著者

阿部 仲麻呂

出版者

上智大学

雑誌

カトリック研究 (ISSN:03873005)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.72, pp.45-81, 2003-08-01

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Motivation Opening up the possibility of life while ascertaining the structure of the Absolute Awakening (Hongaku) is a common human task. Putting that in philosophical parlance, one should be conscious of the Absolute Awakening (the Root of all self-formation) . In this way, the consciousness of being is given life as a "common basis for fundamental existence" which can be called "Shinnyo". This can becomes a point of contact between philosophy and theology. Theme The subject of this paper is a search for "circle-structure" and the "possibility" of Absolute Awakening based on the epistemology of Asvaghosha's Discourse on the Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana. The problem of theology in Japan has epistemological elements in it. Premise Artists in Japan's medieval period tried to pursue a "spiritual philosophy of self-awareness (jikaku) which is open to everyone". This attitude is a point of contact between the Christian faith and Japanese aesthetic thought. Contents In chapter one, I survey the state of research concerning "Hongaku" thought which in the philosophy of Asvaghosha's Discourse on the Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana was made central concept in the logic of "Awakening" in the Japanese medieval period. In chapter 2, I present an outline of the hermeneutic of a language for understanding. I will go on to refer to the epistemological possibility of the" Logical understanding". In chapter 3, I write about the common topos of the understanding of life in Buddhism and Christianity. In chapter 4, I suggest a possibility of "Hongaku" thought. Further Remarks It is indispensable to understand the awareness and the practice of "the Absolute Awakening" in the progress of Japanese culture from ancient times to the contemporary age in order to trace the effect of the philosophy of Mutai Risaku and Nishida Kitaro and of "Hongaku" thought. One can see that there is a similarity between the structure of thought seen in Christian theology's concept of 'the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the deepest recesses of the human spirit' and the concept of the "Indwelling of Buddha in human nature" peculiar to "Nyoraizo" thought. Conclusion My conclusion is that the epistemology of Asvaghosha's Discourse on the Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana opens up the possibility of life through ascertaining the circle-structure of the Absolute Awakening.