On the Jingoji nyohō shigyō mondō

Abstract

The Jingoji nyohō shigyō mondō (神護寺如法執行問答,Questions and Answers on the Proper Management of the Jingoji Temple) consists of Shōzen’s questions and Myōe’s answers concerning some possessions of the Jingoji Temple. All of these possessions are unclear on their ownership, so Shōzen seemed afraid of committing the sin of reoriented use (goyū, 互用) and asked Myōe to clarify their ownership. Shōzen’s concern also sprang from severe circumstances around the Jingoji Temple, which was caused by the conflict between two groups in that temple. The source of Myōe’s answers is Fazang (法蔵)’s Fanwangjing pusajieben shu (梵網経菩薩戒本疏). Myōe grasped the practical character of Fazang’s commentary and used it to solve the problem. This document is a very rare example of using the precepts of the Fanwang jing in order to manage a temple.