Suwa Jinja; Sacrifice; Salvation; Medieval; Japan; Hunting; Meat; Religious practice
摘要
This study examines the interactions between Buddhism and kami cults in the medieval period of Japanese history at the site of Suwa Jinja. During this period, the Buddhist doctrine of honji suijaku , the identification of buddhas, bodhisattvas and other Buddhist divinities with particular kami (local gods), brought new ways of conceiving of the kami. These associations sometimes caused problems, particularly at the level of practice. A site like Suwa, famed for sacrificial hunting and meat offerings, became viewed as a problem. Would such practices, which were abhorrent in Buddhist doctrine, be eradicted; or would they continue, and thereby call for Buddhist doctrine to justify them? The latter is what in fact happened at Suwa with the creation of the Suwa-no-mon, a mantric phrase recited when animals are killed that both provides Buddhist salvation to the animals and makes eating meat into the method by which salvation is proffered. This study of the application of honji suijaku doctrine at Suwa also shows that, while these associations where pushed by Buddhist preachers, local people did not always readily accept new Buddhist interpretations of their god.
This study details the history of doctrines and beliefs about meat-eating and killing in East Asian religions, focusing on Buddhism but also discussing elements of Daoism, Confucianism and kami-related notions of kegare (defilement). In Japan, government institutions were also concerned with the ritual repercussions of killing and meat-eating, greatly increasing bans on both killing (in the form of sesshō kindan orders) and eating meat. In this environment, Suwa stands out for protection its rituals received from the government, its creative use of Buddhist doctrine, and its eventual spread to all parts of Japan. Looking at Suwa's medieval documents, we see how the shrine's doctrines evolved and what the local people thought about changing notions of its kami and practices.
