Kaneko Daiei’s Understanding of the Tannishō

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to consider Kaneko Daiei’s understanding of the Tannishō. Since the Meiji period, people both inside and outside of the Shin sect have read the Tannishō. The Iwanami paperback edition revised by Kaneko played a significant role in making the Tannishō widely read by the ordinary public.

In the Tannishō, various heresies (異義) and misinterpretations of Shinran’s teaching are recorded. Kaneko acknowledges two major issues in these heresies. The first problem is the attitude to persist in a certain perspective in order to maintain the system of the sect. The second problem is to understand the teaching simply as a piece of information that is not related to oneself in real life. Kaneko’s interpretation of these heresies is exactly his understanding of the Tannishō that has developed through his experience in his time and society.