Prince Shotoku and Article seventeen of the Constitution /聖徳太子と十七条の憲法 No.５

In this article, we will see Prince Shotoku’s ardent desire and the article 12 to 14 from the 17 Article of the Constitution.

He was born in 578A.D. as the second prince of the 31st Emperor Yomu.
He passed away in 622A.D.
Her mother was the 29th Emperor Kinmei’s princess and also came from the Soga clan, which supported Buddhism and the most powerful officials.
It was said he grew up being familiar with Buddhism and its teaching.
At the age of 35, he lectured on Shoman-gyo, one of the most difficult Buddhist teachings, to the Emperess Suiko for consecutive three days as she requested it.
It was said that around one hundred people attended to take the lectures.

Was Prince Shotoku’s life always smooth sailing?
Actually, not.
Soga Umako, the most powerful official around that time, was Prince Shotoku’s granduncle.

It was said that Umako assassinated Prince Shotoku’s uncle, the 32nd Emperor Sushun, by dispatching a man.
It was also said that in the same way, Umako have killed another two princes and his other subordinates due to the suspicion of dethronement plot.

According to the book “Prince Shotoku” written by Kamei Katsuichiro, it was inferred that Prince Shotoku worried about his genetical feature, of being savage too due to his granduncle’s records of killing.
Also, Price Shotoku might have been afraid of being assassinated by Soga clan.

There might be no Japanese people who don’t know Prince Shotoku’s name, his achievements and contributions to Japan.
When he passed away, many people were said to have remembered Prince Shotoku’s virtue and have started to worship him as an avatar of Guze Kannon Bodhisattva.

There are many picture scrolls in the temples across Japan that depicted the whole life of Prince Shotoku.
These picture scrolls have been drawn since he passed away.
The oldest one was drawn in 771, while the latest one was done in 1983.
His achievements and virtue have been passed down to the next generation in several ways including Shirabyoshi, a kind of dancing while reciting Waka poems.

What was the Prince Shotoku’s virtue?
He was known to behave with rectitude and practiced the Buddhist Ten Virtue Commandments, which was similar to the Ten Commandments of Christianity.

The Buddhist Ten Virtue Commandments:

Don’t kill any lives including animals and plants.
Don’t steal anything including others’ ideas.
Don’t commit adultery.
Don’t tell a lie.
Don’t speak ill of others.
Don’t speak with forked-tongued.
Don’t flatter too much.
Don’t be driven by personal greed.
Don’t get angry easily.
Don’t think wrongly such as harmful ideas against the society, discrimination, pessimism and so on.

We could guess that he hoped that the Buddhist Ten Virtue Commandments would have brought peace to the country.
That’s why he set “Harmony should be respected” in Article 1.
Whereas, worshipping Buddhism was written in Article2 that states “Respect to three treasures: Buddha, Dharma and Buddhist monks”.

Here are the articles 12 to 14 from the 17 Article of the Constitution.

Article 12
The officials who are dispatched from the central government to the countrysides must not impose the citizens of additional tax.
The country does not have two emperors and the citizens do not have two masters.
All people who live in the land (where the emperor heads) consider the emperor as their only master.
All officials are the subordinates of the emperor.
The officials can not impose additional taxes to the citizens as the country already imposed the taxes.

The original one from Nihon-Shoki, Chronicles of Japan;
十二曰、國司國造、勿収斂百姓。國非二君。民無兩主。率土兆民、以王爲主。所任官司、皆是王臣。何敢與公、賦斂百姓。

Article 13
The officials who assign various positions should equally have a detailed knowledge about their tasks.
They are sometimes not able to conduct their tasks properly due to diseases or other missions.
However, when they return to their tasks, they should act harmonious like they have known everything since old days.
They must not disturb public duties by saying that they do not hear anything about these.

The original one from Nihon-Shoki, Chronicles of Japan;
十三曰、諸任官者、同知職掌。或病或使、有闕於事。然得知之日、和如曾識。其以非與聞。勿防公務。

Article 14
The officials who work for the emperor should not be jealous.
When I am jealous of others, others are also jealous of me.
The negative effects of jealousy are endless.
Therefore, when you encounter a person who is smarter than you, you can not be pleased. When you see a person who is more talented than you, you come to be jealous.
Even though you have already met a mentor (whom you can meet once in five hundred years), you try to wait for a sage whom you can meet once in one thousand years.
It result to miss the opportunities to meet both a mentor and a sage.
The nation can not be managed without a mentor and a sage.

The original one from Nihon-Shoki, Chronicles of Japan;
十四曰、群臣百寮、無有嫉妬。我既嫉人、人亦嫉我。嫉妬之患、不知其極。所以、智勝於己則不悦。才優於己則嫉妬。是以、五百之乃今遇賢。千載以難待一聖。其不得賢聖。何以治國。

It can be seen that Prince Shotoku, despite of his sufferings, he was still able to practice Buddhist teachings and become a good example for the people and proceeded to enact laws while praying desperately for Japan to become a peaceful country.

The end of the series “Prince Shotoku and Article seventeen of the Constitution ” is just around the corner.
On the last part of the series, we will see two temples that are closely related to Prince Shotoku.
I bet you’ll love it!

To be continued…
Go to Article seventeen of the Constitution

Go back to no.4.

【Translation for language learners of either English or Japanese】/英語・日本語学習者向け翻訳えいご　・　　にほんごがくしゅうしゃむ　　ほんやく

今回は、聖徳太子の切実な願いと、十七条の憲法の第十二条から第十四条をみてみましょう。

聖徳太子は、574A.D.に、第三十一代用明天皇の第二皇子として生まれ、622年に薨去されました。
母は、第二十九代欽明天皇の皇女であり、崇仏派の豪族蘇我氏の血を引いておられました。
聖徳太子は、仏教やその敎えに親しんで成長したと言われています。
35歳には推古天皇に請われ勝鬘経を連続三日間講義されました。
その時には、100人もの人が同席して聞いたといいます。

聖徳太子の生涯は、順風満帆だったのでしょうか。
実は、そうではありませんでした。
時の権力者蘇我馬子は、聖徳太子の大伯父でした。
馬子は、部下を送り聖徳太子の伯父、第三十二代崇峻天皇を暗殺したと言われています。
また、同じ方法で謀反の疑いで、二人の皇子と側近も殺したと言われています。

聖徳太子は血塗られた遺伝子が自分の中にも流れていると悩んだのではないかと亀井勝一郎氏が書いた「聖徳太子」の中で推察しています。
また、聖徳太子は、蘇我氏による暗殺に怯えていたかもしれません。

聖徳太子の名前と彼の業績や日本への貢献を知らない日本人はいないかもしれません。
聖徳太子が薨去されると、多くの人々が太子の美徳を偲び、救世観音の化身として崇拝する太子信仰が始まりました。
日本中の寺院には、聖徳太子の生涯を描いた絵巻物があります。太子がなくなってから描かれ、最も古いものは771年最近のものは1983年に描かれたものがあります。
太子の業績や美德は、白拍子をはじめとする様々な方法で、今日まで受け継がれています。

聖徳太子の美徳とはなんでしょうか。
聖徳太子は、清廉潔白な行いをする人だとして知られ、基督教でいう十戒のような仏敎の十善戒を守っていました。

十善戒:

動物や植物など生き物を殺さない。
他人の物やアイデアを盗まない。
姦淫をしない。
嘘をつかない。
悪口を言わない。
二枚舌を使わない。
過ぎたお世辞を言わない。
私利私欲に走らない。
怒らない。
社会に有害な考えや差別。悲観主義などの間違った考えをしない。

聖徳太子は、十善戒で国が平和になることを望んでいたのでしょう。

『和を持って貴しとなす』を第一条とし、仏敎崇拝つまり『仏法僧を敬うこと』を第二条にしたことからも窺えます。

十七条の憲法から第十二条から十四条です。

十二に曰く、国司みこともち国造くにのみやつこ、百姓に歛をさめとること勿れ、国に二君ふたりのきみ非なく、民に両主ふたりのぬし無し、率土そつとの兆民、王きみを以て主しゆと為す。所任官司よさせるつかさみこともちは皆是れ王臣なり。何ぞ敢て公おほやけと与ともに百姓に賦斂をさめとらむ。

十三に曰はく、諸もろもろの任官者よさせるつかさびと、同じく職掌つかさごとを知れ。或は病やまひし或は使つかひして、事に闕おこたることあり。然れども知るを得ての日には、和あまなふこと曾さきより識しるが如くせよ。其れ与あづかり聞きくに非ざるを以て、公務まつりごとを防さまたぐること勿れ。

十四に曰はく、群卿百寮、嫉そねみ妬ねたむこと有る無なかれ。我既に人を嫉めば、人亦我を嫉む。嫉妬しつとの患、其の極りを知らず。所以ゆゑに智己れに勝まされば、則ち悦ばず。才己れに優まされば、則ち嫉妬ねたむ。是を以て五百いほとせにして乃ち賢さかしびとに遇はしむれども、千載ちとせにして以て一聖を待つこと難し。其れ聖賢を得ざれば、何を以てか国を治めむ。