「森のチベット」アルナーチャル・プラデーシュ州西部における自然信仰の聖地の今とその特色

Abstract

This paper presented 7 sacred places for nature worship in the western part of Arunachal Pradesh in India, which can be called "forest in Tibet". This paper focused the ceremony called "Lha-soishi" in Namshu village, one of the 7 sacred places. Program of "Lha-soishi" in the whole 3 days and villager's thought was described. Most of the villagers noticed change in clothes and food on "Lha-soishi", but represented confidently that the ceremony had not changed mentally. The author also compared the features of "Lha-soishi" with those of 2 ceremonies, "Dangling soelkha" in the eastern part of Bhutan and "Gompa rangjong" in the northern part of India. It was difficult to recognize the source of life around "Gompa rangjong" where it was very cold and dry because of high Arunachal Pradesh and Bhutan can realize why living things can live, because they can recognize the rich nature as the source of their life in the sacred places in "forest in Tibet" ! As there are many nature spirits, they might weaken piety of Buddhism relatively there. Spirits of nature can coexist with Buddha equally in "forest in Tibet".