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Enryakuji › Ancient History
Definition and Origins
The Enryakuji is a Buddhist monastic complex on the sacred Mt. Hiei, near Kyoto, Japan. The site was selected by the monk Saicho to become the headquarters of the Tendai sect, which he founded in Japan in the early 9th century CE.Enryakuji became one of the great seats of learning and had 20-25,000 residents at its peak. Systematically destroyed in the 16th century CE after it had become a troublesome military stronghold, many of its buildings have since been restored and it is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
SAICHO & FOUNDATION OF ENRYAKUJI
Saicho (767-822 CE) was a monk who became disillusioned with the increasing worldliness in Buddhism, and so, in 785 CE, he decided to live as an ascetic hermit on the slopes of Mount Hiei (Hieizan) near Kyoto. There, in 788 CE, he built the first shrine of what would later become the huge temple complex. He began to study all he could on every variation of Buddhism and to attract followers, and in 798 CE Saicho began what became a major series of annual lectures on Mount Hiei. The monk then visited Tang China in 804 CE, studied different branches of Buddhism there and returned with a mass of manuscripts and ritual objects to begin spreading the word in Japan.
ENRYAKUJI BECAME A MAJOR SEAT OF LEARNING IN JAPAN, BOASTING UP TO 3,000 BUILDINGS & 25,000 RESIDENTS IN ITS HEYDAY.
Saicho sought to simplify the teachings of Buddhism and so he founded the eclectic Tendai Sect (Tendaishu), which was based on the Chinese Tiantai Sect and the Lotus Sutra (the last teachings of Buddha, aka the Hokekyo). Saicho believed that the best and quickest way to reach enlightenment was through esoteric ritual, that is rites which only the priesthood and initiated had access to. At the same time, the teachings of the Lotus Sutra allowed for many different ways to reach enlightenment.
Tendai Buddhism was eventually given royal approval and Mt. Hiei considered the protector of the north-eastern side of the then capital Heiankyo (Kyoto), the side of the city with the Devil's Gate which was thought especially vulnerable to attack from evil spirits. On his death in 822 CE, Saicho was given the honorary title Dengyo Daishi and considered a bodhisattva, that is, one who has reached nirvana but remains on earth to guide others. In 823 CE the Tendai sect was officially recognised as an independent sect by the emperor.
Saicho (Dengyo Daishi)
A CENTRE OF SCHOLARSHIP
The headquarters of Tendai Buddhism at Enryakuji, as it became known from 824 CE (named after the name of Emperor Kammu ’s reign period: Enryaku ), became even more popular after its founder's death and, as Tendai encouraged the study of all Buddhist texts, the complex became a major seat of learning in Japan, boasting up to 3,000 buildings and 25,000 residents in its heyday. Many great names in Buddhism studied at Enryakuji including, Eisai (1141-1215 CE), who established Rinzai Zen Buddhism in Japan; Dogen (1200-1253 CE), who further spread Zen Buddhism; Nichiren (1222-1282 CE), who founded the sect named after him; Ippen (1239-1289 CE), founder of the Ji sect; Honen (1133-1212 CE), the founder of the Pure Land sect; and Shinran (1173-1262 CE), the most influential disciple of Honen.
ENRYAKUJI FREQUENTLY MEDDLED IN POLITICS & MANY TIMES WARRIOR MONKS DEMONSTRATED IN & ATTACKED THE CAPITAL.
MEDIEVAL HISTORY
Enryakuji did not enjoy the peaceful existence one would suppose of a monastery, and the site was attacked several times by rival temples and warlords, famously warding off an army of 20,000 men from the Nara temple of Kofukuji in 1113 CE. This was because the monks frequently meddled in politics and many times warrior monks ( sohei ) descended from their retreat on Mt. Hiei to demonstrate in, or even attack, the capital. The Emperor Go-Shirakawa (r. 1155-1158 CE), according to the Heikemonogatari, famously said, “Three things refuse to obey my will: the waters of the Kamo River, the fall of backgammon dice, and the monks of Enryakuji Temple” (Whitney Hall, 683).
Nevertheless, Enryakuji prospered for the next few centuries and, like many other monasteries around the world, it did rather well on sales of alcohol (sake in this case) and the monks had a nice sideline going in moneylending, issuing business licenses, accepting bribes for tax exemptions on their land, and even a protection racket. The temple site had its religious rivals, too, notably the Miidera temple (aka Onjoji) near Lake Biwa. The rivalry gave rise to a myth involving the legendary and giant warrior monk Benkei who was said to have sauntered over to Miidera in his famous black-lacquered armour and pinched their large bronze bell. When he returned to Enryakuji with his prize the abbot admonished him for his impropriety, and so Benkei sent it all the way back to Miidera with a single nonchalant kick. In another version of the myth, the bell was only kicked back to its rightful owners because it refused to ring in its new home and would only toll "I want to return to Miidera." As a reward for his deed, Benkei was allowed to eat a great meal, and the cauldron he ate from is still to be seen at the complex today, teeth marks and all.
Konponchudo, Enryakuji
The monastery met its greatest disaster in 1571 CE when it was systematically destroyed by Oda Nobunaga, the feudal warlord or daimyo. Nobunaga was concerned at the power of the monastery of Enryakuji and its large army of warrior monks who still descended from the mountain whenever they felt they were not receiving their share of state handouts. Nobunaga solved the problem by having his troops surround the slopes of Mt. Hiei and setting fire to the forest. Thousands were killed, including women and children, as they tried to escape the blaze and the sacred site was burnt to the ground. Fortunately for future generations, Enryakuji was restored to its former glory from 1595 CE onwards.
THE TEMPLE COMPLEX
Enryakuji has three distinct precincts spread over several kilometres across the mountain's wooded slopes: Yokawa, To-to (Eastern Pagoda), the area first settled by Saicho, and Sai-to (Western Pagoda). The most important building at the site is the Konponchudo which was built on the site of Saicho's first hut on the mountain, now the Eastern Precinct. The present version is a reconstruction dating to 1642 CE. Inside is an altar and ever-burning flame, said to have been lit since the site's foundation. The Daikodo or Great Lecture Hall has many portraits of Enryakuji's famous alumni. Next to the Great Lecture Hall stands the Bell of Good Fortune suspended in its own roofed structure. Other buildings in the To-to precinct include the reconstructed Kaidan-in or Ordination Hall, which was built to replace an older building commemorating the recognition of the Tendai sect by the emperor in the 9th century CE, the Amida Hall which was rebuilt in 1937 CE and has a two-storey pagoda, and the Monju-ro Gate.
Ordination Hall, Enryakuji
The Chu-do or Central Hall of the Yokawa precinct was built in the 9th century CE by the renowned monk and abbot of Enryakuji, Ennin, but later destroyed by a lightning strike. It was rebuilt in 1971 CE. The most important structure in the Western Precinct is the Shakado, which was moved from its original location at the Miidera temple in 1595 CE and originally built by Saicho's disciple Encho. Between the Sai-to and To-to precincts, nestling in the forest is the tomb of Saicho and the Jodo-in or Worship Hall. As Tendai Buddhism recognises the existence of Shinto kami or spirits, there are several small Shinto shrines dotted around the complex, many dedicated to Oyamakui, the Shinto spirit of Mt. Hiei, and several torii or sacred gates.
This article was made possible with generous support from the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation.
Samguk Yusa › Ancient History
Definition and Origins
The Samguk yusa ('Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms') is a 13th-century CE text which covers the history and legends of Korea 's founding right up to the 10th century CE. It is a sequel of sorts to the earlier Samguk sagi ('Records of the Three Kingdoms') written in the 12th century CE which is considered the first history of Korea. The Samguk yusa was mostly compiled by the Buddhist scholar-monk Iryon and remains today an invaluable historical source and component of Korean Literature.
AUTHORSHIP
The author of the Samguk yusa was the Buddhist monk Iryon (also spelt Iryeon) who lived between 1206 and 1289 CE and whose former name was Kim Kyonmyong. He is thought to have completed the work by 1285 CE. An extra passage within the text is credited to his disciple Muguk. Iryon does not explicitly state the purpose of the work, but its content would seem to be an attempt to balance the largely Confucian-view expounded by the earlier Samguk sagi with more information regarding Korea's Buddhist cultural heritage. Iryon drew on many different types of sources, including folklore, historical documents, epigraphs, and monastery records. The oldest surviving edition of the text dates to 1512 CE.
The traditional translation of the title as 'Memorabilia' is misleading, and perhaps a more accurate title would be 'Additional Material on the Three Kingdoms' as ' yusa ' usually refers to additional material added to already existing official documents.The title is also misleading in that the vast majority of the history covered concerns Buddhist legends and the history of the Silla kingdom (57-918 CE) with very little in regard to the contemporary Baekje ( Paekche ) and Goguryeo ( Koguryo ) kingdoms. There are tables of the various kings for all three kingdoms and the contemporary Gaya ( Kaya ) confederation, but these may be a later addition.
THE TEXT COVERS MANY DIFFERENT AREAS OF HISTORY WITH A PARTICULAR FOCUS ON BUDDHIST LEGENDS & THE FOLK TALES OF SILLA.
SUBJECT MATTER
The text covers many different areas of history with a particular focus on Buddhist legends and the folk tales of Silla. For this reason, as an accurate source of history it is somewhat dubious, but it does make, nevertheless, an invaluable contribution to the literature and legends of ancient Korea. It was written after the Mongol invasions of Korea in the first half of the 13th century CE and is perhaps indicative of the rise in interest to preserve the Korean cultural heritage. The many Buddhist stories also contain a strong moral element which may have been designed to reassure and strengthen people's faith in such troubled times.
The various section headings are: 'Strange Events' (almost half the text), 'The Coming of Buddhism ' (concerned with the first Chinese Buddhist monks to visit Goguryeo and Baekje), 'Pagodas and Statues,' 'Famous Teachers,' 'Exorcisms,' ' Graces,' 'Hermits,' and 'Filial Devotion.' The first and largest section title 'Strange Events' is another peculiar choice of title as it deals with the history of Gojoseon (Old Choson), which ruled northern Korea in the second half of the first millennium BCE, Wiman Choson, its brief successor (2nd century BCE to 108 CE), Lelang, the Chinese commandery (108-313 CE), Gaya, Goguryeo, Baekje, Balhae ( Parhae ), the Manchurian state 698-926 CE), the three Han federations, and six other tribes of the region. In many of these sections, the Samguk yusa reveals another great value as it frequently draws on many earlier sources which have since been lost, for example, the Karak kukki ('Record of the Karak Kingdom') composed in 1076 CE and the many works of the 8th-century CE scholar Kim Tae-mun.
FOUNDATION MYTHS
The Samguk yusa is an important source for two foundation myths. There is the story of Dangun Wanggeom (Tangun), the legendary founder of Gojoseon who was born on the third day of the tenth month, which is celebrated as National Foundation Day in modern South Korea. In 2333 BCE (a purely traditional date without any archaeological evidence to support it) Dangun was born from the union of the god Hwanung and a bear transformed into a woman called Ungnyo. Korea's first great statesman is then credited with founding the Korean race and introducing good government. The Samguk yusa is the oldest known reference to this very popular and long-lasting myth. The second myth concerns King Tongmyeong (formerly Chumong) who traditionally lived between 59 and 19 BCE and founded the state of Goguryeo in 37 BCE.
Dangun Wanggeom
CHOSIN'S DREAM
As already mentioned, the Samguk yusa contains many Buddhist folk tales and perhaps the most famous is that of 'Chosin's Dream,' a classic morality tale. A monk falls in love with a magistrate's daughter, and knowing the situation is beyond hope, he prays that she will fall in love with him. Alas, his prayer goes unanswered, and the girl marries another man. Then, one night the monk dreams of the girl and she reveals that she had loved him all along and, leaving her husband, the two go away and live together. They have five children and spend 50 years together. However, the couple were always fighting poverty over these five decades which results in one daughter becoming a beggar and a son who dies of starvation. The couple now realise that they made a fatal mistake in deciding to live together and they part. Then the monk wakes up, and he visits the spot in the dream where he had buried his son. There, in the ground, he finds a small figure of Buddha. Reassured of his faith, the monk builds a monastery where he found the statue and spends the rest of his life doing good for others.
HYANGGA SONGS
Within the text, there are a good number of biographies, albeit often of legendary figures, illustrating the influence of earlier historical works, especially Shiji by the Chinese historian Sima Qian (c. 145 - 86 BCE). At the end of many of the biographies, there is a eulogy in the form of a folk song or hyangga. These are the oldest examples of Korean text written phonetically.Perhaps the most famous is the 45-line 'Song of Choyong' ( Choyong ka ), originally composed in 879 CE, where the title character is the son of the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea, who one night after a party returns home to find his beautiful wife being seduced by the Spirit of Smallpox. Choyong was forgiving, though, and, in return, the spirit promised never to enter a house which had a portrait of our hero on the door. This is the song which Choyong sang so charmingly to the spirit so that he left in peace:
Having caroused far into the nightIn the moonlit capital,I returned home and in my bed,Behold four legs.Two were mine;Whose are the other two?Formerly two were mine;What shall be done now they are taken?(Lee, PH, 73)
This article was made possible with generous support from the British Korean Society.
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