is a musical genre used in

Japanese Buddhism Buddhism was first established in Japan in the 6th century CE. Most of the Japanese Buddhists belong to new schools of Buddhism which were established in the Kamakura period (1185－1333). During the Edo period (1603–1868), Buddhism was cont ...

rituals. It originated from the

Tendai , also known as the Tendai Dharma Flower School (天台法華宗, ''Tendai hokke shū,'' sometimes just ''Hokkeshū''), is a Mahāyāna Buddhist tradition with significant esoteric elements that was officially established in Japan in 806 by t ...

belief in the late tenth century, and later spread to other Buddhist schools. It is a form of narrative music, and often incorporates foreign non-Buddhist

deities A deity or god is a supernatural being considered to be sacred and worthy of worship due to having authority over some aspect of the universe and/or life. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines ''deity'' as a God (male deity), god or god ...

. The word "kōshiki" literally translates to "

lecture A lecture (from ) is an oral presentation intended to present information or teach people about a particular subject, for example by a university or college teacher. Lectures are used to convey critical information, history, background, theo ...

ceremony."

Origins

The exact beginnings of ''kōshiki'' are unclear. The earliest known work in the genre is "''Nijügo zanmai shiki''", written by

Genshin , also known as , was a prominent Japanese monk of the Tendai school, recognized for his significant contributions to both Tendai and Pure Land Buddhism. Genshin studied under Ryōgen, a key reformer of the Tendai tradition, and became well kn ...

in 986. This work became a model for future works in the style. By the 12th and 13th centuries, ''kōshiki'' became popular among many Japanese Buddhists.

Form

''Kōshiki'' is a liturgical ritual performance, which talks about an object of devotion. The object's history, virtues, and importance are described, and the ritual connects object with those present for the performance. The general structure of ''kōshiki'' begins with an intention statement, followed by prose sections. The prose sections discuss the intention statement, and are sometimes in Chinese. Each section finishes by transferring merit. A work of ''kōshiki'' ends with a chant or verse about the theme.

References

{{reflist Buddhism in Japan Japanese traditional music Buddhist music Music genres Shōmyō

Origins

Form

See also

References