Buddhist Debate and the Production and Transmission of "Shōgyō" in Medieval Japan
Medieval scholar-monks produced and transmitted a massive body of texts known as sacred works or shōgyō. This article focuses on the Tōdaiji monk Sōshō (1202-1278), who produced almost five hundred texts. How and for what purposes did a scholar-monk come to generate such a massive body of texts? Fir...
| Published in: | Japanese journal of religious studies |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Nanzan Institute
[2012]
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| In: |
Japanese journal of religious studies
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| Further subjects: | B
Cloisters
B Political debate B Monks B Religious Studies B Debate B Religious rituals B Lectures B Sensory Perception B Buddhist logic |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | Medieval scholar-monks produced and transmitted a massive body of texts known as sacred works or shōgyō. This article focuses on the Tōdaiji monk Sōshō (1202-1278), who produced almost five hundred texts. How and for what purposes did a scholar-monk come to generate such a massive body of texts? First, Sōshō produced most of his texts in the process of preparing for and participating in state-sponsored debate rituals (rongie). Since scholar-monks' participation in these rituals guaranteed their promotion, they produced their shōgyō first and foremost for advancing their positions in the ecclesiastical community. In addition, copying shōgyō was the main method of learning and advancing doctrinal studies. The transmission of shōgyō also contributed to a significant institutional change in temple society in medieval Japan—the development of cloisters (inge). This article reveals the undeniable importance of liturgical tradition and the resultant production of shōgyō in medieval Japan. |
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| Contains: | Enthalten in: Japanese journal of religious studies
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