<論説>古代僧官考

Abstract

六世紀後半に日本に伝えられた仏教は、物部氏の滅亡後、蘇我氏の主導のもとに興隆の一途を辿るが、これまで傍観的立場にあった公権力 (天皇) の側からの仏教 (僧尼•仏与) に対する規制の間題が生じてくる。推古天皇による僧官設置は、その端初であったが、舒明の時代において、天皇家の仏教需要＝宮廷仏教が開始されるに及び、天皇における「公的」な仏教統制と「私的」な仏教受容とがからみあい、これに対応する「佐官」が設けられ、また蘇我氏滅亡直後の大化には、政治的配慮による十師や寺主・法頭の任術があった。天智の時代の僧官は、僧正 (長行)－僧都 (次官)－法頭 (判官)－佐官 (主典) の四等官の職制をとっていたが、俗官による僧団統制を非難する『仁王経』の国家的重用の時流におされ、天武の時代において、俗人の法頭を退けて律師を置き、後の僧綱制の原形を整えたのである。

Buddhism was introduced into Japan from Korea in 538, but successive emperors hesitated to accept the exotic religion for about 90 years. The Soga family took the initiative in Buddhist activities and built the Hōkōji temple that was the finest and largest Buddhist temple at that time. Just as the preceding emperors, the Empress Suiko had not her own temple, but she founded the System of Buddhist Government Priest consisting of three posts, i. e. Sōjō 僧正, Sōzu 僧都 and Hōzu 法頭, and appointed a person to each of the three posts. Sōjō and Sōzu (both priest) ruled all priests. Hōzu (layman) managed all temples and their assets. Just after the downfall of the Soga family, the Emperor-Government appointed, in stead of Sōjō and Sōzu ten high priests so called Jushi 十師, who constituted the leaders of Buddhism. New three Hōzus undertook to investigate and eliminate even latent military powers in family temples. Though it is not known when the system of Sōjō was revived, we find the Four Rank System of Buddhist Official consisting of Sōjō, Sōzu, Hōzu and Sakan 佐官 (two persons) in the time of the Emperor Tenchi. The four rank system of Buddhist official was the basic construction in the Japanese codal system. The Emperor Tenchi enacted the Ômiryô 近江令, and his father the Emperor Jomei estabilished the first royal temple called Kudara-no-ōdera 百済大寺 in Kudara. Sōjō and Sōzu were customarily selected from among the high priests of the Hōkōji temple which was the head temple keeping the honorable tradition and leading Buddhism on a grand scale. Sakan was selected from among the high priests of some royal temples. The four rank system of Buddhist official, which included the post of a layman, was condemned by priests, because the Buddha said in blame of the rule of a layman (government official) over priest in 仁王般若経 which was highly esteemed at that time. The Emperor Tenmu replaced Hōzu (layman) by Risshi 律師, and then all the four posts of Buddhist official came to be occupied by priests. Sōjō, Sōzu and Risshi in the time of Tenmu was the origin of the Sôgô 僧綱 in the Daihōryō 大宝令: Hōzu was transformed into Genbanoryō 玄蕃寮 in the time of the Empress Jitō.