Eulogizing Kūya as More than a Nenbutsu Practitioner: A Study and Translation of the Kūyarui
Kūya is widely known as a tenth-century Buddhist holy man who was the first to spread the nenbutsu practice among common lay people. The document that scholars regard as the most credible for understanding who Kūya was is the Kūyarui, which is a eulogy for Kūya written in Sino-Japanese (kanbun) in t...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
[2007]
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| In: |
Japanese journal of religious studies
Year: 2007, Volume: 34, Issue: 2, Pages: 305-327 |
| Further subjects: | B
Aristocracy
B Ceremonies B Religious Studies B Priests B Incense B Death B Dharma B Scrolls B Bodhisattva |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | Kūya is widely known as a tenth-century Buddhist holy man who was the first to spread the nenbutsu practice among common lay people. The document that scholars regard as the most credible for understanding who Kūya was is the Kūyarui, which is a eulogy for Kūya written in Sino-Japanese (kanbun) in the 970s by the author of the Sanbōe, Minamoto Tamenori. This article first elucidates the origins and influence of the text. Then it approaches the text as a piece of Buddhist biographical literature and examines its depiction of Kūya. It is argued that Kūya is depicted in the Kūyarui not primarily as a nenbutsu practitioner but as a selfless holy man who rejects any status in the world, yet serves it by promoting Buddhism in a variety of ways and by striving to relieve the suffering of others. Finally, a translation of the complete Kūyarui is provided. |
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| Contains: | Enthalten in: Japanese journal of religious studies
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