A Consideration of Daihan’nyae（大般若会）

Abstract

　The Daihanyae is a ceremony, which is held in Japan, in which monks perform group recitations (albeit abbreviated) of the “Large Perfection of Wisdom Sūtra” for the purpose of commemorating Genzo’s translation of 600 scrolls of the sūtra from Sanskrit into Chinese. These recitations were originally performed as Shingon rituals in Nara at the Todaiji, Kofukuji, and Yakushiji temples. The Daihanyae, which goes beyond sectarian bounds, is an important traditional ceremony in Tendai, Zen, and several other schools of Buddhism. This study is written from the perspective of ceremonies that include religious belief and, thus, goes no further than pointing out the issues and simply reflects the thoughts of the author. The subject matter of the study is the group recitations of the “Large Perfection of Wisdom Sūtra”; it examines this religious ceremony from several perspectives, delves into the development of Buddhism in Japan as a whole, and raises further issues for discussion.