Pious performance in medieval and early modern Japan

Abstract

This panel investigates the literary language and music of Japanese Buddhist ritual from the Heian through the early To- kugawa periods. Each paper addresses competing and complementary demands for religious efficacy, entertainment, and aes- thetic satisfaction through sacred performance. Our approach is contextual. We analyze poetry, prayers, and liturgy in an effort to understand their participation in social and literary economies. Nelson surveys the linguistic and musical essentials of the Rishu Zanmai, a key Shingon ritual. He helps peel apart the geographical and historical layers of Heian Buddhist services. Kiyama identifies a number of poetic forms integral to Buddhist ceremonies of late Heian and early Kamakura performative preachers. She emphasizes the diversity of verse within Buddhist worship. Oyler explores the placatory genre of daimokutate in relation to narratives about the Gempei War and ritual performance traditions. Her study connects the practice of daimoku- tate to religiously-charged sites. In depicting three moments in the history of ritual performance in Japan, we hope to demon- strate that religious occasions were fertile opportunities for literary, performative innovation, as well as social, spiritual nego- tiation.