Shūzen 修善 During the Late Heian Period

Abstract

This paper aims to make clarify the meaning of the term shūzen 修善 when used by late Heian period (794–1185) aristocracy. I consider the term in Fujiwara-no-Michinaga’s 藤原道長 Midō kanpaku ki 御堂関白記 and Fujiwara-no-Sanesuke’s 藤原実資 Shōyū ki 小右記.

In these diaries, shūzen basically refers to carrying out esoteric Buddhist rituals (shūhō 修法) to acquire worldly benefits. Shūzen originally meant cultivating good acts (zengyō 善業). However, we can see that Heian period aristocrats thought that esoteric Buddhist rituals for worldly benefits were “good acts.” It also appears that during this time the meaning of the compound shūzen changed to include esoteric Buddhist rituals.