Hōnen’s Climbing Kōyasan in His Dream

Abstract

The fifth scroll of the Shijūhachikanden 四八巻伝 (compiled by Shunshō 舜昌 (1255–1335)) has a story of Hōnen’s 法然 (1133–1212) dream of climbing Kōyasan 高野山. This story reveals that Hōnen lived in Saga 嵯峨 for two years from the first through third years of the Jisho 治承 (1177–1179).

The Shinikki 私日記 describes Hōnen as having performed the Gosōjōshinnokan 五相成身之観, a contemplation practice of Esoteric Buddhism.

The author believes that the dream of climbing Kōyasan described in the fifth scroll of the Shijūhachikanden occurred after he had failed to accomplish the Sokushinjōbutsu 即身成仏 practice during his seclusion either in Saga or Kōyasan.

In his dream of climbing Kōyasan, Hōnen was greeted with a nod by Kūkai 空海, though he had cast doubt on Kūkai’s religious principle. His dream can be interpreted to mean that the monks who practiced Buddhism on Kōyasan had no choice but to admit their misunderstanding and accept the ideology of Hōnen’s Jōdo 浄土 in light of Esoteric Buddhism.