I visited colored leaves of Nara prefecture 2

奈良の紅葉を訪ねて　２

＜　1.  A main hall in the right side and A main gate in the left　＞

＜　１．　右が本堂、左が楼門　＞

I introduce Chogakuji temple of Nara prefecture.

I went to see colored leaves, but our sightseeing time was over by an explanation by a picture of hell almost.

However, this was very good.

今日は奈良県天理市の長岳寺を紹介します。

紅葉を見に行ったのですが、ほとんど大地獄絵の絵解き説法で観光時間が終わりました。

これが非常に良かった。

＜　2. the main gate　＞

＜　２．　楼門　＞

This is the oldest main gate with bell house that a bell once was set up the upper part of, and was built in the last of the 12th century of the Heian era.

日本最古の鐘楼門で、上層に鐘を吊った遺構があり、平安時代末期頃（１２世紀頃）の建築です。

＜　3. a view of prayer hall from the main hall　＞

＜　３．　本堂前から拝堂側を見る　＞

＜　4.  a view of a pond from the main hall　＞

＜　４．　本堂の縁側から放生池を望む　＞

＜　5.  a view of the main hall from the pond　＞

＜　５．　放生池から本堂を望む　＞

＜　6.  Amida Triad statue in the main hall　＞

＜　６．　本堂にある本尊の阿弥陀三尊像　＞

Zocho-ten that was one of the Four Guardian Kings is seen to the left, and there is Tamon-ten that was one of the same in the right side.

向かって左に増長天が見え、その右には写っていないが多聞天がある。

About Chogakuji temple

This temple was built in 824, and there were as many as 48 sub-temples and about 300 Buddhist monks at the peak.

Amida Triad statue was made in the last of the Heian era (about the 12th century),

And Zocho-ten and Tamon-ten was older than it.

Now, this temple became little, but seasonal flowers in the vast precincts seem to be famous.

I was surprised that I can look near the 5 statues being National Important Cultural Property.

長岳寺について

ここは真言宗の寺で、創建は８２４年と古く、盛時には４８の建物、僧侶３００名ほどを要したそうです。

阿弥陀三尊像は平安末期（１２世紀頃）、増長天・多聞天は平安中期と更に古い。

今は寂れた寺だが、境内１２０００坪の花が有名だそうです。

私が驚いたのは、国指定重要文化財の５体の仏像を間近でじっくり味わえることでした。

＜　7.  the left is the Amida statue, and the right is Tamon-ten　＞

＜　７．　左が阿弥陀如来像、右が多聞天像　＞

When I sat near front of Tamon-ten and I heard the explanation by a chief priest about a picture of hell along with seeing it, I was overcome by deep emotion.

The exposition of the picture of hell is limited at this time of year.

Once, Many believers would feel an intimate connection with a crime and the Pure Land by seeing a similar picture of hell, and they would be assured of Buddha’s help with seeing gentle Amida Buddha and rageful Tamon-ten.

多聞天の直ぐ前に座り、壁に掛かった地獄絵を見ながら住職の絵解き説法を聞いていると

感慨深いものがあった。

大地獄絵の御開帳はこの時期に限定されています。

かつて、多くの信徒が地獄絵で罪と浄土を身近に感じ、憤怒の多聞天と柔和な如来に接して救いを確信したことだろう。

＜　8.  large picture of hell　＞

＜　８．　大地獄絵　＞

The main story of this picture: After cremation, dead persons go through Hades in numerical order, and it judged whether they are sent to hell or the Buddhist paradise at the last.

地獄絵のストーリー：　死者は火葬された後、番号順に冥界を進み、最後に地獄か極楽行きかが決まる。

About large picture of hell　

This was drawn in the early of the Edo era (the 16-17^th century), the mean size of 9 hanging pictures is about 90 cm in width, and about 250 cm in length.

The story of this picture originates in Buddhist scripture "Ojoyoshu" of the 10th century, and furthermore its origin is from the Pure Land Faith birthed in India in about the first century.

この大地獄絵について

これは江戸時代初期（１６～１７世紀）の作で、一つ掛け軸の巾約９０ｃｍ、縦約２５０ｃｍで９幅の連作です。

地獄絵のストーリーは１０世紀の源信の仏書「往生要集」が元になり、さらにその起源は１世紀頃に生まれたインドの浄土信仰（大乗仏教の経典「阿弥陀経」など）に遡る。

＜　9.  the main points of the large picture of hell　＞

＜　９．　大地獄絵の要点　＞

Upper picture:  In upper part of No. 5, Emma Daio judges merits and demerits of a dead parson.

Central picture:  In central part of No.6, person having had crime gets dropped into the blaze hell.

Lower picture:  In central part of No.9, Buddha comes to pick up good person to the Buddhists' paradise.

“ Keep on doing good deeds” of Buddhism and “devote to own parents” of Confucian still are living teachings in our mind.

上図：　掛け軸５番の上部。閻魔大王が、死者の功罪を審判している。

中央図：　掛け軸６番の中央部。　罪ある者は火焔地獄などに堕とされる。

下図：　掛け軸９番の中央部。　善行ある者は如来が極楽浄土へと迎えに来てくれる。

今も日本人の心に、仏教の「善行を積む」と儒教の「孝徳を尽くす」の教えが息づいている。

＜　10.  A sacred book and Buddhist invocation ＞

＜　１０．　経典と念仏　＞

Very roughly speaking, the Japanese Buddhism was divided into popular religion of believers chanting the Nenbutsu (Buddhist invocation) and Zen Buddhism of samurai attaching importance to discipline own mind.

I think the Nenbutsu became very popular among the common people under favor of the picture of hell and "Ojoyoshu".   

The Pure Land Faith preached the Nenbutsu as means to go to the Buddhists' paradise.

On the other hand, sacred books of Buddhism had been written in Chinese character, and many people were not able to read.

Thus, the explanation by a picture of hell became very popular across the whole country by street performers and priests in the Edo era.

Afterword

Accidentally, I was surrounded by Buddhist statues of the Heian Period and could hear the explanation of a picture of hell.

I could contact a Japanese culture descending from ancient times.

日本の仏教は大雑把に言って、念仏を唱える民衆の宗教と、精神修養を重視する武士の禅宗に別れました。

南無阿弥陀仏など、仏の名前を唱える念仏が広まったのは、「往生要集」と「地獄絵」のおかげとも言えます。

浄土信仰は、極楽浄土に行く手段として念仏を説いていた。

一方、仏教の経典は中国の漢字で書かれており、多くの民衆は読むことが出来なかった。

こうして地獄絵の絵解き説法は江戸時代には大道芸人や僧侶によって全国に普及するようになっていた。

あとがき

私は偶然にも、平安時代の仏像に囲まれて地獄絵の絵解き説法を聞くことが出来ました。

いにしえからの日本の文化に触れる思いがしました。