정토 왕생을 바라는 승려의 죽음

Abstract

Gaoseng Zhuan (高僧傳, Biographies of Eminent Monks) by Huijiao (慧皎), from a monk wishing to be reborn in paradise are narrated in various forms. A total of three types of auspices that appear in these biographies can be extracted as follows: “visualizing the Buddha (jianfo, 見佛) at the end of life,” “healing from illness or pain,” and “spreading the fragrance.” However, it is difficult to see that these writings themselves have the characteristics to prove the rebirth of a high monk, and it is necessary to judge the meaning of the writings in the context in which they are narrated. In addition, visualizing the Buddha has similarities to “the welcoming by Buddhist deities’ descent at the moment of death” (臨終來迎), which began to appear a lot in the Tang Dynasty. The idea that some kind of being is coming to meet him at the moment of death is also confirmed within Gaoseng Zhuan. In Gaoseng Zhuan, this message is not called “Buddha's welcoming descent.” Instead, there were many cases in which it could be argued that it should be understood as “visualizing the Buddha.” There are also some differences between the description of this “visualizing the Buddha” and that of “the welcoming by Buddhist deities’ descent at the moment of death” during the Tang Dynasty. It is believed that the notion of the welcoming by Buddhist deities’ descent at the moment of death was repeatedly accepted until the Pure Land Teachings (Jingtujiao, 淨土敎) were brought to the Tang Dynasty by Shando (善導613-681).