Abstract
Gagaku (literally, “elegant music”) has been performed on many occasions in Japan, including at performances accompanying Buddhist rites. This mixing of gagaku and Buddhist ritual elements has been very popular. In terms of the history of Buddhist rites, bugaku-hoe can be considered from the point of view of “the reform of foreign musics” in the first half of the ninth century. At that time, early performances of foreign musics consolidated into two musics, togaku and komagaku. This eventually evolved into performances at bugaku-hoe by first four, then two divisions (saho and uho). This latter style took root and has survived from the last Heian period until now. A careful study of numerous cases of medieval bugaku-hoe, however, indicates diverse characteristics, not a single developmental history. In this paper I studied Todai-ji-kuyo-es and kegon-es during the Kamakura Era rebuilding as examples.
I studied these from two standpoints. The first is the relationship between the arrangement of the staff and objects at Todai-ji and Saya. At rites performed at Todai-ji the right side of the Buddha corresponded to saho, the left side to uho, while at rites performed at other places, this relationship was reversed. The second standpoint is from the relationship between divisions and sayo. Four divisions of Todai-ji-kuyo-e (Shingaku, Koma, Kogaku, and Rinyu) and three of kegon-e (Sa-chokugaku, U-chokugaku, Chogaku) performed gagaku according to their roles of saho or uho. As a result, I confirmed that the system of “the right and left divisions sharing in the work in playing gagaku” didn't always apply to medieval bugaku-hoe.
Precedents set in the performances of Buddhist rites have been followed, and therefore there was no standard way to perform gagaku at every bugaku-hoe from the beginning. Temples (and their fortunes) have declined and been revived many times throughout history, and some customs and features of Buddhist rites have ended. In the end, the style of bugaku-hoe is unified by being what it is.
