日蓮宗東京都東部宗務所

平成28年12月 5日（月）第一ホテル両国にて、身延山別院の藤井教公師（国際仏教学大学院大学教授、北海道大学名誉教授）を講師に迎え、布教師会の研修会が開かれ、28名の僧侶が参加しました。テーマは「天皇と仏教—神道と仏教の両立−」で、日本への仏教と神道の関係を講義していただきました。
藤井教授によれば、仏教伝来以来、神道と仏教は摩擦と習合を繰り返し、すでに奈良時代には「神身離脱説」（神々も修行し仏となりたがっている）と「護法善神説」（神々は仏の教えの守護をする）が、平安時代には「本地垂迹説」（日本の神々の本体は仏教の菩薩や神々である）が生まれているとのことです。この三つの説が重層的に積み重なっているのが日本における仏教と神道の関係ということです。
また極端な場合、南北朝時代の「反本地垂迹説」（仏教の菩薩や神々の本体が神道の神々）のような説があるそうですが、神道の祭事を行う場合以外では宮中と仏教の関わりは深く、上皇を経て出家された法皇も20数方いらっしゃるそうです。
それが主に政治的な理由から、明治時代に神道と仏教が峻別され、その流れが今に繋がってきたとのこと。現在、「生前退位」が話題となっていますが、これはすでに昭和21年に論議され、また当時GHQが日本政府に「上皇は総理大臣になることができるのか」と諮問したことがあったそうです。
「生前退位」は現在でも、政治的、法律的に非常に複雑な問題を含んでいるとのことでした。
 
Missionary Works Association Annual Workshop
On Mon. Dec. 5th, the annual workshop of Nichiren Shu Tokyo East Missionary Works Association was held at the Daiichi Hotel Ryogoku in Sumida-ku with 28 participants.
The lecturer was Rev. Kyokoh Fujii of Minobusan-betsuin Temple of Koto-ku (Prof. of International College for Postgraduate Buddhist Studies, Emeritus Prof. of Hokkaido University). The theme was “Emperor of Japan and Buddhism: Coexistence of Shintoism and Buddhism.”
According to Prof. Fujii, since the introduction of Buddhism, there had been friction and syncretizing repeatedly between Shintoism and Buddhism. In Nara Era, already produced were the two ideas that Shinto deities were also willing to practice Buddhism and become Buddha（神身離脱）and that they were to be guardians of the Buddha’s teachings（護法善神）. Then in Heian Era, the Honji Suijaku theory（本地垂迹説）emerged. In the theory, Shinto deities were regarded as the manifestations of Bodhisattvas or Buddhist deities. The syncretistic fusion of those three ideas between Shintoism and Buddhism had lasted until Meiji Era when they were divided mainly for political reasons.
Sometimes, especially, in Nanbokucho Era, the anti-Honji Suijaku theory（反本地垂迹説）that Bodhisattvas or Buddhist deities were the manifestations of Shito deities had become popular. But until Meiji, Buddhism used to have deep relationships with the imperial court except when the rigid Shinto rituals were conducted.
In Japanese history, retired emperors had strong political power as guardians of young emperors. Within them, there were more than 20 retired emperors who had become Buddhist monks, so called Monk-emperors.
Now in Japan, the retirement of the emperor（生前退位）gets into the news. Actually just after the WWII, this topic was discussed in the Diet. Around that time, the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers; SCAP or GHQ inquired the Japanese government whether a retired emperor was able to become the Prime Minister of Japan or not. Still now, the retirement of the emperor seems to contain complicated political and legal issues.