Disease as a Good Friend

Buddhist art and Epidemics in Ancient Japan

Abstract

Modern perspectives on disease are considered antithetical to a healthy body and there is a tendency to place value on bringing the body closer to a healthy state through medical treatment. On the other hand, in ancient and medieval Japan, a different perspective on disease existed.

In this essay, I consider the phrase “disease is a good friend (zenchishiki 善知識, Skt: kalyāṇa-mitra)” by Eikan (1033-1111), a Jōdo (Pure Land) monk during the late Heian period. Zenchishiki refers to a method guiding religious awakening or spiritual enlightenment in Buddhism. Usually, it refers to a noble priest who is highly trained, but it is also a word that broadly refers to a person or thing that leads to enlightenment. With this as the key, this paper analyzes the motifs of disease depicted in the Miraculous Origin of Kokawadera, a legend illustrated on a twelfth-century scroll that clarifies the actual conditions that give birth to the “positive value” of zenchishiki leading to a person's awakening. I then clarify the historical background of “positive value” ascribed to disease by exploring the tradition of making Buddha statues in ancient Japan.