神護寺薬師如来像の史的考察

書誌事項

タイトル別名
  • Historical Consideration of the Yakushi Nyorai Image at Jingoji
  • ジンゴジ ヤクシニョライゾウ ノ シテキ コウサツ

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This article re-examines the production background of the late 8th century single-block construction wood Yakushi Nyorai image at Jingoji. In order to clarify the production background of this image, first it is necessary to confirm where the image was originally enshrined. This is difficult due to the complicated establishment history of the Shingon esoteric temple Jingoji. Jingoji was established in 824 through a merger of Jinganji and Takaosanji. This image of Yakushi Nyorai derives from an exoteric Buddhist tradition, not an esoteric one. Thus, this image was clearly not originally made for Jingoji, so the question remains, was it made as the central worship image of Jinganji or Takaosanji. The first section of this article examines in detail two or three of the basic historical documents related to this issue and, as a result, determines that this image was originally made for Jinganji and later transferred from Jinganji to Jingoji. In the second section, the author critiques earlier theories then considers the production background of the image in terms of the historical data that records the establishment process of Jinganji, and indicates that this material contains information that provides some actual hints regarding its production. According to those documents Jinganji, where the statue was originally installed, was built as a temple based on a commandment from the god Hachiman to Wake no Kiyomaro. In other words, at the end of the Nara period, when the priest Dôkyô was set to become emperor, Wake no Kiyomaro brought Hachiman's commandments to the capital and prevented the enthronement. At the time, the god Hachiman said that the “power of the Buddha” was the only power that could defeat Dôkyô, and thus required Kiyomaro to establish temples. Hachiman's pronouncement that “the Shinto gods need the Buddha's power” is a statement that indicates the relationship between Shinto and Buddhism. At the end of the 8th century when Jinganji was established, the syncretic Shintô-Buddhist religion included the belief that “Shinto god authority is increased through Buddha's power.” With this concept in mind, Jinganji can be positioned as a temple built to increase the power of Shinto deities through the power of Buddhism. Naturally the Buddhist images enshrined in the temple would have been created with this same aim in mind. Not only is the Jingoji Yakushi Nyorai image a benchmark image for determining the year it was created, it is also noteworthy as an example of the syncretic ShintoBuddhist fusion of the period.

収録刊行物

  • 美術研究

    美術研究 (403), 1-24, 2011-03-29

    東京 : 国立文化財機構東京文化財研究所

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