The Foundation of Buddhist Culture in Japan.

The Buddhist Ideals as Conceived and

Carried out by the Price-Regent Shôtoku
Author(s): M. Anesaki
Source: Monumenta Nipponica , 1943, Vol. 6, No. 1/2 (1943), pp. 1-12
Published by: Sophia University

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 The Foundation of Buddhist Culture
in Japan

The Buddhist Ideals as conceived and carried out by the

Pr"nce,Regent Shbtoku.

By M. Anesaki, Tokyo.

Among the Asiatic countries where the Buddhist religion stays largely
as the faith of the people, Japan stands prominent as the land where it is
a living force with a long continuity of life, having achieved manifold
ways of growth and development, though not without deviations and de-
generations froin time to time. One significant fact in the history of
these developments is that the highly speculative trend of Buddhism was
always re-interpreted in terms of action and practical needs. The ascetic
traits of the religion were largely discarded, the transcendental ideas and
ideals made the guiding principles of life, social and individual, through
applications and adaptations.
Here we are not going to review the history of Japanese Buddhism
nor to discuss its merits or faults but wish to show how this characteristic
durability of life was initiated and the foundation of it laid by Prince
Sh6toku who ruled as regent from 593 to 622, A. D. He was indeed the
founder of Japanese civilization and the point particularly to Le marked is
that he not only undertook all aspects of civilizing work as a practical ruler
and statesman, but based all his administration upon the firm basis of his
profound faith, in deriving soaring inspiration from the highly metaphysical
ideals of Buddhism. For fully understanding and appreciating his work
and the ideas underlying it; it is desirable to review the historical circum-
stances under which he lived and worked, the political and social conditions
of the time, the influx of the continental civilization, the accompanying
spread of Buddhism, the conflicts between the native traditions and the
imported culture, and so forth. Here we shall not enter into these subjects
but take up a few salient points for illustrating the spiritual foundations of
his practical work, which were primarily due to Buddhist inspiration
but at the same time creditable to the strength and depth of his
personality.

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 2 M. Anesaki

First, the foundation and scheme of the Buddhist

institutions founded by him.

The first enterprise in the Prince's regency was the establishment

of a Buddhist sanctuary dedicated to the Four Guardians of the world and
bearing their name, Shitenno-ji ( )LEiiA) or Tenn-Hji. Its site was selected
at a hill-side on the eastern end of the Inland Sea, now in the city of Osaka,
just one day's journey from the capital of that time. The Inland Sea was
and is the maritime highway connecting central Japan with the western
provinces and further with Korea and China. Thus the temple was erected
at the port where the immigrants, artisans, missionaries, and envoys com-
ing from the Asiatic Continent finished their sea routes and landed in
central Japan. The gateway of the temple facing west towards the sea,
through which hundreds and thousands of the newcomers were received
into the sanctuary, stands to-day on its old site; on every equinox, spring
and autumn, pious worshippers throng there, to gaze reverently at the sun
setting due west, towards the land where Buddha appeared. Thus even
this gateway alone tells the ideal purpose of inducing all the nations and
peoples into one and same communion of Buddhadom. One can easily
imagine how those newcomers from the Continent on landing at this port
were impressed by the all-embracing spirit of Buddha embodied in this
sanctuary established by the ruler of the land. It is quite a remarkable
contrast to the present reception of aliens in every country at the customs
or immigration offices. In fact a square on the road leading up to that
western gateway of the sanctuary is now called Gappo-no-tsuji (<1' 4 ), i.e.
the Union-Lands or Avenue of Nations, so to speak,-though we do not
know whether that appellation comes down from the Prince's time. All
this may give a side-view of the idea of the Buddhist comity of nations
inspired by the conception of the Purity-Land or Buddha-Realm to which
we shall return later.
But a more tangible bearing of Buddhist ideals was shown in the com-
position of the Tenn^-ji institutions. Fhe Tenn6ji is now called a temple
and almost merely a place of worship, but when it was founded it com-
prised four institutions:
1. The Ky6den-in (VA M rftZ "Reverence-Field "), the religious sanc-
tuary proper where the reverence of Buddha was observed in worship and
ceremonies, together with training in music and arts, and where were
cultivated Buddhist discipline and scholarship, including philosophical
and scientific studies.
2. The Seyaku-in (t-Mjj.I), dispensary where medical hlerbs were
collected, reined and distributed.

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 The Foun-'ation of Buddhist Culture in Japan 3

3. The Hiden-in (tAW "Com passion-Field "), asylum for the

helpless.
4. The Ry6by6-in (V,.Wq'1)(), hospital or sanatorium.
There is little need to describe these institutions, but it would not
be impertinent to note that this grouping had no precedent in China or
Korea but was the Prince's idea derived frorn a Buddhist scripture which
he had studied in his youth and on which he later wrote a commentary.
This was the Sh6man-gy6 ( the story of the Qaeen Shaman of Ayo-
dhya, who took vows before Buddha to save others through saving herself
and to perfect herself through enlightening others. The name Shaman
is the Sino-Japanese equivalent for Sanskrit Srimildz, i.e. " Wearing Ex-
quisite Garland " or rather "lHaving Excellence as Garland." Putting
aside the story of her life, Ihistorical or legendary, it suffices here to quote
Prince Shotoku's comment on the name whiere he says:-

"While the people of the world adorn their bodies with jewels, she
adorns her body, spiritual body, with all good, therefore she is called Ex-
cellence-garland."

How much the Prince identified himself with this virtuous queen, dis-
regarding the difference of sex, can be seen from the legend that he
sometimes called himself "Shoman, Buddha's Child"({T-iaW).) It is
also to be noted that he ruled as regent under the reigninig Empress who
was his aunt and that he gave lectures on the scripture more than once in
her presence attended by her court nobles. Anyway, the scripture ShO-
man was one of the three texts on which he left his commentaries written
in clear-cut Chinese,-and we shall return below to the nature of those
three.
Now, the Shoman-gyo tells how the Queen, being induced by her
parents, the pious King Prasenajit and Queen Malli of Kosala, visits
Buddha who encourages her by giving assurance that she will finally
attain the supreme enlightenment. In response to this assurance she
takes vow to devote her life to the cause of the ideal perfection of all
beings. We cite here some of the ten " Commitments " (+?Uk) and the
thiree " Great Vows " (=JUtMih):
j t , A J 1 - b2; . r iL L * TAA; . . . . .P, f K m,i;.

1.) The title Sh6toku T which means "Holy-Virtuous" is also mentioned in his
mentary on the ShOman, where the three cardinal virtues of Buddha are summed up in that
title. This applied to the Prince is often thought to be posthumous, but more probably his
contemporaries called him by this name.

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 4 M. Anesaki

"From now on up to the attainment of the Perfect Enlightenment

(Bod hi):-
I shall never cherish any idea of violating the vows taken.
I shall never cherish any idea of insolence towards superiors and
elders; . . . nor wrath towards fellow beings; . . .nor jealousy towards
others' bodily features and their jewelries; . . . nor harsh sentiment as
regards matters, mental and physical.

4 n,rl. rCE,XIR, .;7 .i{M.tB .@tt . . .

"I sla l never accumulate wealth and goods for my own sake, but
dedicate everything acquired for the sake of helping others to perfection.

.E*, s4ii144I,, Mffi7 *5.4, M

I shall never leave uncared for any unfortunate ones, bereaved or

enslaved, suffering from diseases, afflicted by various disasters, but try to
save and console them through the beneficience of instructions in truths
and not forsake them until they are released from all distress.

* . . ;ta,X^Zz bX,TA% RI1311M4 *51MA-1, -PAMl;*, JMrr

I shall never forsake even those who violate laws through coveting
and craving, by wicked and criminal doings. When I discover these be-
ings anywhere, I shall repress them by force when necessary, or persuade
them when persuasion avails; for the Truth is perpetuated through (these
methods of) repression and persuasion, and as the Truth is perpetuated the
good beings are caused to abound and the wicked to abate ....

I shall never lose sight o' the Righteous Law which I have embraced.
Seeing all the grave faults (of neglect and violation), and seeing the
infinite benefits of embracing the Righteous Law worthy of a Great Being,
Bodhisattva, I solemnly submit myself to these grave commitments."

Leaving the meaning of the term Bodhisattva to later consideration,

let us see the summing up of the commitments in the "Three Great
Vows." The Queen says:-

4;E 9 2, * -4-;-M
"Let me, by the virtue of this " root of good " (kusa7amu'la) of bene-
fiting fellow beings, realize the wisdom of the Righteous Law throughout
all my lives.
Let mne, on realizing the wisdom of the Righteous Law, preach it to
all beings incessantly and indefatigably.

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 The Foundation of Buddhist Culture in japan 5

Let me, through embracing the Righteous Law, dedicate my body,

my life and my wealth to the protection and perpetuation of the Righ-
teous Law."

Herein we see stated the ideal aim and the spiritual foundation of the
Prince's admninistration in all its aspects, and in fact the foulndation of
the institutions above cited was an embodiment of the Queen's vows to
save others by perfecting herself. Moreover, the principles of repression
and persuasion in moral anid religious discipline as expressed by the
Queen were applied to the government of the state by the Prince, which
he declared clearly in the " Constitution in Seventeen Articles", especially
in the sixth and eleventh articles. We shall not here enumerate the
actual applications of these principles but shall have to say below some-
thing more of the Constitution.

Second, the ideal meaning of the State in connection

with diplomacy and government.

To begin with the historical circumstances, Japan had been suffering

for centuries from internecine strifes among the powerful clans, although
they were under the theocratic prestige of the ruling house. This strife
infected the Japanese colonies in the southern parts of the Koreat
peninsula, which was also a stage of conflicts between the thlree main
principalities and some minor ones. China had also been divided into a
number of contending kingdoms since the end of the great Han, for
more than four hundred years. But towards the end of the sixth century
of the Christian era, there were remarkable signs of unity in these three
nations of the Far East. Leaving aside the details of these political
situations it suffices to note that when Prince Shotoku began to rule he
had to face the relatively strongest of the Korean principalities be-
coming more and more offensive towards Japan, leaning on the hege-
nmony of the China then newly united under the Sui Dynasty. Naturally
the haughty Middle Kingdoin looked down upon Japan as an inferior, an
uncivilized island neighbour. rhus the vital policy of the Prince's govern-
ment was to consolidate the unity of his own nation and also to achieve
progress of civilization in order to stand abreast with the continental
neighbours. For this purpose and parallel with his internal policy, the
effort in the Prince's diplomatic policy was to establish direct com-
munication with China and thereby to impress Japan's prestige upon the
Koreans, as well as to accelerate the introduction of continental civiliza-
tion. In fact the adoption of Buddhism played the role of pivot in all
tLese aspects of his policies, internal and diplomatic. This was

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 6 M. Anesaki

done, however, not as a mere expediency but flowed out of his deep con-
viction and ideal aspiration. This last point is our subject now to be
illustrated by some historical facts,
In the second year (594) of his rule the Prince had proclaimed Bud-
dhism as the religion of the state, though not in the strict sense; in the
twelfth (604) he had instituted a system of court ranks marked by
coronets and also proclaimed the Constitution in seventeen articles; and
in the fifteenth (607) he despatched an embassy to the court of the Sui
China. This shows that he took this significant step of opening direct
communication with the Chinese court when he had largely succeeded in
laying foundation for national unity at home.
Now the arrival of this Japanese envoy is recorded in the official
Annals of the Sui where the wording of the message is given as follows:

B M & -) I a AX f-.
The Ruler (Tenshi or Son of Heaven) of the Land of Sunrise sends
words to the Ruler of the Land of Sunset.

Evidently the Prince meant thereby to convey his good wishes in

terms of equality. But this was highly displeasing to the haughty ruler
of China who was at the zenith of his pride on having achieved unifica-
tion after a division lasting for centuries. Moreover, the antithesis, if not
intended, of the sunrise and sunset was more displeasing to him and
he refused its acceptance. Note, however, the Annals say that the Em-
peror was " displeased " (fJ2 pu-yueh) and do not use the word " enrag-
ed " (iO,x chi-nou) or alike as we might expect in similar cases in Chines,
style. Moreover, the Annals record the verbal message of the Japanese
Ambassador as follows:

" Having learned that the Bodhisattva Ruler of the west of the sea is
promoting anew the Buddhist cause, (he) has sent this envoy to pay re-
spect."

Here in the Chinese original the subject he is omitted or understood,

but we might well imagine that it was " the Bodhisattva Ruler of the east
of the sea". The outcome was the despatch of an envoy from China to
Japan in the following year, which was followed by the second envoy from
Japan to Chiina.
Now, what is meant by Bodhisattva? It was the appellation of
Buddha him-self while he was striving for Buddhahood, the perfect en-
lightenment in cosmic truth, through innumerable lives of self-discipline.
In the course of time the title was applied to every genuine follower of
Buddha, who, following the master's steps, would strive to perfect self

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 The Foundation of Buddhist Culture in Japan 7

through edifying others, as we have seen above in the case of the Queen
Sh6man. His final destiny is the attainment of Buddhahood, but being
not contenit with his own enlighiteninent a Bodhisattva would never cease
to care for others until all fellow beings be induced to strive for the samz
goal. This idea is based upon the belief that Bodhi-soul (:W-X;.XC) or Buddha-
nature (lMh) is inherent in everyone's original nature and universal to all
beings. Thus the attainrnent of Bodhi or the full realization of BLddha-
nature on the part of every one ought to be the ideal aim of every
genuine Buddhist, and therefore the Bodhisattva may be called Buddha-
to-be, or the loyal follower of Buddha.
Seen in this way, the question is how a ruler, king or prince, could be
a Bodhisattva. The clue to this question is given in the scripture
Yuima-gyo (-iflffi), the story of a sage layman called Yuima, the elder of
the city republic of Vaisali. The Sanskrit original of his name is Vima-
lakirti, or Purity-renowned. How the prince was inspired by the per-
sonality of the sage elder can be seen from his statements on Yuima at
the outset of his commentary on the scripture as follows:

VII, f .t , f it, 411d*&

A, IC--cEt.,a, . . . . * tiS;.M,,Q.,8#9 gel b g-. ^
Not1ti..
" Yuima was a great sage who reached the height of Buddhist perfec-
tion. In its source his person was identical with the Ultimate Entity
(Tathata'), yet in its manifestations his being was identified with all different
existences. He was forenmost in virtues among the sages, the way of his
life was beyond the boundaries of intentions . . . His mind was not
trammeled by affairs of state and society; yet being moved by unintermit-
tent compassion, he worked for the benefit of others. He showed himself
living the life of a householder in the town of Vaisall"'.

Just as the Prince found the ideal basis and model of his practical
work in the vows taken by the Queen Shoman, as described above, so he
was convinced of the spiritual meaning of the state and rulership as stated
in his comments on the opening chapter of the Yuima scripture, the
chapter on the " Buddha-realm,' 2) which we cite here.

MSrl. WWA iRAnz , f>t;X?*ftftg, AMR-M, tt;M-Atkjk VM , f-5

, 4 SPSiTn, j it I Z 4 tQ gi.t Im-"M 12-2wl .rI.kf.0 -AhAS;C

"There are different marks of purity or stain in every realm, in ac-

cordance with the respective characters, good or wicked, of the beings

2) " Buddha-realm " or " Buddha-land," Buddha-kshetra, fJ4I is equivalent to

" Purity-R alm " or " Land of Purity," *:?., and means an " ideal realm of perfection,'
but not necessarily the ultimate perfction of Tathata, nor a paradise in another world.

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 8 M2. Anesaki

constituting its abode (life), due to the effects of their moral qualities
(karma). Thus every ordinary being is affiliated to its own realm (accord-
ing to its karma). On the other hand, a perfect sage is in full communion
with the Ultimate Entity (Tathata) in his enlightenment, and is permanent-
ly beyond the differentiation of names or mark3, having nothing to do
with this or that, give or take. His personality is identified with the Great
Void (transcendence) and his soul pervades the whole existence ; then
how should he assign to himself a specific realm ? Yet, being perpetually
moved by all-embracing compassion, he edifies every being each according
to its capacities, and works in every realm where there are living beings.
Therefore the text says: The Buddha-realm sustained by a Buddba-to-
be is in accordance with the kinds of the beings (to be edified)".

This means, applied to actual politics, that the genuine ruler should
be above all the differences of dispositions and interests of the people and
yet care for them all, not for the sake of their individual benefits but for
their ultimate welfare in fellowship and spiritual communion. The ruler
leads the people by his ideal aims and the people follow him not in mere
submission but in full realization of the high ainms and through mutual
participation in the spiritual values embodied in the State. This parti-
cipation is possible on the basis of the universal immanence of the
Buddha-nature, on the part of both the ruler and the ruled. The Yuima-
gy3 elucidates this point by analysing the functioning of the Budd.ia-
nature in the spiritual life of the Bodhisattva and the Prince states the
point in his commentary as follows:

' The Upright Soul,--thereupon is founded the Purity-land of the

Bodhisattva.

PS1-E ,- t W a El1,8PI 11 i h-, b Hae,g fn' Ik S;|w A,b,J 1A.'#1MlJ . R, All, JK -1. 1 h, b

This means: the Bodhisattva, in training himself chrough refining

his Upright Soul which transcends all distinctive marks, leads other be-
ings to the same attainment. His Upright Soul transcending distinctive
marks enters into communion with the Buddha's soul and tends to
realize its fruits, and under his edifying influence the fellow beings tare in-
duced into the communion of the Buddha-realm through their Upright
Soul (though still associated with the respective marks according to their
dispositions)".

Further, the process of the spiritual leadership inducing others to the

samiie life of the spirit is explained:

Wes, -tE,c,fl 9z! Z4, .4 Y..,M ,i,.*it fr.

^MIiAI?Thkr%fiZd * * *. * *eEW, lIIJRt. . . .. U * *,A

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 The Foundation of Buddhist Culture in Japan 9

4f Oa1# QIJ a Ttlt -Mc, * * I * *, 0-t Ie 4 a-M., *p

i c. .t ....MA1j t;C, . .... mr' -a lS 'Jf" . . . a
i.z-z11t.~~~~~~~~~~~ jt
The Upright Soul is the foundation upon which the Realm is
established while the works and deeds working conjointly lead to its
consummation. Since all deeds emanate from the Upright Soul,
it is the source of all good. As the deeds accumulate them-
selves, the soul is more and more profoundly directed towards the
WVay. As the soul is tamed and trained, the deeds tend to be in accord
with the instructions (given by the leader). As the deeds are done in this
way, they are directed towards others' benefit and all are dedicated to the
realization of Buddhahood. Thus dedicated for the sake of others, these
deeds make up the ways and methods of the Broader Communion (Maha-
yana), which is the essential aim of the Bodhisattva. These ways and
methods consummate the perfection of all beings (in Buddhahood). When
the beings are perfected in their purity, the Realm of Purity is established,
which is their proper destiny.
As the realm is pure and stainless, all that is promulgated therein
is pure, whereby the beings under its influence attain pure wisdom. All
this is the endowment of the Purity-land".

Trhus the Land of Purity or the Realm of Buddha is not conceived in

the spiritual or transcendental sense alone but is enmbodied in any com-
munity whether on earth or in heaven, where the fundamental Upright
Soul is shaared and actuated by the constituency of the community. This
brings us to the Buddhist conception of community or social solidarity.
Any social group bound together by instinctive nature, blood or racial
kinsbip, geographiCal configuration, economic bonds, and similar data
growing out of man's natural life, is the result of karma, the chain of
causation working in and through man's life. The solidarity founded
upon spiritual ties belongs to another category, though not always nor
entirely apart from the solidarity through karma, and this spiritual com-
munity is the one enunciated in the passages quoted above. Indeed the
aspiration of the Prince-regent was to rule his state as a spiritual leader
living the life of a Bodhisattva, never losing sight of the nature of the
people and of the actualities of their life. It is the government for the
people, not as such, but as the people to be guided and elevated to the
moral dignity and spiritual heiglht of the Bodhisattva, every one and all,
because the Bodhi-soul is inherent in all. His idea and practice of gov-
erxsment are neither theocratic nor democratic but "Bodhi-cratic", so to
speak.
TIhe ideal is to establish a Buddna-realm on earth, in every country,

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 10 M. Anesaki

however the boundaries might be marked. This ideal, however, is con-

ceived as attainable not by suppressing the actual states but by trans-
forming the group bound by natural ties into one saturated with the
spiritual aspirations of the Bodhisattva under his spiritual leadership.3)
Here it is not the place to go into details of the Prince's administration
but one remark may be made to illustrate his statesmanship. He pro-
mulgated, as referred to above, a Constitution in Seventeen Articles in
the twelfth year of his rule (604). The fundamental tone running
throughout was Harmony fn, the spiritual harmony as well as the actual
concord in reason, justice, charity, probity, magnanimity. He proclaimed
therein the faith in the "Three Treasures" --H as the foundation of
harmony and of life in general. rhe " Three Treasures " is the Buddhist
term expressing the triune working of the Buddha, the Law and the
Order as the final resort of life aims, which, translated into ordinary ter-
minology, meant the Perfect Person, the Eternal Law and the Ideal Com-
munity, as the Prince elucidated this meaning particularly in his com-
mentaries on the Shoman-gyO. One more point is concerned withi the
number seventeen of the articles. Its implication has been interpreted
in one way or another, but evidently it implied an allusion to the seven-
teen points enumerated in the Yuima-gyo expounding the foundations of
the Buddha-realm, the Upright Soul utC>, the Profound Soul iM.C,, the
Bodhi-soul FAAC'L>, and so forthi ending in the observance of the Ten
Rules of Conduct. In fact the Prince mentions the number seventeen in
introducing his comment upon the intrinsic connection between the
spiritual basis of the Realm and its consummation, and we can well im-
agine that he had all this in view when he proclaimed the Constitution as
the foundation of national life.4)

3) Here in this connection a caution is to be taken to guard against a mistake done by

many a scholar of Japanese Buddhism. It is a hasty identification, or association at least,
of the Prince's conception of ?$? Land of Purity with the Sukhavati, Land of Bliss, the
paradise of the Buddha Amida in the west. It is nothing else than a carrying back of the
belief prevailing since the tenth century, or eleventh. See Proc. Imperial Academy, vol.
19, p. 4.
4) The new Constitution of Japan promulgated in 1889 in which the parliamentary
system plays an important part, is accompanied by the Emperor's Presentation to the Im-
perial Ancestors and Proclamation to the Subjects. In these documents resound similar
tones of emphasizing the continuity of spiritual traditions and the inherent goodness of
human nature.
It is also to be noted that the JOei Institutes (P4 *A H) promulgated in 1232, the
fundamental law for the feudal r6gime, were intentionally arrang:d in 51 articl(s, i.e. three
times seventeen; that the Kemmu Institutes (ttAAZ U), of 1336, contained just 17 clauses,
similarly the Kuge HIatto (iI.) concerning the Court life, of 1615. All this shows how
the Constitution in Seventeen Articles influenced the legislation of the later periods.

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 The Foundation of Buddhist Culture in Japan 11

Finally one more point concerning the Buddhist scriptures whic

the prince studied and from which he derived inspiration for his states-
manship as well as his personal taith. The two cited above were completed
by the third, the "Lotus of Truth "(M?WfE Saddharma-pundaarika) in
which the chief theme was the cosmic meaning of the Buddhist Law
together with the metaphysical entity of Buddha's personality and the full
realization of Bodhi by all.5) We cannot here enter into discussions
on the whole import of this scripture, but it will suffice to cite the opening
words of the Prince's commentary, where he enunciates his general view
of the Buddha's purpose and method of inducing all beings to the perfec-
tion of the Buddha-nature. There he says:

tfr0l;
0,of [X8
4 flf TZ5iJ-,
gAt-;o.- 1.-^t.
A AU i- ,- J4X ZiS-UJitl,
M, T;Hr Mil1,4g:k L- 1iiA1I-K
lilRX2IM ?ty- H
I- lM, --;
t-k,'hi{r"Pt
.xI' AII* -l I I I
a. iF@| FugrK A Pt. _=11 Yi i0i;"t 6} t. 'ii.9lt +1 1 I , + LI*t_ _ ,X fI 0- fi115 T I; I, r Ntl m ik- T

Ak 41 . I ;-k f pi iR 4W 1i, %eal tRk;, pl-P.t1 I I A A h-t At aj I1, 1Jri .fit" L 1, !~ Ay P.[&,%

"This Scripture of the 'Lotus of the Perfect Truth ' is the bounteous
field where all good is cultivated for the sake of the sole cause (of the at-
tainment of Buddhahood by all) ; it is the mysterious medicament which
transforms the limited life of seven hundred kalpas (as attributed to the
sage Yuima and others) into an everlasting life (of Buddha as stated in the
fifteenth chapter of the Lotus).
Indeed the great intention of the Tathagata Sakya-muni in manifesting
himself in this world is to induce, by proclaiming this Scripture, all beings
to the unique consummation (of Buddhahood) through being trained in the
all-inclusive cause of perfection. Yet most people are endowed only with
poor store of good, their soul being shrouded and their senses obscured,
their fundamental faculties being perturbed by the five conditions of de-
generation, and their spiritual eyes covered by the six veils of vices. Thus,
Silnce these beings are incapable of comprehending at once the high ideal
of the consummation of the " Sole Vehicle " (eka-yana, the all-embracing
road to perfection), the Tathagata has at first opened the ways for the
" Three Vehicles " (in his first sermon) at the Deer Park, accomodating
himself to the needs and stages of those endowed with different capacities,
so that they could attain several near stages according to their respective
dispositions and within each one's reach. Since then the Tathagata has

5) The Sanskrit text, ed. Nanjo and Kern (S. Petersburg, 1912) and ed. Wogihara
(Tokvo, 1934-35); tr. Kern in S.B.E. 21 (1884). It differs from the Chinese version
used bv the Prince in some important points. One of the differences is concerned with
the location of the Buddha-land in the vcrse of the fifteenth chapter, for which see Proc.
Imp. Acad. vol. 19, p. 4.

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 12 M. Anesaki

proceeded to train them equally in the truth of " Non-mark " (a-nimitta,
transcendence), and further to reveal the " Middle Path " by discriminat-
ing between the lower and the higher (paths). Even thence he has never
ceased to enhance the growth of the respective dispositions by indicating
the different fruitions through the three ways of discipline. Thus when
the people have gradually been instructed, trained and brought up to
maturity in the course of months and years, the ultimate principle of the
" Great Vehicle " has been revealed at the Royal City (Rajagrha), whereby
the great aim of the Tathagata's work in this world has largely been
accomplished.
Then the Tathagata, setting in motion his body furnished with all ex-
cellent qualities (arising from his immersion in contemplation, as stated in
the first chapter of the scripture) and opening his mouth of mysterious
golden lustre, has revealed the ideal of the all-inclusive perfection of all
good and thereby assured the unique consummation of the great fruition,"

In fact the opening clause of the Constitutions emphasizing the inm-

portance of concord and the associate proclamation of the Three Trea-
sures as the final resort of humnan life, as stated above, were nothing else
than an application of the ideal of the " Sole Vehicle " to national life.6)
In short the mataphysics enunciated in the Lotus was the cardinal pivot
of the Prince's ideas while the two other scriptures were regarded as pro-
pounding its applications in the acts of universal charity and in the est-
ablishmeInt of the ideal kingdom of truth through spiritual enlightenment.
All this is eloquent enough to elucidate the profound source of inspiration
which, thianks to the Prince, laid the foundation, once for all, of Baddhist
culture and spiritual tradition in his country.7)

6) Further elucidation of the articles of the Prince's Constitution in reference to the

statements in the commentarics wvill be published elsewhere. A part theceof is to be found
in the Proceedings of the Imperial Academy, vol. 16, pp. 433-36; the same (Japanese
ed:tion), vol. 1, pp. 1-27.
7) Further for the Prince's ideas of the Mahasattva, the ideal leadership, see the
1'roc. Imperial Academy, vol. 18, pp. 155-163, 429-434; vol. 19, pp. 1-5, 321-325?
the .ame (Japanese edition', vol. 1, pp. 225-264; vol. 2, pp. 1-21, 171-205, 357-384.

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