Journal | Annali di Ca’ Foscari. Serie orientale
Journal issue | 53 | 2017
Research Article | Multiple Layers of Transmission
Multiple Layers of Transmission
Gasan Jōseki and the Goi Doctrine in the Medieval Sōtō school
Abstract
Scholars have investigated Gasan’s role in the so-called ‘popularization’ of the medieval Sōtō school. What is noticed less often is Gasan’s doctrinal role in the shaping of medieval Sōtō Zen. This article sheds light on the particular importance given by Gasan to the transmission of the Five Ranks through an analysis of the San’unkaigetsu and the two Muromachi variants. The three texts share some common features in the analysis of the Five Ranks, which are at the center of the transmission process in Gasan’s group. I suggest that the rediscovery of the Five Ranks attempts to legitimate Gasan and his group of disciples. San’unkaigetsu achieves this through three different layers: the textual layer, the cosmogonic layer and the secrecy layer which endow Gasan’s group with the legitimacy of past tradition. My analysis collocates Gasan and San’unkaigetsu in the complex scenario of the medieval Sōtō school, providing a nuanced understanding of the influential role of Gasan.
Submitted: Nov. 25, 2016 | Accepted: March 14, 2017 | Published June 20, 2017 | Language: en
Keywords Gasan Jōseki • Sōtō School • Kirigami • Five Ranks
Copyright © 2017 Marta Sanvido. This is an open-access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction is permitted, provided that the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. The license allows for commercial use. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
Permalink http://doi.org/10.14277/2385-3042/AnnOr-53-17-12
