- 著者
-
中田 美絵
- 出版者
- 公益財団法人 史学会
- 雑誌
- 史学雑誌 (ISSN:00182478)
- 巻号頁・発行日
- vol.115, no.3, pp.322-347, 2006
The Commission by the Tang court of the translation of the Renwang Sutra and conduction of related Buddhist ceremonies to the eminent monk Bukong (Skt Amoghavajra) in AD 765 during the reign of Emperor Daizong has heretofore been considered in the research as countermeasures taken by the court to deal with such national crises as the rebellion of Pugu Huaien, which occurred that same year. The translation project was carried by Bukong in conjunction with the eunuchs who had seized power after the rebellion of An Lushan in 755 and corresponds to the expansion of eunuch political influence from the inner court to the outer court. Therefore, we need to reconsider the meaning of such Buddhist activities in the context of Tang period political history. The inner court faction, which included the eunuchs, probably first made contact with Bukong before 765, when Empress Zhang and eunuch Li Fuguo began intervening in political affairs on the pretext to their contribution to the enthronement of Emperor Suzong in 756. This was also the time that they became interested in Buddhism and began forming alliances with such persons as Bukong, not out of any personal belief, but rather the need to legitimize their authority over the bureaucracy of the outer court. Later, during the last years of Suzong's reign, the eunuchs ousted the Empress and assumed the role of the official promoters of Buddhism at court. Then the Renwang Sutra translation and related Buddhist ceremonies are conducted under the cooperation of eunuch Yu Chaoen who inherited the authority of Li Fuguo and the monks led by Bukong in 765. Thereafter, in serving as the Gongde shi which conducts nation's Buddhism affairs, the eunuchs maintained connection with the monk's group, and obtained much more influence to politics. That is, the Renwang Sutra translation and the Buddhist ceremonies can be regarded as an decisive moment which gave the eunuchs an opportunity to advance to outer court.