<研究ノート>いわゆる神勅文の成立と仏教

Abstract

天孫降臨説話のなかで、最も発展した形を示す『日本書紀』第一の一書にあらわれるアマテラス大神は、光り輝く装いをし、国土統一の「言葉」を発し、そして皇祖神であることに要約されるが、この神格の形成に、仏教の影響があったと思われる。天武・持統朝の国家仏教形成期に重用された『金光明経』の記述は、光り輝く表現で満たされており、その光明は、太陽にたとえられている。ほの暗い仏殿に安置された金銅仏がかもし出す金色のイメージも、「天照大神」像に通ずるところがある。君主の絶対性に宗教的根拠を与る教説も、この経典に用意されていた。アマテラスが五部神らを前にして、ニニギに国土統治の命令を下し、皇統の無窮を祝福する構想は、経典で仏が弟子らの成仏を証言する「懸記」の思想を思わせる。いわゆる神勅文をふくむ天孫降臨説話の構成者の一人として、天武・持統朝に活躍した中臣大嶋をあげたい。

According to the narrative of Kojiki 古事記 and Nihonshoki 日本書紀, Sun-Goddnes Amaterasu, (1) has Shinchoku 神勅 of the reign of the territory of Japan, that is to say, "words, " (2) is dressed in the shining figure, (3) and is the Ancestor-Goddness of the emperial family. These three points are the special character of Sun-Goddess Amaterasu who distinguished her from other gods in the narrative, but I think it was Konkômyôkyô 金光明経 that had the direct influence to the information of the image of Sun-Goddness Amaterasu. As the title of the sutras shows, Konkômyôkyô is filled with the shining depiction, and the image of the golden Buddhist statues which was laid in the ancient Buddhist cathedrals in common to the figure of Sun-Goddess Amaterasu. The hint of "Shinchoku, " I think, has imitated the way of Kenki 懸記 which Buddha guarantees the enlightenment of the future world for his disciples in the sutras, and the idea of the Ancestor-Goddess of the imperial family is equal to the theory of the divine right of Kings which Konkômyôkyo mentions. It was in Tenmu 天武 and Jitô 持統 dynasty that Konkômyôkyô was respected, but it was Nakatomi-no-Oshima 中臣大嶋, who was a member of the editorial staff of Japanese history in Tenmu dynastry and Chief of jingikan 神祗官 (the Priests in charge of festival of the Gods) in Jitô dynasty that played a very important part in the formation of the image of the Sun-Goddess Amaterasu.