earticle

영어

The symbolic structure of re-burial widely distributed in Asia centering on Southeast Asia has been succeeded to mortuary practice of today's various religions. This article is intended to examine the formation of the belief in ‘Thirteen Buddhas’ that has functioned as a rationale of memorial service for the dead in Japanese Buddhism from the viewpoint of succession of the symbolic structure of re-burial. The belief in Thirteen Buddhas is a belief to Buddhas and Buddhist Saints who help to send out the dead to Pure Land. This belief has been accepted to most sects in Japanese Buddhism though it was not made from established doctrine of Buddhism. Buddhas and Buddhist saints who have been chosen to be Thirteen Buddhas were initially deities of folk beliefs for fortune, and it was unrelated to mortuary practice. The deity of such folk belief has changed with the acceptance of the services of ‘Ten Buddhas’ and the belief in ‘Ten Kings’ conveyed from China. In the background, there was a rise of concern to the world of postmortem by ‘Idea of the Latter Days of the Dharma’ and ‘Thought of Pure Land’ at Warring States Period. On the other hand, the native mentality of Life and Death also did an important role to the formation of the belief in Thirteen Buddhas. Mentality of Life and Death that supports memorial service for the dead has been considered to be a peculiar approach of Japan in Japanese academic circles. However, it is necessary to understand it as a Japanese development or transformation of mentality of Life and Death in East Asia as long as it has originated in re-burial. It is also necessary to interpret the belief in Thirteen Buddhas from the pan-Asian viewpoint.