The Meaning of the Buddha’s Parinirvāṇa 涅槃 and the Emergence of Jīvaka 耆婆 in Japanese Collections of Stories

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  • 日本の物語集における釈迦の入滅と耆婆の登場

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<p>This paper focuses on collections of stories from various eras in Japan, and discusses the understanding of the Buddha’s Parinirvāṇa and the role played by the emergence of Jīvaka, considering changes over time. The conclusion is as follows: in the Heian period, the Konjaku monogatarishū 今昔物語集 followed the Mahāyāna Buddhist thought preached in the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa, telling us that the “aspect of his illness” before the Buddha’s Parinirvāṇa was as “a manifestation of an emanation-body for the salvation of all beings” through the emergence of Jīvaka. Furthermore, from the middle of the 12th century a series of civil disturbances continued and society became unstable. War chronicles such as the Heike Monogatari 平家物語 of the Kamakura period and the Taiheiki 太平記 of the Muromachi period emphasized the character of Jīvaka as a famous doctor, and used that description to emphasize that even a famous doctor and his elixirs could not cure a “karmic disease.” In other words, this emphasizes the Buddhist idea of karma and retribution.</p>

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