Prince Shotoku and Article seventeen of the Constitution /聖徳太子と十七条の憲法 No.6

Horyuji Temple in Nara (Japan’s first world cultural heritage site)

日本語は英語の下にあります。

This is the last article about Prince Shotoku and Article seventeen of the Constitution.

Why have we mentioned him and his achievement in the previous articles?
2021 was the 1400th anniversary of his death.
He passed away on April 8 622 A.D.
A lot of exhibitions on him and Buddhist rituals related to him were held across the country last year.

In this article, we will focus on what happened after his death.
Unfortunately, there was no descendant of him anymore.
Iruka, the grandson of Umako who was Prince Shotoku’s great uncle, drove Prince Shotoku’s son, Yamashiro-no-ooenoou to his death.
Prince Shotoku’s son said that he would win if he fought against Iruka.
However, he would feel sorry for the farmers who suffered because of him.
So, he decided to commit suicide with all his family members at Horyuji Temple.
Since Prince Shotoku’s wife was Umako’s daughter, Iruka killed off his cousins’ family.

On the other hand, Prince Shotoku’s passion seems to have lived after his death.
For example, He established four facilities called Shikain in Osaka.
These consist of Kyoden-in where people practice Buddhism, Seyaku-in where people get medicine.
Then, Ryobyo-in, where people cure illness, and Hidden-in, where the elderly and orphans have been taken care of well.
It tells that these facilities were the origins of today’s temples, pharmacies, hospitals, and social well-being.

When it comes to the temples, there are still seven temples that Prince Shotoku was said to construct.
We’ll share three temples here.

The first one is Chogosonnsiji Temple at Mt. Sigi in Nara.
According to Chronicles of Japan, Nihon-Shoki, Prince Shotoku achieved enlightenment and felt the Bishamonten.
It was a day of tiger, the month of tiger, year of the tiger in 582A.D., so there is a monument-shaped tiger at Mt. Sigi.
The Bishamonten is enshrined together with his wife and child, Kissho-ten and Zenisidouji, respectively.
It’s rare to be enshrined with the family.

The second one is Sitennoji Temple in Osaka.
During the battles over religion, Price Shotoku group’s situation was hopeless.
So, he carved four statues of Buddhas that protect four directions.
And he vowed that once they won this battle, he would build a temple where the statues were installed and devote himself to saving everyone.
As you may remember, Price Shotoku won, so he completed his vow in 593A.D.

The third one is Horyuji Temple in Nara.
His father, Emperor Yomei, promised to make a statue of Buddha and found a temple for it in order to pray for healing his illness.
But he passed away before he completed it.
So, Prince Shotoku and his aunt Empress Suiko succeeded in making his father’s dream realized in 607A.D.

When we visit Horyuji temple, we could time-travel to the Asuka period when Prince Shotoku lived. So, we suggest that you visit there.

Let’s imagine how people felt in the Asuka period when the Horyuji temple started construction.
They didn’t know anything about Buddhism.
But suddenly, a gigantic statue of Buddha was cast.
Also, a five-storied pagoda appeared in the town. Its height is about 32 meters.
Prince Shotoku started lecturing about Buddhism there.
People would feel that the new world had just started.
They might be excited about Buddhism.
They might have expected that Buddhism would bring a peaceful world.

How about the new world from the carpenters’ view?
Their tools were limited when it comes to efficiency.
There were no electric saw, no crane, and no plane in making the timber surface flat.
We can easily imagine that it might be difficult to make parts of the same size.
The carpenters might have had a strong passion for creating an honorable temple.
Of course, the initiative was Prince Shotoku’s passion for making a peaceful world under the protection of Buddhism.
Maybe their passion keeps the Horyuji temple well protected.

Some of you might have visited the Nikko Toshogu Shrine on your last visit.
Is it not a gorgeous, colorful, and decorative structure?
Compared to that, the Horyuji Temple is just simple and has subdued color pillars and less decoration.
However, it looks more sophisticated and beautiful.

It is my wish that you will see another beauty of Japan and feel the Asuka people’s passion with your own heart!

We might share only one aspect of him.
But still, it would be great if we could share this beloved Japanese hero.
How was it?

Here are the articles 15 to 17 from Article seventeen of the Constitution

Article 15
The way of the subordinates is being disinterested and focusing on public matters.
In general, when a person is selfish, people hold a grudge against him.
People who hold a grudge definitely avoids to concert with others.
In the end, selfish people become an obstacle to address public matters.
People who hold a grudge against others ignore humans’ duties and break the laws.
Therefore, as mentioned in Article 1, people should keep the harmony regardless of ranks.
Selflessness is the key of harmony.

The original one from Nihon-Shoki, Chronicles of Japan;
十五曰、背私向公、是臣之道矣。凡人有私必有恨。有憾必非同、非同則以私妨公。憾起則違制害法。故初章云、上下和諧、其亦是情歟。

Article 16
Making the people work for the government by choosing a suitable season is a good lesson from the ancient period.
Since people have enough time during winter, the government can oblige people to work for some public projects.
During spring to autumn, people farm and produce cocoons, the government must not oblige people to work.
If people do not farm, we can not eat anything.
If people do not produce cocoons, we can not wear anything.

The original one from Nihon-Shoki, Chronicles of Japan; 十六曰、使民以時、古之良典。故冬月有間、以可使民。從春至秋、農桑之節。不可使民。其不農何食。不桑何服。

Article 17
Originally, things must not be unilaterally decided.
Be sure to discuss things with others.
But trivial things are not important. So, you don’t need to discuss these with others.
When we discuss the important issues, we should have self-doubt and think we might make some mistakes.
Therefore, when we discuss things together, words become rational.

The original one from Nihon-Shoki, Chronicles of Japan;
十七曰、夫事不可獨斷。必與衆宜論。少事是輕。不可必衆。唯逮論大事、若疑有失。故與衆相辮、辭則得理。

Here is the previous article, no5.

Go to Article seventeen of the Constitution

【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

聖徳太子と十七条の憲法の最終回です。

なぜこれまで聖徳太子やその業績に触れてきたのでしょうか。
2021年が、聖徳太子の1400回忌でした。
622年4月8日に薨御されたのです。
昨年は、聖徳太子に関する沢山の特別展や法要が日本中で営まれました。

最終回では、聖徳太子が亡くなってからに焦点を当ててみましょう。
残念ながら、聖徳太子の末裔はいません。
蘇我馬子の孫の入鹿は、聖徳太子の息子である山背大兄王を死に追いやったのです。
馬子は、聖徳太子の大伯父であったにも関わらず。

山背大兄王は、「入鹿と戦えば勝つだろう。しかし、百姓が犠牲になる事は忍びない」と仰せになり、法隆寺で一族自決する道を選ばれました。
聖徳太子夫人が馬子の娘だったので、入鹿は従兄弟の家族を全滅させた事になります。

一方で、聖徳太子の念いは死後も生き続けています。

例えば、聖徳太子は、四箇しか院とよばれる４つの施設を大阪につくりました。
仏法修行の場である敬田きょうでん院、薬を施す施薬せやく院、病気の治療を行う療病りょうびょう院、高齢者や孤児などを救済する悲田ひでん院で構成されていました。
これらが、今日のお寺、薬局、病院、社会福祉の元となった事は明らかでしょう。

お寺についていえば、聖徳太子が発願したお寺は７つあると言われています。
その内の３つを取り上げてみましょう。

一つ目は、奈良にある信貴山朝護孫子寺しぎさんちょうごそんしじです。
日本書紀によれば、聖徳太子は悟りを開かれ、毘沙門天様を感得されたそうです。
それが582年の寅年・寅の日・寅の刻だったので、信貴山には虎のモニュメントがあります。
毘沙門天は、妻の吉祥天と子供の善膩師童子ぜんにしどうじと共に祀られています。
家族と共に祀られている仏様は珍しいです。

二つ目は、大阪の四天王寺です。
仏教と神道との間の争いの最中、聖徳太子陣営は苦境に立っていました。
そこで、東西南北の人を守る四天王を彫り、「この戦いに勝ったら、これらの四天王を安置する寺院を建立し、この世の全ての人々を救済する」と誓願されました。
ご記憶のとおり、聖徳太子は勝ったので、593年に誓い通り寺院を建立されました。

３つ目は、奈良の法隆寺です。
父の用明天皇が、ご自身のご病気の平癒を祈って寺と仏像を作ることを誓願されましたが、道半ばで崩御されました。そのため、その意志を継ぎ、聖徳太子が叔母の推古天皇と共に、亡き父の誓いを果たされました。

法隆寺を訪れると、聖徳太子が生きていた飛鳥時代にタイムトラベルできるかもしれませんから、お勧めです。

法隆寺が建築された時、飛鳥時代の人はどう感じたでしょうか。
仏教について余り知らないのに、突然大きな仏像が鋳造され、32メートルもの五重の塔があらわれ、聖徳太子は仏教についての講義もされています。
新しい時代の到来だと人々は感じたでしょうし、仏教に心高ぶり、仏教が平和な社会をもたらしてくれることを期待したかもしれません。

では、大工さんの視点から見た新しい世界はどうたったでしょう。
効率ということを考えたら、当時の道具は限られたものだけでした。
電気のこぎりや、クレーン、木材の表面を平らにできる台鉋だいがんなはありませんでした。
同じサイズの部品を作ることが、如何に大変だったか容易に想像できます。

日光東照宮を訪れたことがある方がおられるかもしれません。
豪華で、色彩豊かな装飾ではありませんでしたか。
それに比べたら、法隆寺は簡素で、木本来が持つ落ち着いた色あいの柱と、さりげない装飾ですが、洗練された美しさをもたらしています。

違った日本の美を見つめ、飛鳥時代の人々の熱き念いを感じてみませんか。

聖徳太子の一面しかご紹介できなかったですが、愛される日本の英雄をご紹介出来て良かったです。
如何でしたでしょうか。

こちらが、一七条憲法の第十五条から第十七条です。

十五に曰はく、私を背いて公に向くは、是れ臣の道なり。凡そ夫人ひとびと私有れば必ず恨うらみ有り、憾うらみ有れば必ず同ととのほらず。同らざれば則ち私を以て公を妨ぐ。憾うらみ起れば則ち制ことわりに違ひ法のりを害やぶる。故に初の章くだりに云へり、上下和諧あまなひととのほれと。其れ亦是この情こころなる歟かな。