Investigation of the sacred documents of Tokkosan Zensanji Temple in Ueda-shi, Nagano-ken: Focusing on the Keshucho 結衆帳 of the early modern manuscripts

Abstract

　Zensanji Temple (Chizan School of the Shingon Sect) in Ueda-shi, Nagano-ken has been one of the Buddhist schools where many monks studied Shingon teachings. It still maintains a huge amount of sacred documents.

　Keshucho, monk attendance books, found during our investigation are records of Hoonko 報恩講, Argument at Buddhism Memorial Services, in Zensanji Temple for 120 years from the mid-Edo period to the Meiji era. The Hoonko performed under the Chizan School had the role of giving monks credits throughout the modern period.

　This paper shows that one way for monks to attain credits during that period is evidenced by analysis of Keshucho, which indicates that local Buddhist schools were free of the authentic certificating rule and created an independent system.