The reason why the monk came to Japan, which I mentioned in the previous article ... Especially this time, I will focus on Jianzhen. The theme of this time, "Why the number of monks has increased," seems to hide a hint of the reason why Jianzhen came to Japan, so I tried to find out both. Then, please.
The situation in Japan where the number of monks has increased
In 710, the capital was relocated to Heijokyo, but at this stage of 710, the emperor's residence (= inside ) ) Is believed to have been as complete as it was. In building this Heijokyo, various people and materials will be continuously transported for a long period of time.
The land of Heijokyo is located on the north side of the Nara Basin, and until then, rice fields were widespread and villages were scattered to some extent in ordinary rural areas. Many people have decided to relocate due to the construction of Heijokyo.
It is said that some taxes were exempted for the common people in Kyo and Kinai due to the construction of Heijokyo, but hiring It seems that (the laborer who received the wages) itself was hard work. In addition, it is not only the maintenance of the palace and the capital that is necessary to relocate the capital. Infrastructure such as irrigation and hydraulic control of roads used to pay taxes to Heijokyo and rivers around the roads is also required. They would have been made by the locals.
Miscellaneous The tax paid in the form of labor, called, has become a considerable burden on the people to bring food. It can be inferred that creating a city has increased the burden on people in different regions. As a result, many people have run away. This is wandering / escape (There is no definition in the decree and its interpretation varies).
The government is not silent either. I took measures. In 715, he made a stipulation that if he was found as a vagrant, he would have to pay the Zu Yong Diao in the escape area. Since I can't get Kuchibunda at my escape destination, I'm trying to return to my home base.
In addition, Goho , a terminal administrative organization that is composed of five neighboring houses and has a collective obligation to prevent crime and escape. There was also something like that. When an individual or a family escapes, the family and Goho It is a system that people in Japan can take over the tax. Under this system, once you have escaped, it will be a lot of hurdles to return to the original place.
Until the Sansei Issei Law was enacted in 723 and the Konden Einen Shizai Law was enacted in 743, temples and shrines, aristocrats, and local lords began to call in wanderers to expand their land. The situation that must continue. Those who appeared there were those who left the house without permission, called private monks. Even at that time, the monks did not pay taxes, so it seems that they were sometimes used as a cover for the wanderers.
In fact, Buddhism around this time is forbidden to spread to the people. But why did some people try to become ordinary vagrant? This is because there were people who preached Buddhist teachings to the people even when missionary work was prohibited. The name of this monk is called Gyoki. It's a name you often hear in the Nara period.
On the other hand, the emperor Shomu, who was about to welcome a famous monk from Tang, suffered many disasters immediately after his coronation. In 725, the year after his coronation, a large earthquake struck around Nara, and he was still suffering from aftershocks. In addition, in 732, there was a great drought around Kinki. At that time, it was a natural recognition that natural disasters =bad politics.
Since it is necessary to have a good quality monk to suppress it, there is a growing demand for the introduction of a messenger (a person who gives a rank to a monk) system. And prosperity wants to welcome the famous monk on that road. (Yoi) and Fusho It is said that when a Japanese priest named (Fusho) went to Tang in 733, he became "this person!" That is all for the situation on the Japanese side when welcoming Jianzhen.
Why did Jianzhen die in Japan? ??
Jianzhen first tried to visit Japan in the summer of 743. In the 752 years since then, he has traveled six times. There is a high risk of death on the voyage at that time, and Jianzhen actually succeeded in coming to Japan on his sixth voyage, which was blind. Why did he come to Japan so much that he was so deadly? Ei And Fusho There are some parts that I cannot understand just because of my enthusiasm. So, next, let's investigate the situation on the Tang side.
A little later in Tang An Lushan Rebellion from 755 (Maybe it was caused by Yang Guifei), because I was grasping the signs? What a theory, spy theory from Tang There are various. However, aren't these theories making full use of the imagination because the purpose of Jianzhen is not clear from the literature? Some people say that it is not really clear. So, I would like to introduce the theory that I personally found the most convincing of the various theories.
To put it simply, " Buddhism was poorly treated in Tang. "thing. The theory is that this is the reason for Jianzhen's arrival in Japan.
In the first place, the three major religions in China are Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. Confucianism To be exact, it is different from religion, but it is also a required subject in the Imperial Examination and Confucian . Is believed to have been given preferential treatment. As for the latter two, Tang has been " Dozen Buddha since its foundation. In other words, policy to prioritize Taoism was. Among them, the emperor Xuanzong of the time when Jianzhen was active in Tang Is Taoism It seems that he especially valued.
When I first came to Japan, Jianzhen was already in his mid-50s. Jianzhen, who was already famous in Tang, might have thought that he couldn't aim higher in Tang anymore. While Buddhism is neglected in their own country, Buddhism is emphasized in Japan. It is thought that such a situation helped Jianzhen to come to Japan.
Summary
Although there are various theories, Jianzhen's visit to Japan was made by the coincidence of the situation on the Japanese side and the situation in Tang. Together with Gyoki, which is also mentioned in the article, he has achieved the feat of greatly developing Buddhism in the Nara period.
During the time of Emperor Shomu, many disasters continued. Drought due to the earthquake. Furthermore, even after Ei and Fusho were dispatched as envoys to Tang, the plague (=smallpox) continues to be inevitable. Of course, it's not the fault of the politician. When I investigated the disease, I found that before the epidemic of 735, there were many people who had antibodies at the time of the last pandemic, but it became a minority, and the temperature in Japan became high. It is said that it led to the outbreak of smallpox.
Emperor Shomu, who would have been reluctant to continue such events even after the disappearance of Eiko and Fusho, has been reigning for more than 25 years. It's surprising that rebellions have been caused by the continuation of natural disasters. There is no doubt that he is an emperor who has deeply devoted himself to Buddhism and contributed greatly to its development.