The Buddhist Teaching of Yūhan

Abstract

Yūhan 宥範 (1270–1352), a Buddhist priest famous for the regeneration of Zentsūji 善通寺 in the province of Sanuki (today’s Kagawa prefecture), was also a learned scholar who wrote the Dainichikyō sho myōinshō 大日経疏妙印鈔, Ayūshō 阿宥鈔, and so forth. His books concern Buddhist teachings.

Yūhan’s understanding of Buddhism has been referred to in the history of esoteric teaching. However, all such references are nothing but a partial introduction of his teaching; very few studies have been conducted from the integrated viewpoint, or have focused on his later influence. Hence, in this paper, through the estimations of Yūhan by later scholars, his position in the history of the esoteric teaching is examined.

As a result, it is clarified that the reason why Yūhan is bitterly criticized by Yūkai 宥快 (1345–1416), who is thought to have established the Kōyasan Teaching, and by Myōzui 妙瑞 (1696–1764), a priest of the Kōyasan in the Edo period, is that his understanding often criticizes traditional understandings. It is also concluded that the reason why In’yū 印融 (1435–1519), a Shingon priest from the Kantō area, accepts Yūhan’s books is that In’yū examines the validity of old Kōyasan teachings relying on Izu 伊豆 understandings which flourished in the Kantō region.