Abstract
Haya Akegarasu (1877–1954) was a priest of the Otani sect of Shin-Buddhism who was active from the Meiji to Showa periods. From 1903, he serialized 8 years (55 times) in the magazine Seishinkai, under the title “Reading Tanni-shō”, which laid the foundation for the popularization of Tanni-shō in the modern era. Akegarasu’s interpretation of Tanni-shō is different from the literary interpretations in the Edo period. It was a new way of reading the teachings of Tanni-shō as “reading in light of one’s experiences, deeply accepting one’s evil, and rejoicing in the salvation of Amida Buddha, who targets such evildoers.” However, previous studies have pointed out that this way of reading may lead to objections that are different from Shinran’s teachings, as it includes feelings based on personal religious experiences.
The purpose of this paper is to clarify that Akegarasu’s interpretation of Tanni-shō is not a mere confession of faith, but an expression supported by a fixed theory. Akegarasu’s “Reading Tanni-shō” was later published under the title Tanni-shō Lecture (1911). By focusing on the highly unique interpretation given in Chapter 7, I will examine the relationship between Akegarasu’s interpretation, which can be said to be subjective, and the theory of three vows transfer, which is said to be used by Amida Buddha to save human beings, and clarify the reason why Akegarasu made such an interpretation.
