Paper short abstract:

From the fourteenth century on, new ceremonies exclusively performed by Zen lineages came to occupy an important place in medieval religious life. This paper will shed new light on how Zen lineages actively fashioned a ritual system that served as a counterpart to that of the kenmitsu lineages.

Paper long abstract:

Widely performed all over the archipelago, Buddhist ceremonies (hōe) conducted by the kenmitsu (exoteric-esoteric) lineages played an integral role in medieval Japanese society. However, from the fourteenth century onwards, new ceremonies exclusively performed by Zen lineages came to occupy an important place in medieval religious life. These new Zen ceremonies were firmly based on the continental rules of purity (shingi) that also governed Zen practice. As the rules of purity were codified into ritual handbooks and set forth as rules to govern Zen monastic life, a new ritual system emerged that differed in its entirety from that of the existing kenmitsu order. Serving as venues for these new rituals, monasteries and temples built in the new Zen style sprung up all across Japan.

Although Zen lineages were responsible for performing a variety of Buddhist ceremonies, Zen funerals and memorial services (tsuizen butsuji) were among its most sought after rites. Zen lineages single-handedly performed funerals for the Muromachi shōgun and his family, while also conducting other memorial services alongside the kenmitsu schools. Following periods of famine or war, Zen lineages presided over large-scale segaki (hungry ghost-feeding) rituals in order to placate the spirits of the dead. The Zen lineages also exerted a dramatic influence on the ways in which memorial tablets (ihai) and portraits were worshipped. Apart from funerary rites, Zen lineages were responsible for performing other types of rituals, as well. Zen temples in a variety of locales were charged with offering prayers for the wellbeing and longevity of the emperor (shukushin) in a ceremony directly modeled on continental precedent. New forms of ritual particular to Japanese Zen also emerged, including an annual birthday ceremony for the shōgun. In exploring the aforementioned rituals, this paper will shed new light on how Zen lineages actively fashioned a ritual system that came to serve as a counterpart to that of the kenmitsu lineages.