(30) Journal of Indian and Buddhist Studies Vol. 41, No. 1, December 1992
The Change of the Meaning of the Word
"6tslju" in Japa
n
Kenryo MINOWA
Introduction
There were originally two ways of accepting the precepts, namely "soju" and "betsuju". According to the Vinaya text called Shan jian lu pi po sha, the difference of the meaning of them is defined as the way of accepting the precepts. Later new word "tsuju" appeared, having relation to the bodhisattva precepts in China. 21 The word "tsuju" became to have another new meaning in Japan.
In the Heian period (794-1192), there was one interpretation about this word in relation to bodhisattva precepts. One further interpretation app-eared by Kakujo (1192-1249) in relation to the sanjujokai (three-fold pure precepts) at the beginning of the Kamakura period. He preferred the word "tsuju" to the world "soju" although he said both had the same meaning. I will make clear the character of "tsuju" in this small paper, with discussing the original meaning of this word. The background in which Kakujo created the new interpretaon will also be considered. Trying to cover such a long period may be difficult, but it is important to clarify the character of this word.
I The Meaning of the word "tsuju" in the Heian period After the middle of Nara period (710-784) a Buddhist initiate accepted the 250 precepts at the Todai temple for his higher ordination, and full details of them are mentioned in the text Si fen lu. However in the Heian period, After 822, initiates of the Tendai sect were able to attain higher ordination by accepting only the jujukai (10 major precepts) and sijuhak-kyokai (48 minor precepts) according to the text Fan wang jing at Enryaku
-511-The Change
of the Meaning
of the Word "tsuju" (K. MINOwA) (31)
Temple. It was insisted upon by Saicho (767-822),
the founder of the
Tendai sect, in the Sijosiki.
Therefore two styles of accepting
the precepts
for the higher ordination came into existence. Saicho insisted that 10
major and 48 minor precepts were sufficent
for the higher ordination of
the Mahayana monk and that the precepts of Si fen lu were not necessary,
but this view was not accepted by the monks of Nara. The reason they
did not accept Saicho's opinion can be understood after reading the text
kenkairon
quoting the words of Sogo (the higher
ranks of prieste).
The 10 major
precepts
and 48 minor precepts
which
are mentioned
in the text
Fan wang
jing are given equally
(tsuju) to those who leave the home,
to those
who
are staying
at home
and even to the slaves
and to the animals.
If an initiate
who had been
given
these
precepts
become
a monk
or a nun, it would
follow
that
a slave
etc. could
also become
a monk
or a nun.3
From the Words of the higher ranks of the priests we can understand
that "tsuju" was the very style of acceptance
of the precepts. It means
that the seven groups of Buddhists accept the same precepts equally. It
is obvious that those Buddhists
in Nara thought that 10 major and 48
minor precepts might be given to the seven groups equally with no
rela-tion to the Buddhist higher ordinarela-tion. The same reference can be found
in the Denjutsuisshinkaimon
in the words of the bishop whose name is
Gomyo (749-834).
There
were not bets
u ju-[accepting
individually]
bosatsu monks
in Tang dynasty
but only tsflju-[accepting
equally]
bosatsu monks....
Before
accepting
Hinayana
precepts
there were no monks
who
kept the bodhisattva
precepts.
After accepting
Hinayana
precepts
there were monks
who kept the bosatsu
precepts.
There wer
no betsuju-opsatsu
monks.4
From this text we understand that monks of Nara did not allow those
who had not accepted the Hinayana precepts to be the monk or nun and
that tsuju was the name of that the seven groups of Buddhists accepted
the bonmokai
(bodhisattva
precepts)
equally. On the contrary "betsuju" was
the name of that the monks accepted the 250 precepts and novices
acce-pted the 10 precepts so and on. In addition we can understand that the
monks in Nara also regarded themselves as the bosatsu monks and that
(32) The Change of the Meaning of the Word "tsuju" (K. MINOWA) they accepted the bonmokai as the bodisattva precepts.5 The same view is found in the Daijohossokenjinsho written by Gomnyo. 6) Gyonen
(1240-1321) also quoted part of the kailitudenraiki in Rishukoyo, that part is no longer extant in that text kailitudenraiki.7)
Later in the middle of the 9th century, Ennin (794-864) wrote the ken-yodaikairon8 and that text also conveyed the same view. He quoted the opinion of the monks of Nara and the most important point was that the title of the monk was given upon accepting the Hinayana precepts and there was no other way to attain the title of monk and that three-fold pure precepts had only the significance of the benefitting sentient beings. II An Understanding of Kakujo in the Kamakura Period
At the beginning of Kamakura period, there was one devoted Buddhist, Kakujo, who was very important in the re-establishment of the Ritsu sect and he was also famous for receiving the san ju jokai with three associates at the Hokkedo in Todai Temple without masters of the precepts in 1236.1 He offered a new interpretation of "tsuju". He described the characteristics of two words as follows in the Bosatsukaitsujukengisho.
Question: Recently those Buddhist recluses, accepting the three-fold pure precepts, call themself monks, they keep the five-group pecepts, and they regard this system as the bosatsu law. This is similar to the new theory. Is there any proof of this
law?
Answer:... There are two way to accept these precepts. One is tsuju. This is the style of accepting the three precepts through the precept of doing all good acts and the precept of benefitting sentient beings. This is valid for eternity and is the law only for Bodhisattva. Even if the seven groups of Buddhists differ from one another, there is no difference in "komma" or the ecclesiastical act.",
Now we can find that he used the word "tsuju" as the style of "komma" for accepting the precepts. Same reference can be found in the Bosatsukaitsubetsuni jusho which was also written by him.12 It means that Buddhists accept the precepts in the "komma" combining the three-fold pure precepts together. He insists that a buddhist initiate accepting the monk-precepts in "tsu ju komma" can be called a bosatsu monk. This is
-509-The Change of the Meaning of the Word "tsuju" (K. MINOWA) (33) a new interpretation of the word "tsuju" and we can find no similar reference before him. He himself said that this interpretation was right because there was the proof for it in the Fan wang jing shu written by Fiji (?-700-?) in Sin luo. But in that text, we can not find the word "tsuju" but only the word "soju". In that text the word "soju" is used to mean accepting the three-fold precepts totally. Kakujo prefered to use this word "tsuju" in the new meaning and we can imagine that he emphasized this interpretation by using this word.
This word seemed to become popular in the Kamakura period and we can find it in the works of Gyonen, such as the Risshukoyo. 13) Considering the text above, the question arrises as to why Kakujo interpreted this word in a new way. The probable reason has to do with the circumstance. After 822 there were two main places for accepting the precepts. One is the Hieizan Enryaku Temle Kaidan and the other is Todai Temple Kaidan.
The Enryaku Temple Kaidan novices could become bosatsu. monks by accepting only 10 major and 48 minor precepts and at Todai Temple
Kaidan they could become bodhisattva monks by accepting 250 precepts. But the latter is the same precepts as the sravaka monks. Therefore some monks in Nara tried to accept the higher ordination at Enryaku
Temple Kaidan, as was prohibited by the law. 14) Conclusion
Kakujo adopted the sign of the Mahayana discipline or three-fold pure precepts and put it into the 250 precepts. The three-fold pure precepts is the mark of the Mahayana. By combining the three-fold pure precepts, Kakujo made it possible to accept the 250 precepts as the Mahayana pre-cepts. He emphasized that each of 250 precepts had the three-fold signi-ficance and that may be the reason why he came to use the word "tsu ju" and prefered it. Above all it is clear that it became possible by interpre-ting the three-fold pure precepts as the "komma" or an ecclesiastical act.
1) Taisho daizokyo (=T.) No. 1462, Vol. 24, 788c. This text is the commentary of the P•li vinaya and we know that soju and betsuju are the ways to accecept
C34) The Change of the Meaning of the Word "tsuju" (K. MINOWA) the sankikai (three precepts) and jikkai (ten precepts). The diference of them
is as follows: SOju: (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha) (Bu., Dha., Sa.) (Bu., Dha., Sa.) Betsuju: (Buddha, Bu., Bu.) (Dharma, Dha., Dha.) (Sangha, Sa., Sa.) 2) The word "tsuju" was found in the Biao wu biao se zhang written by ji
in Tang dynasty. (T. No. 1861, Vol.45, p. 315a, b.) 3) Dengyodaishizenshu (=Den.) Vol. 1, p.112.4) Den. Vol. 1, p.570-571. 5) The first reference can be found on Hassin.In the Shamijikkai narabini igikyosho he said that bodhisattva precepts was most important.(Nihon daizokyo (=Ni). Vol. 40, 223b, 224a.) He also wrote a commentary on the Fan wang jing. 6) T. No. 2309, Vol. 71, P. 21a. 7) The part of "kailitudenraiki" said: There are only bosatsu monks in this country and there are no [monks] that have a strong attachment to the Hinayana. (T. No. 2348, Vol. 74, p. 9a). 8) There is an argument about the author of this text, but a foreword written by Michizane Sugawara said some parts were written by Ennin, so I have followed Michizane's reference.(Kankebunso, Iwanami koten bungaku taikei, p.541-542)
9) T. No. 2380, Vol. 74, p. 682a. 10) Daihibosatsu narabini deshigyojoshu, Ni., Vol. 69, p. 118a.11) T. No. 2353, Vol. 74, p. 48b. 12) T. No. 2354, Vol. 74, p. 53b. 13) T. No. 2348, Vol. 74, p.6b. 14) Engisiki, Vol.21, Kokusitaikei, Vol. 26, p. 545.
Glossary
betsuju 別 受 Biao wu biao se zhang 表 無 表 色 章 bosatsu 菩 薩 Bosatsukaitsubetsunijusho 菩 薩 戒 通 別 二 受 紗 BosatsukaitsujuKengisho 菩 薩 戒 通 受 遣 疑 紗 Daijohossokenjinsho 大 乗 法 相 研 神 章 Daihibosatsu narabini deshigyojoshu 大 悲 菩 薩 並 弟 子 行 状 集 Denjutsuisshin-kaimon 伝 述 一 心 戒 文 Engisiki 延 喜式 Ennin 円仁 Enryaku Temple 延 暦 寺 Fan wang jing 梵 網 経 Fan wang jing shu 梵 網 経 疏 Gomyo 護 命 Gyonen 凝 然 Hassin 法 進 Hieizan Enryaku 比 叡 山延 暦 Hokkedo 法 華 堂 Iwanami koten bungaku taikei 岩 波 古典 文 学大 系 ji 基 Kaidan 戒 壇 Kankebunso 菅 家 文 草 kenyodaikairon 顕 揚 大戒 論 komma 翔麿 jujukai 十 重 戒 kailitudenraiki 戒 律 伝 来記 Kakujo 覚盛 kenkairon 顕 戒 論 Kokusitaikei 国史 大 系 Risshukoyo 律 宗 綱 要 Saicho 最 澄 sanjujokai 三 聚 浄戒 shijosiki 四 条 式 sijuhakkyokai 四 十 八 軽 戒 Si fen lu 四分 律 Sin luo 新 羅 Shan jian lu pi po sha 善 見 律毘 婆 沙 Sogo 僧 綱 soju 総 受 Tendai 天 台 Todai temple 東 大寺tsuju 通 受 Yiji 義 寂
(平成 三 ・四年 度 文部 省科 学 研 究 費 奨 励 研 究 に よ る研 究 成 果) <キ ー ワ ー ド> 通受, 総 受, 別 受, 三 聚 浄 戒, 覚 盛
(日本 学 術 振 興 会 特 別 研 究 員)