선택본원(選擇本願)의 두 가지 의미‒ 『무량수경』에서 『선택본원염불집』으로 ‒

Abstract

Hōnen (法然) claimed in Senchakuhongan nembutsushū (選擇本願念 佛集) that ‘Yeombul (念佛)’ is the only direct reason for the birth in the Pure Land which has been selected by Amitāyus　Buddha, and that only ‘Yeombul’ must be selected since it should be the only one practised asceticism (the Exclusive Yeombul, 專修念佛) with other kinds of asceticism abandoned. This argument by Hōnen is based on the Eighteenth Vow (第十八願) which explained that Sattvas could be reborn in the Pure Land by the repetition of calling the name of Amitāyus　Buddha by 10 times, amongst the Forty-eight vows in Sukhāvatīvyūha sūtra (無量壽經). However, the Nineteenth Vow (第十九願) and the Twentieth Vow (第 二十願) among the Forty-eight vows (四十八願) in Sukhāvatīvyūha sūtra, which are not mentioned by Hōnen, approve the Birth in the Pure Land through Doing Good Deeds (修諸功德) and Planting Roots of Virtue (植諸 德本) respectively. Furthermore, it is admitted that Sattvas could be reborn in the Pure Land by practicing asceticism of 16 Kinds of Vipaśyanā (十六觀法). As discussed above, the reason why ‘Yeombul’ is selected as the Selection of the Original Vow is presented not by Amitāyus　Buddha but by Hōnen himself. As for such reasons, despite of the fact that the argument by Hōnen has logical faults, when the horrendous war period of Hōnen is considered, this kind of his argument could be acceptable. The Selection of the Original Vow suggested by Hōnen might have been the hope ofsalvation as well as the feasible practice of the Easy Path for Sattvas who were not able to expect promised future during the war time. It is the very decisive choice by Hōnen for Sattvas who were suffering in the real world. As mentioned, the history of Buddhism is seen rightly as the history of transformation. The Selection of the Original Vow by Hōnen is a good example reflecting the process of transformation that satisfies the need of the times in Buddhism. Also, this kind of tendency might be applied to the contemporary phenomenon nowadays, when the population of Buddhism is decreasing dramatically.