<Articles>A Study of the System of Buddhist Government Priest in ancient Japan

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  • <論説>古代僧官考
  • 古代僧官考
  • コダイ ソウカンコウ

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Buddhism was introduced into Japan from Korea in 538, but successive emperors hesitated to accept the exotic religion for about 90 years. The Soga family took the initiative in Buddhist activities and built the Hōkōji temple that was the finest and largest Buddhist temple at that time. Just as the preceding emperors, the Empress Suiko had not her own temple, but she founded the System of Buddhist Government Priest consisting of three posts, i. e. Sōjō 僧正, Sōzu 僧都 and Hōzu 法頭, and appointed a person to each of the three posts. Sōjō and Sōzu (both priest) ruled all priests. Hōzu (layman) managed all temples and their assets. Just after the downfall of the Soga family, the Emperor-Government appointed, in stead of Sōjō and Sōzu ten high priests so called Jushi 十師, who constituted the leaders of Buddhism. New three Hōzus undertook to investigate and eliminate even latent military powers in family temples. Though it is not known when the system of Sōjō was revived, we find the Four Rank System of Buddhist Official consisting of Sōjō, Sōzu, Hōzu and Sakan 佐官 (two persons) in the time of the Emperor Tenchi. The four rank system of Buddhist official was the basic construction in the Japanese codal system. The Emperor Tenchi enacted the Ômiryô 近江令, and his father the Emperor Jomei estabilished the first royal temple called Kudara-no-ōdera 百済大寺 in Kudara. Sōjō and Sōzu were customarily selected from among the high priests of the Hōkōji temple which was the head temple keeping the honorable tradition and leading Buddhism on a grand scale. Sakan was selected from among the high priests of some royal temples. The four rank system of Buddhist official, which included the post of a layman, was condemned by priests, because the Buddha said in blame of the rule of a layman (government official) over priest in 仁王般若経 which was highly esteemed at that time. The Emperor Tenmu replaced Hōzu (layman) by Risshi 律師, and then all the four posts of Buddhist official came to be occupied by priests. Sōjō, Sōzu and Risshi in the time of Tenmu was the origin of the Sôgô 僧綱 in the Daihōryō 大宝令: Hōzu was transformed into Genbanoryō 玄蕃寮 in the time of the Empress Jitō.

Journal

  • 史林

    史林 47 (1), 43-67, 1964-01-01

    THE SHIGAKU KENKYUKAI (The Society of Historical Research), Kyoto University

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