, also called but commonly referred to as , is an 11th century Japanese collection of Buddhist tales and folklore (

setsuwa ''Setsuwa'' () is a Japanese literary genre. It consists of myths, legends, folktales, and anecdotes. Among the , those that are full-length are generally referred to as . In Japan, the term is also applied to similar works around the world. '' ...

). It was compiled by the monk from 1040 to 1043, and consists of three volumes with 129 chapters, two of which are missing. The collection is intended to promote the

Lotus Sutra The ''Lotus Sūtra'' (Sanskrit: ''Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtram'', ''Sūtra on the White Lotus of the True Dharma'', zh, p=Fǎhuá jīng, l=Dharma Flower Sutra) is one of the most influential and venerated Buddhist Mahāyāna sūtras. ...

with tales of miraculous events linked to the sutra.

Origin

In the introduction to the book, Chingen referred to a now-lost collection of tales by the Chinese monk Yiji (義寂) titled ''Fahua yanji'' (法華験記), which may be the inspiration for this collection. Some scholars suggest that text referred to may be by a Korean monk with the same name in Chinese Ŭijŏk (義寂), although Chingen may have consulted both the Chinese and Korean collections. The tales he collected, however, are Japanese only, which Chingen noted in the preface are meant for ordinary people rather than priests and scholars. ''Hokke Genki'' incorporates stories and biographies from other works, such as , and ''

Nihon Ryōiki The is an early Heian period setsuwa collection. Written by Kyōkai between 787 and 824, it is Japan's oldest collection of Buddhist setsuwa. It is three volumes in length. Title Commonly abbreviated as ''Nihon Ryōiki'', which means "Record ...

'', but also include tales not found in earlier works.

Content

Chingen organised his tales roughly chronologically from the time of

Prince Shōtoku , also known as or , was a semi-legendary regent and a politician of the Asuka period in Japan who served under Empress Suiko. He was the son of Emperor Yōmei and his consort, Princess Anahobe no Hashihito, who was also Yōmei's younger half ...

in chapters that are based on the seven groups of the Buddhist order; these are

bodhisattva In Buddhism, a bodhisattva is a person who has attained, or is striving towards, '' bodhi'' ('awakening', 'enlightenment') or Buddhahood. Often, the term specifically refers to a person who forgoes or delays personal nirvana or ''bodhi'' in ...

monks A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...

, male novices,

nuns A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service and contemplation, typically living under vows of Evangelical counsels, poverty, chastity, and obedience in the Enclosed religious orders, enclosure of a monastery or convent.' ...

, laymen and laywomen, and animals and other non-human entities. The collection contains setsuwa tales or biographical stories of advocates and devotees (''jikyōsha'', 持経者) of the ''

'', many of them from the

Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kammu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means in Japanese. It is a ...

. Most of them (over 90 out of 127) feature in some way Buddhist ascetics or who lived in the mountains. 31 of the tales involve laymen and warriors. In this collection, the worship of Japanese gods and Buddha is given in syncretic manner, and some Japanese deities appear as

bodhisattvas In Buddhism, a bodhisattva is a person who has attained, or is striving towards, ''Enlightenment in Buddhism, bodhi'' ('awakening', 'enlightenment') or Buddhahood. Often, the term specifically refers to a person who forgoes or delays personal n ...

. There are two general categories of setsuwa. The first describes the activities of the devotees and their observances of the precepts of the Lotus Sutra. The second involves miraculous tales that illustrate the power of the Lotus Sutra. A notable example of folktales in this collection is the first appearance of the story of

Anchin and Kiyohime (or just Kiyo) in Japanese mythology, Japanese folklore is a character in the story of Anchin and Kiyohime, which dates back to the 11th century. In this story, she fell in love with a Buddhist monk named Anchin, but after her interest in the m ...

, although neither were specifically named in the story. The collection of tales is intended to promote the ''Lotus Sutra'', emphasising stories of people as well as animals and supernatural beings who had experienced miracles in relation to the ''Lotus Sutra'', suggesting that believers can benefit by copying, reciting and their devotion to the sutra.

Translation

The collection has been translated into English by Yoshiko K. Dykstra and published as ''Miraculous Tales of the Lotus Sutra from Ancient Japan: The Dainihonkoku Hokekyokenki of Priest Chingen''.

References

{{reflist Japanese mythology Japanese Buddhist texts Fiction about Buddhism Late Old Japanese texts Heian period in literature Setsuwa 11th-century Japanese books