Fuke-shū

The Fuke Shuu (Japanese普 化 宗) was a more or less random movement within the Japanese Zen Buddhism, which existed until their ban in the last half of the 19th century.

History

The traditional view of the origin of the Fuke Shuu relies mostly on the tang -temporal Chan master Puhua (普 化Chinese, Pinyin Pǔhuà, W.-G. P'u -hua, Japanese Fuke ), an itinerant monk who with bells and singing through the country moved, and probably was a good friend of Linji Yixuan. In the 13th century, during the Kamakura period, to his teaching then Shinji Kakushi (心地 觉 心; 1207-1298; posthumously法 灯 圆明 国 师, Hotto Enmyō Kokushi ), founder of the temple kokoku -ji (兴国 事) in the Kii Province ( in 1254 under the name Saiho -ji (西方 寺) ), have been brought to Japan. However, an establishment as an independent school was probably only in the late 17th century during the Tokugawa period instead. Details of such introductions are extremely difficult, since in the course of the debate on recognition by the Japanese government, the Fuke Shuu repeatedly submitted false documents about our own history.

The followers of the Fuke Shuu were called first komosō (荐 僧, dt about " straw mat monks " ), then later Komuso (虚无 僧, dt about " monks of emptiness "). Data and reasons for this change are controversial theories this relate, inter alia, on an outstanding figure in the movement known as Komu; a merger with traveling musicians who were called also Komuso; a reinterpretation of their own teaching.

Since the Fuke Shuu expressly did not lead members register or expected a fixed income, as well as free roving allowed, she was a constantly anwachsendes basin for lay people who had no fixed place more in the social order of feudal Japan for various reasons. These were almost exclusively of former samurai ( rōnin ).

First attempts by the government to regulate the Fuke Shuu took place in the last quarter of the 17th century. As headquarters of the Fuke Shuu at this time the temple Ryoho -ji (铃 法 寺) in the province of Musashi, Ichigatsu -ji (一月 寺) in the Province Shimousa and Myōan -ji were (明暗 寺) in Shirakawa (白 川) Kyoto. 1847 Fuke Shuu was dissolved as an independent school and its supporters lawfully placed under the Rinzai shū. After the Tokugawa shogunate ended ( Bakumatsu ), the new Meiji government banned the Fuke Shuu by cabinet decision in October of the year in 1871. The temples were closed and declared the followers of all to lay people. A year later, for the Fuke Shuu essential activities, begging for alms and playing on the shakuhachi became spiritual purposes is prohibited.

Writings

The Fuke Shuu had hardly own writings. As an extremely important applies, however, the 1795 appeared in Edo and Yamamoto Morihide (山 本 守 秀) wrote Kyotaku Denki Kokujikai (虚 铎 伝 记 国 字 解, dt about "The Legend of the empty bell translated and presented in Japanese " ), the genesis of the and teachings of the Fuke Shuu in mythological and transfigured form outlining ( the work itself is a translation of a Chinese plant called Kyotaku Denki (虚 铎 伝 记) dating from the 13th century to be, it is true, however, for some time, as most likely fictional, the Fuke Shuu should be well awarded by recourse to ancient Chinese traditions historical continuity and thus authority ). In addition to depicting the life of Puhua other important personalities of the Fuke Shuu be called, including Chōhaku, and then the Fuke Shuu associated temple.

Teaching and practice

The majority of the teaching of the Fuke Shuu was apparently as good as in the study hardly any writings. A central importance was the music for the shakuhachi. Many it performed pieces (本 曲, honkyoku ) had a fixed, ritualistic place in the various religious activities of the Fuke Shuu. The type of music as practiced, which should result in conjunction with a high level of concentration to enlightenment, was commonly suizen (吹 禅, dt about " blowing Zen" ) called. Other terms of this musical tradition were on jōbutsu ichi (一 音 成 仏, dt about " attainment of Buddha-nature or enlightenment through a single sound" ), honnin no kyoku (本人 の 曲, dt as " own piece of music " ) and Zettai no ma (絶対 の 間, dt about " absolute timing ").

Much of the practice was to draw as mendicants through the country from temple to temple, and in the villages and cities from door to door, while the nembutsu (念 仏) to sing and practice on the shakuhachi, a meditative form of flute playing. Striking these was their sight as they had to wear headgear in basket shape sedge (天 盖, tengai ), the hidden face. This is since that time and up to the present popular and recurring motif in the visual arts of Japan. However, the monks also had a firm place in many temples.