The Tradition of the Lotus Sutra Faith in Japan*
Hōyō Watanabe
1. Traditions of Chinese translations of the Lotus Sūtra
The Lotus-Sutra-based new religions that developed in Japanese society began to
attract the attention of the Japanese public—and also the attention of Western researchers
on Japan who were asking, “What is the Lotus Sutra?”—around 1945. Japanese people
and Japanese sociologists asked the same question of Japanese Buddhist scholars, but the
scholars were unable to give a definitive answer. At present, although such temporal
enthusiasm has dissipated, the Lotus Sutra’s roots have taken hold and become
widespread, and therefore such fundamental questions are not asked as often. So I believe
that now I may be allowed to offer my humble comments on this topic in my capacity as a
researcher on the Lotus Sutra.
As is known, the Lotus Sutra is thought to have been compiled during the early
stages of the development of Mahāyāna Buddhism in India. It is cited or quoted in 21
different articles in “The Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom”
[􀁍􀁡􀁨􀁁􀁰􀁲􀁡􀁪􀁮􀁁􀁰􀁁􀁲􀁡􀁭􀁩􀁴􀁁􀀭􀁓􀁨􀁁􀁳􀁴􀁲􀁡; 大智度論Jpn: Daichido-ron], attributed to
􀁎􀁁􀁧􀁁􀁲􀁪􀁵􀁮􀁡.“The Treatise on the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law”
[􀁓􀁡􀁤􀁤􀁨􀁡􀁲􀁭􀁡􀁰􀁵􀁎􀁄􀁡􀁲􀁉􀁫􀁡􀀭􀁳􀁕􀁴􀁲􀁡􀀭􀁵􀁰􀁡􀁤􀁥􀁓􀁡; 滕華論Jpn: Hokke-ron], by Vasubandhu, an
overall commentary on the Lotus Sutra, is another well known work. As far as translations
from China are concerned, there are three extant versions: 1) the “Lotus Sutra of the
Correct Law” [正滕華經Chin: Cheng-fa-hua-ching; Jpn: Shō-hokke-kyō], translated by
􀁄􀁨􀁡􀁲􀁭􀁡􀁲􀁡􀁫􀁘􀁨􀁡； 竺滕護, a priest from Tun-Huang, in the year 286AD;
2) Kumarajiva’s translation in 406AD, “The Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law
[􀁓􀁡􀁤􀁤􀁨􀁡􀁲􀁭􀁡􀁰􀁵􀁎􀁄􀁡􀁲􀁉􀁫􀁡􀀭􀁳􀁕􀁴􀁲􀁡; 妙滕蓮華經Chin: Miao-fa-lien-hua-ching; Jpn:
Myōhō-renge-kyō] and, 3) the “Supplemented Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law [添品
妙滕蓮華經Chin: T’ien-p’in-fa-hua-ching; Jpn: Tempon-hokke-kyō], translated in
601AD by 􀁊􀁊􀁁􀁮􀁡􀁧􀁵􀁰􀁴􀁡 and Dharmagupta. Three other different Chinese translations are
said to have been made.
Additionally, fifteen or more commentaries were written on the Lotus Sutra in
China, all from differing basic viewpoints.
--------------------------------------------------------
* This paper was presented at the panel“Meaning of the Lotus Sutra for Contemporary Humanity”
in the XIVth Conference of the International Association of Buddhist Studies held at the S.O.A.S,
London University, in London, U.K. ( Sept. 3, 2005)
この論文は、平成1 7 年9 月3 日ロンドン大学に於ける第1 4 回国際仏教学会学術大会でのパネル
“Meaning of the Lotus Sutra for Contemporary Humanity”で発表されたものである。
Among those, the most influential ones were written by Chih-i (538-597). He
gave lectures on the sutras, and especially on the Lotus Sutra. He left three major works:
1) The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra [滕華玄義Chin: Fa-hua-hsüan-i; Jpn:
Hokke-gengi]; 2) “The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra” [滕華文句Chin:
Fa-hua-wen-chü; Jpn: Hokke-mongu]; and, 3) Great Concentration and Insight [摩訶止
観Chin: Mo-ho-chih-kuan; Jpn: Maka-shikan]. These were written down, compiled, and
preserved by his disciple Chang-an（ 章安） . The sixth patriarch of the Chinese T’ien-t’
ai sect, Chan-jan [湛然: Tannen] (711-782), endeavored to revitalize the sect, which had
been in decline, and he wrote commentaries on Chih-i’s lectures called: “The Annotations
on The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra” [滕華玄義釈箋Chin:
Fa-hua-hsüan-i-shi-ch’ien; Jpn: Hokke-gengi-shaku-sen], “The Annotations on The
Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra” [滕華文句記Chin: Fa-hua-wen-chü-chi; Jpn:
Hokke-mongu-ki], and “The Annotations on Great Concentration and Insight” [摩訶止
観輔行伝弘湺Chin: Chih-kuan-fu-shing-chuan-hung-chüeh; Jpn:
Shikan-bugyō-den-guketsu]. With these he tried to emphasize the real meaning of Chih-i’
s teachings; and, with several other writings, he tried to deepen the Buddhistic