<論説>近世前期郷鎮守における神宮寺と本末関係の形成 : 近江国甲賀郡森尻村矢川寺を事例に

Abstract

近江国甲賀郡森尻村に所在する矢川大明神は、中世段階の当該地域に存在した池原杣庄の荘鎮守であったと推測される神社であり、神宮寺である矢川寺は神仏習合形態で祭祀を執行していた。戦国末期における荘園制の解体の後に、中世的な神社の運営構造を再編成した新たな存立基盤を構築する必要に迫られた矢川寺は、氏子村々に所在する祈祷寺・鎮守の祭祀を掌握することにより、当該地域に宗教的権力秩序を形成する。矢川寺の住持が氏子村々の祭祀を取り仕切るためには、密教の祈祷を行う資格である阿闍梨の職位が必要であり、台密の穴太流を相伝していた延暦寺の僧坊である惣持坊と法流関係を結んでいた。その法流関係を梃子として、惣持坊は幕府が行った寺院改を契機に、矢川寺と氏子村々の祈祷寺を直末寺とし、矢川寺の中本寺としての立場を否定しようと試みた。矢川寺は訴訟を起こして抵抗したのであり、両者がせめぎ合う中で寺院本末関係が成立した。

Yagawa Daimyojin at Morijiri village in Koka district in the province of Omi is thought to have been the local deity of the Ikeharasoma no sho, an estate in the area, during the medieval period. Yagawadera, which was the shrine-temple, conducted rites that were characteristic of the Shinto-and-Buddhism symbiosis, known as shinbutsu shugo. After the estate system had been dismantlement at the end of Waring-States period, Yagawadera was confronted with the need to build a new foundation for a reorganized economic structure suitable for a medieval shrine, and by controlling the rites at local temples of the villagers associated with the shrine, it was able to construct a new order in the religious power structure of the region. In order for the local priest of Yagawadera to lead these rites for the villagers associated with the shrine, it was necessary for him to attain the status of ajari (S. acarya), which is required to perform esoteric Buddhist rituals. Therefore, an ecclesiastical relationship with Sojibo, a cloister of Enryakuji, which carried on the Ano tradition of Tendai esoteric Buddhism, was established, and Yagawadera became a branch temple, subordinate to Sojibo. When the bakufu reorganized the temple system, Sojibo tried to use the ecclesiastical relationship to make both Yagawadera and the local temples direct subordinates, branch temples of equal rank. Yagawadera resisted and initiated a lawsuit. In the hierarchical order of the temples was formed.