The Identity of the Awata-Gire Fragments

Autor: Tamura, Etsuko
Jazyk: japonština
Rok vydání: 1967
Předmět:
Zdroj: 美術研究. (247):17-27
Popis: Following her already published efforts to furnish valuable materials to the study of Japanese fine arts, literature, history, etc. by collecting, and establishing the identity of, various kire or fragments of old manuscript copies of unknown works(vide “A Detached Segment from Obusuma Saburō Emaki,” No. 222, May, 1962, “A Study and Collection of Hino-Gire,” No. 233, Mar., 1964, and “Fragmentary Text of the Kagerō no Niki Diary Possibly in the Form of a Picture Scroll,” No.241, July, 1965, this Journal,) the writer aims this time at the so-called Awata-gire fragments. The three Awata fragments the writer knows, pasted in three te-kagami albums, all registered national treasures, contain the following fragmentary tale : ―― “――, thinking it useless to survive in the world with such a shameful body hated by all people, made up his mind to drown himself in a river. He, therefore, charged his boy servant with his last message to the parents he had left behind him in the country. The servant, however, advised him to go home to see his parents himself even though he contemplated committing suicide. On the advice of the servant, he took leave of his master priest, and started for his native province of Ise (now Mie Prefecture.)” The writer has succeeded in finding the continuation of this fragmentary tale in the first chapter of the Jizō Engi Emaki or picture scroll illustrating tales of Ksitigarbha, a Buddhist bodhisattva, merciful saviour, formerly in the possession of the Hōnen Ji temple, Kyoto, Japan. In other words, the Awata fragments are none other than the missing foremost part of the Hōnen Ji text. In confirmation of this supposition she Jizō Engi scroll dated in the late Kamakura Period. The remaining part of the first chapter of the the Hōnen Ji scroll accurately corresponds to the Awata Hōnen Ji scroll is to the following effect : ―― “Arriving home in Ise, he saw his parents and the beginning of the tale of Shinki for which Awata talked to them all about his disease (probably leprosy.) T. fragments have not yet been found, on the basis of a His mother prayed earnestly to Jizō for mercy. That clever interpretation of the picture and of a short account night he dreamt a little priest poured healing liquid onA gleaned from a certain old Buddhist work that tells how him, and he awoke to find his skin restored to its Shinki, when a boy, was found wise and was taken out former clearness. He returned to the temple in Nara, of the country to the Kōbuku Ji temple in Nara for where he resumed his Buddhist studies, finally rising Buddhist studies by a certain townsman. to the high position of the superior of the temple. He The hero of the tale, Bishop Shinki, the writer adds, was Bishop Shinki of the Kōbuku Ji temple.” The reader will not wuestion Miss Tamura's supposition that the Awata fragments are connected with the Hōnen Ji text. confirmation of this supposition she says, after careful examination, that the picture 1 of the Hōnen Ji scroll accurately corresponds to the Awata fragmentary tale. Moreover, the winter skilfully restores the beginning of the tale of Shinki for which Awata fragments have not yet benn found, on theabsis of a clever interpretation of the picture and of a short account gleaned from a certain old Buddhist work that tells how Shinki, when a boy, was found wise and was taken out of the country to the Kōbuku Ji temple in Nara for Buddhist studies by a certian townsman. The hero of the tale, Bishop Shinki, the writer adds, was a historical personage (d. 1000 A.D.) and he was The reader will not question Miss Tamura's suppo really born in the Province of Ise as the tale tells.
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