身が弟子二人を連れて現れます。韋提希は身の飾りをすべて取り去って五体投地をし、釈尊に、この世は汚れきって苦しみばかり多いから、けがれのない、清らかで平和な国に生まれさせてほしい、とお願いします。すると釈尊が無数の仏たちの建立した仏国土を目の前に現します。韋提希夫人は釈尊に「これらの仏方の国はすべて尊く美しいが、私は阿弥陀仏の浄土に生まれたく存じます。だからどうか阿弥陀仏の国に生まれる方法をお示しください」とお願いします。そこで釈尊は13種の瞑想行を説きます。その中でのクライマックスは阿弥陀仏のお姿を心の中に思い浮かべる瞑想行です。しかしそういう瞑想行ができない人のために、3種の、普段の心で行う善行を説きます。そして『観経』は「なんじよくこの語をたもて。この語をたもてといふは、すなはちこれ無量寿仏のみ名をたもてとなり」で結ばれます。
親鸞聖人のご理解では、このお経は表面的には瞑想行や善行を勧めているようであるが、本当に言いたいのは、最後の言葉、すなわち「阿弥陀仏を信じ、南無阿弥陀仏を称えて救われなさい」ということである、ということでした。そして物語の上では、阿闍世太子や提婆達多は悪人であり、韋提希は凡夫だけれども、親鸞聖人は、これらの人たちは人々の救いを願って、釈尊がこの経を説く縁をつくったのだから、「権化の仁」（ごんけのにん）、すなわち仏が姿を変えて現れてくださった人たちだ、と仰っています。
釈尊がマガダ国の首都・王舎城（ラージャグリハ）の郊外の霊鷲山（りょうじゅせん）にお住まいのころ、マガダ国は頻婆沙羅王（びんばしゃらおう）という王が治めていました。この王は釈尊に深く帰依していました。王妃は韋提希夫人（いだいけぶにん）といい、二人の間に阿闍世（あじゃせ）太子という男の子がありました。阿闍世は釈尊の従兄弟でもあり弟子でもある提婆達多（だいばだった）にそそのかされて、父王を幽閉し、家来たちに決して父王の部屋に近づかないよう、命令しました。王妃は毎日自分のからだを浄めて、小麦粉と蜂蜜を混ぜたものを体に塗りつけ、身の飾り物にブドウのジュースを入れて、毎日王に会いに行き、食事をさせました。王はまた霊鷲山におられた釈尊の方向に一心に祈って、お弟子の一人、大目犍連をおくるようお願いをしました。釈尊は大目犍連を送って王に戒を授け、正式に仏弟子に加えました。またもう一人の弟子を使わして、説法もさせました。このように王は、21日たったあとでも身心ともに健全な状態でした。
阿闍世がこのことを知ったとき激怒して、王妃を引き出し、今にもいのちを奪おうとしましたが、二人の大臣が現れて、「今まで王子が父王を殺して王位を簒奪した例は多くあるが、母を殺した者は一人もいない。もしそんなことをすれば、それはクシャトリア（武士階級）にあるまじき行為であるから、我々はあなたのもとを去らなければならない」と迫りました。そこで阿闍世も折れて、母を殺すことはあきらめましたが、母も王宮深く閉じこめました。そのために、父王は餓死しました。
一方、韋提希夫人は、宮廷内の牢獄から霊鷲山の釈尊に祈って、弟子を送って説法してくれるようにお願いします。すると釈尊自身が弟子二人を連れて現れます。韋提希は身の飾りをすべて取り去って五体投地をし、釈尊に、この世は汚れきって苦しみばかり多いから、けがれのない、清らかで平和な国に生まれさせてほしい、とお願いします。すると釈尊が無数の仏たちの建立した仏国土を目の前に現します。韋提希夫人は釈尊に「これらの仏方の国はすべて尊く美しいが、私は阿弥陀仏の浄土に生まれたく存じます。だからどうか阿弥陀仏の国に生まれる方法をお示しください」とお願いします。そこで釈尊は13種の瞑想行を説きます。その中でのクライマックスは阿弥陀仏のお姿を心の中に思い浮かべる瞑想行です。しかしそういう瞑想行ができない人のために、3種の、普段の心で行う善行を説きます。そして『観経』は「なんじよくこの語をたもて。この語をたもてといふは、すなはちこれ無量寿仏のみ名をたもてとなり」で結ばれます。
親鸞聖人のご理解では、このお経は表面的には瞑想行や善行を勧めているようであるが、本当に言いたいのは、最後の言葉、すなわち「阿弥陀仏を信じ、南無阿弥陀仏を称えて救われなさい」ということである、ということでした。そして物語の上では、阿闍世太子や提婆達多は悪人であり、韋提希は凡夫だけれども、親鸞聖人は、これらの人たちは人々の救いを願って、釈尊がこの経を説く縁をつくったのだから、「権化の仁」（ごんけのにん）、すなわち仏が姿を変えて現れてくださった人たちだ、と仰っています。
2010年10月10日日曜日
The Tragedy at Rajagriha 王舎城の悲劇
This story appears in the Contemplation Sutra, and more extensively in the Nirvana Sutra. The story in the Contemplation Sutra is as follows:
When Śākyamuni Buddha resided on the Vulture Peak near Rājagriha, capital of the kingdom of Magadha, there was a king Bimbisāra. He was a devout disciple of Śākyamuni Buddha. His wife was Queen Vaidehī and their son was Ajātaśatru. Ajātaśatru was instigated by his evil friend Devadatta, who was a cousin and disciple of Śākyamuni, to kill his father and usurp the throne. Devadatta had wanted to take over the sangha from the Buddha, but the Buddha had refused, so Devadatta told Ajātaśatru that if Ajātaśatru took over the kingdom from his father, Devadatta, too, would kill Śākyamuni and take over the sangha.
Ajātaśatru confined his father in a room within the palace and told all his retainers not to approach the room or even feed him. Queen Vadehi wanted to save her husband's life. Every day she cleaned her body and plastered a paste of flour mixed with honey on her body and filled her ornaments with grape juice. In this way she visited her husband every day and fed him. He also worshiped Śākyamuni on Vulture Peak and mentally requested him to send one of the Buddha's senior disciples, Mahāmoggalāna to him. Śākyamuni sent the disciple and granted the king the right precepts so that he also became the Buddha's disciple. In this way, the king was physically and spiritually contented.
When Ajātaśatru found out that the queen was feeding the king, he was outraged and tried to kill her, but he was discouraged by his two ministers, who said that in history, there had been many cases in which a prince killed his father and usurped the throne, but there had been no incident in which a prince killed his mother. That would not be becoming of a warrior and not worthy of a king. Ajātaśatru gave up killing his mother and had her confined.
Then the confined queen desperately prayed that Śākyamuni send her his disciples and save her spiritually. Then Śākyamuni Buddha himself appeared in front of her. She took off all her ornaments and prostrated herself before the Buddha and asked him to show her a way to attain birth in a world where there was no suffering, no sorrow and no evil. The Buddha showed her a great number of Buddha-lands. Then Queen Vaidehī sayed that although all those Buddha-lands were excellent and virtuous, she would like to be born in Amida Buddha's Pure Land and asked Śākyamuni Buddha to tell her how to attain birth there. Then the Buddha expounded 13 ways of contemplation culminating in visualization of Amida Buddha and 3 ways of non-meditative ways. The Sutra ends with the words, "Hold firmly to these words. To hold to these words means to hold to the Name of the Buddha of Immeasurable Life."
Shinran's understanding of this sutra is that although ostensively it is recommending meditative and non-meditative practices as ways leading to birth in the Pure Land, it is actually encouraging people to rely on the working of the Buddha of Immeasurable Life (Amida Buddha) and recite the Name, Namo Amida Butsu. Even though Ajātaśatru and Devadatta are evil persons and Queen Vaidehī an ordinary person, Shinran reveres them as “incarnated ones” who appeared in this world out of compassion to have the Buddha expound the path to Buddhahood for all sentient beings.
When Śākyamuni Buddha resided on the Vulture Peak near Rājagriha, capital of the kingdom of Magadha, there was a king Bimbisāra. He was a devout disciple of Śākyamuni Buddha. His wife was Queen Vaidehī and their son was Ajātaśatru. Ajātaśatru was instigated by his evil friend Devadatta, who was a cousin and disciple of Śākyamuni, to kill his father and usurp the throne. Devadatta had wanted to take over the sangha from the Buddha, but the Buddha had refused, so Devadatta told Ajātaśatru that if Ajātaśatru took over the kingdom from his father, Devadatta, too, would kill Śākyamuni and take over the sangha.
Ajātaśatru confined his father in a room within the palace and told all his retainers not to approach the room or even feed him. Queen Vadehi wanted to save her husband's life. Every day she cleaned her body and plastered a paste of flour mixed with honey on her body and filled her ornaments with grape juice. In this way she visited her husband every day and fed him. He also worshiped Śākyamuni on Vulture Peak and mentally requested him to send one of the Buddha's senior disciples, Mahāmoggalāna to him. Śākyamuni sent the disciple and granted the king the right precepts so that he also became the Buddha's disciple. In this way, the king was physically and spiritually contented.
When Ajātaśatru found out that the queen was feeding the king, he was outraged and tried to kill her, but he was discouraged by his two ministers, who said that in history, there had been many cases in which a prince killed his father and usurped the throne, but there had been no incident in which a prince killed his mother. That would not be becoming of a warrior and not worthy of a king. Ajātaśatru gave up killing his mother and had her confined.
Then the confined queen desperately prayed that Śākyamuni send her his disciples and save her spiritually. Then Śākyamuni Buddha himself appeared in front of her. She took off all her ornaments and prostrated herself before the Buddha and asked him to show her a way to attain birth in a world where there was no suffering, no sorrow and no evil. The Buddha showed her a great number of Buddha-lands. Then Queen Vaidehī sayed that although all those Buddha-lands were excellent and virtuous, she would like to be born in Amida Buddha's Pure Land and asked Śākyamuni Buddha to tell her how to attain birth there. Then the Buddha expounded 13 ways of contemplation culminating in visualization of Amida Buddha and 3 ways of non-meditative ways. The Sutra ends with the words, "Hold firmly to these words. To hold to these words means to hold to the Name of the Buddha of Immeasurable Life."
Shinran's understanding of this sutra is that although ostensively it is recommending meditative and non-meditative practices as ways leading to birth in the Pure Land, it is actually encouraging people to rely on the working of the Buddha of Immeasurable Life (Amida Buddha) and recite the Name, Namo Amida Butsu. Even though Ajātaśatru and Devadatta are evil persons and Queen Vaidehī an ordinary person, Shinran reveres them as “incarnated ones” who appeared in this world out of compassion to have the Buddha expound the path to Buddhahood for all sentient beings.
2010年10月8日金曜日
領土問題
最近、尖閣諸島沖で漁をしようとしていた中国漁船に日本の巡視船が退去を要求したところ、その漁船が故意に巡視船2隻に衝突したということで、漁船が乗組員とともに拿捕された。漁船と乗組員は数日後の釈放されたが、船長が公務執行妨害の疑いで拘留されていた。この事件のために中国政府は様々な対抗措置を執って日本に圧力をかけ、日本は結局、船長を起訴せずに釈放した。数日前にブリュッセルで開かれたASEMの際に日本の菅首相と中国の温首相が「懇談」したこともあって、事態は収拾する方向にある。
領土問題が起こるといつも関係諸国は自国の「固有の領土」を主張する。歴史的な観点から言うと、そのような主張は根拠がない。歴史を見ると、国々の間の国境は数え切れないくらい変わってきた。現代の国境線はおおむね第二次世界大戦後にできたものである。1776年より前にはアメリカ合衆国は存在しなかった。そしてコロンブスやスペイン人コンクィスタドール（征服者）以前は、南北アメリカ大陸には有史以前から原住民が住みついていた。チベット人は、20世紀が始まるまでは独自の国と文化を持っていた。一応の宗主国であった清朝でもチベットの自治に口出ししていなかった。チベットが強制的に中国の一部になったのは、現代中国が成立してからである。現代のヨーロッパ諸国のほとんどはもともと古代ローマ帝国の領土の一部であった。ローマ帝国の記憶はその消滅後も長く続き、ローマ帝国の復活は、中世ヨーロッパ人のテーマでもあった。今さらローマ帝国を復活させよう、等という人はいないだろうが、理屈から言うと、今のヨーロッパ諸国は、ローマ帝国の領土を不法に占領していることになる。
日本でも18世紀頃までは、北海道の大部分はアイヌ人に属していた。北海道も樺太も千島もアイヌ人やその他の原住民が住んでいた。琉球列島は独立王国であった。おそらく尖閣諸島は誰にも属さない東シナ海の中の岩礁似すぎなかったであろう。日本海に浮かぶ竹島ももともとは誰にも属さない、時々は日本や朝鮮半島の漁師などが立ち寄る岩島にすぎなかった。19世紀初頭以後に国民国家が成立して以来、もともとどの国にも属さなかった島嶼や海域を、自国の固有の領土だとか言って、国境を引こうとし、隣接する国が同意しないときには領土問題で戦争も起こった。
人類はそろそろそういう愚かな争いを卒業して、智慧と慈悲を総動員して、お互いに話し合って、資源を有効活用したり、問題の地域を共同管理したりして、平和に共存する道を確立すべきではなかろうか。
領土問題が起こるといつも関係諸国は自国の「固有の領土」を主張する。歴史的な観点から言うと、そのような主張は根拠がない。歴史を見ると、国々の間の国境は数え切れないくらい変わってきた。現代の国境線はおおむね第二次世界大戦後にできたものである。1776年より前にはアメリカ合衆国は存在しなかった。そしてコロンブスやスペイン人コンクィスタドール（征服者）以前は、南北アメリカ大陸には有史以前から原住民が住みついていた。チベット人は、20世紀が始まるまでは独自の国と文化を持っていた。一応の宗主国であった清朝でもチベットの自治に口出ししていなかった。チベットが強制的に中国の一部になったのは、現代中国が成立してからである。現代のヨーロッパ諸国のほとんどはもともと古代ローマ帝国の領土の一部であった。ローマ帝国の記憶はその消滅後も長く続き、ローマ帝国の復活は、中世ヨーロッパ人のテーマでもあった。今さらローマ帝国を復活させよう、等という人はいないだろうが、理屈から言うと、今のヨーロッパ諸国は、ローマ帝国の領土を不法に占領していることになる。
日本でも18世紀頃までは、北海道の大部分はアイヌ人に属していた。北海道も樺太も千島もアイヌ人やその他の原住民が住んでいた。琉球列島は独立王国であった。おそらく尖閣諸島は誰にも属さない東シナ海の中の岩礁似すぎなかったであろう。日本海に浮かぶ竹島ももともとは誰にも属さない、時々は日本や朝鮮半島の漁師などが立ち寄る岩島にすぎなかった。19世紀初頭以後に国民国家が成立して以来、もともとどの国にも属さなかった島嶼や海域を、自国の固有の領土だとか言って、国境を引こうとし、隣接する国が同意しないときには領土問題で戦争も起こった。
人類はそろそろそういう愚かな争いを卒業して、智慧と慈悲を総動員して、お互いに話し合って、資源を有効活用したり、問題の地域を共同管理したりして、平和に共存する道を確立すべきではなかろうか。
2010年10月7日木曜日
Territorial Issues 領土問題
Recently a Chinese skipper was arrested by the Japanese prosecutors for intentionally colliding with two Japanese patrol ships. This incident has worsened the relations between Japan and China. Finally, the Japanese prosecutors released the skipper without indicting him, and due to the efforts by both Japanese and Chinese governments the situation seems to be improving now.
Whenever there is a quarrel over territorial issues, both parties claim that the particular piece of land or island is the integral part of the nation. That kind of claim is groundless. In history, borders have changed a number of times and most of the present borders between nations came into existence only after World War II. The U.S. did not exist before 1776, and before Columbus and Spanish conquistadors, the American Continents were inhabited by native peoples. Tibet had its own history and culture until it was forcibly united to China in the 20th century. No one dreams of reestablishing the Roman Empire in the twentieth century, but the memory of the Roman Empire continued to haunt the mind of many Europeans well into the medieval times. In theory, all the European nations have illegally occupied the former territory of the Roman Empire.
Japan was not what it is now until about the 18th century. The power of the Tokugawa government did not extend to Hokkaido except for its southwestern part. The Chishima Islands belonged to the Ainus. Ryukyu was an independent kingdom. Probably Senkaku Islands were uninhabited rocks in East China Sea or at best under the influence of the Ryukyu Kingdom. Takeshima perhaps did not belong to anyone except for occasional visitations by fishermen. With the advent of nation states in the nineteenth century, most nations began to claim nearby uninhabited, or thinky inhabited lands as their own.
It is high time that humans mobilized their wisdom. They should all sit down together and solve existing territorial issues by establishing ways to share natural resources and dropping territorial claims for peaceful coexistence.
Whenever there is a quarrel over territorial issues, both parties claim that the particular piece of land or island is the integral part of the nation. That kind of claim is groundless. In history, borders have changed a number of times and most of the present borders between nations came into existence only after World War II. The U.S. did not exist before 1776, and before Columbus and Spanish conquistadors, the American Continents were inhabited by native peoples. Tibet had its own history and culture until it was forcibly united to China in the 20th century. No one dreams of reestablishing the Roman Empire in the twentieth century, but the memory of the Roman Empire continued to haunt the mind of many Europeans well into the medieval times. In theory, all the European nations have illegally occupied the former territory of the Roman Empire.
Japan was not what it is now until about the 18th century. The power of the Tokugawa government did not extend to Hokkaido except for its southwestern part. The Chishima Islands belonged to the Ainus. Ryukyu was an independent kingdom. Probably Senkaku Islands were uninhabited rocks in East China Sea or at best under the influence of the Ryukyu Kingdom. Takeshima perhaps did not belong to anyone except for occasional visitations by fishermen. With the advent of nation states in the nineteenth century, most nations began to claim nearby uninhabited, or thinky inhabited lands as their own.
It is high time that humans mobilized their wisdom. They should all sit down together and solve existing territorial issues by establishing ways to share natural resources and dropping territorial claims for peaceful coexistence.
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