Zen sanctuary of purple robes : Japan's Tōkeiji convent since 1285

Zen Sanctuary of Purple Robes examines the affairs of Rinzai Zen's Tōkeiji Convent, founded in 1285 by nun Kakusan Shidō after the death of her husband, Hōjō Tokimune. It traces the convent's history through seven centuries, including the early nuns' Zen practice; Abbess Yōdō's imperial lineage with nuns in purple robes; Hideyori's seven-year-old daughter--later to become the convent's twentieth abbess, Tenshu--spared by Tokugawa Ieyasu at the Battle for Osaka Castle; Tōkeiji as "divorce temple" during the mid-Edo period and a favorite topic of senryu satirical verse; the convent's gradual decline as a functioning nunnery but its continued survival during the early Meiji persecution of Buddhism; and its current prosperity. The work includes translations, charts, illustrations, bibliographies, and indices. Beyond such historical details, the authors emphasize the convent's "inclusivist" Rinzai Zen practice in tandem with the nearby Engakuji Temple. The rationale for this "inclusivism" is the continuing acceptance of the doctrine of "Skillful Means" (hōben) as expressed in the Lotus Sutra--a notion repudiated or radically reinterpreted by most of the Kamakura reformers. In support of this contention, the authors include a complete translation of the Mirror for Women by Kakusan's contemporary, Mujū Ichien. Zen Sanctuary of Purple Robes examines the affairs of Rinzai Zen's Tokeiji Convent, founded in 1285 by nun Kakusan Shido after the death of her husband, Hojo Tokimune. It traces the convent's history through seven centuries, including the early nuns' Zen practice; Abbess Yodo's imperial lineage with nuns in purple robes; Hideyori's seven-year-old daughter-later to become the convent's twentieth abbess, Tenshu-spared by Tokugawa Ieyasu at the Battle for Osaka Castle; Tokeiji as "divorce temple" during the mid-Edo period and a favorite topic of senryu satirical verse; the convent's gradual decline as a functioning nunnery but its continued survival during the early Meiji persecution of Buddhism; and its current prosperity. The work includes translations, charts, illustrations, bibliographies, and indices. Beyond such historical details, the authors emphasize the convent's "inclusivist" Rinzai Zen practice in tandem with the nearby Engakuji Temple. The rationale for this "inclusivism" is the continuing acceptance of the doctrine of "Skillful Means" (hoben) as expressed in the Lotus Sutra-a notion repudiated or radically reinterpreted by most of the Kamakura reformers. In support of this contention, the authors include a complete translation of the Mirror for Women by Kakusan's contemporary, Muju Ichien. Zen Sanctuary of Purple Robes Contents Figures Preface Acknowledgments 1. Winds of Doctrine: The World of Thought and Feeling in Late Kamakura Japan 2. Muju Ichien’s Mirror for Women (Tsuma kagami, 1300): A Buddhist Vernacular Tract of the Late Kamakura Period 3. Abbess Kakusan and the Kamakura Hojo 4. Princess Yodo’s Purple-clad Nuns 5. From Sanctuary to Divorce Temple: Abbess Tenshu and the Later Kitsuregawa Administrators 6. Everyday Life at Matsugaoka Tokeiji: Sacred and Secular 7. The “Divorce Temple”in Edo Satirical Verse 8. Meiji through Heisei: Tokeiji and Rinzai Zen Continuity Appendixes CHART A. ZEN LINEAGE FROM SAKYAMUNI TO THE TO\KEIJI CHART B. KAKUSAN’S RELATIONSHIP TO THE HO\JO\ AND ADACHI FAMILIES CHART C. FROM ASHIKAGA TO THE KITSUREGAWA ADMINISTRATORSAshikaga Tadafuyu (1273–1331) CHART D. RELATIONSHIPS IN THE TOKEIJI SUCCESSIONDURING THE LATE MUROMACHI AND EARLY EDO PERIODS CHART E. TO\KEIJI HEAD ABBBESSES AND ACTING ABBESSES Notes Annotated Cross-Referenced Indexto Major Cited Texts Bibliography Index A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T U V W Y Z 1 Winds Of Doctrine: The World Of Thought And Feeling In Late Kamakura Japan 1 -- 2 Muju Ichien's Mirror For Women (tsuma Kagami, 1300): A Buddhist Vernacular Tract Of The Late Kamakura Period 15 -- 3 Abbess Kakusan And The Kamakura Hojo 39 -- 4 Princess Yodo's Purple-clad Nuns 55 -- 5 From Sanctuary To Divorce Temple: Abbess Tenshu And The Later Kitsuregawa Administrators 77 -- 6 Everyday Life At Matsugaoka Tokeiji: Sacred And Secular 95 -- 7 The Divorce Temple In Edo Satirical Verse 113 -- 8 Meiji Through Heisei: Tokeiji And Rinzai Zen Continuity 137 -- Chart A Zen Lineage From Sakyamuni To The Tokeiji 150 -- Chart B Kakusan's Relationship To The Hojo And Adachi Families 153 -- Chart C From Ashikaga To The Kitsuregawa Administrators 154 -- Chart D Relationships In The Tokeiji Succession During The Late Muromachi And Early Edo Periods 155 -- Chart E Tokeiji Head Abbesses And Acting Abbesses 156. Sachiko Kaneko Morrell, Robert E. Morrell. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 205-227) And Index. In spite of her family's prominent position in the Kamakura military establishment, we know few details about Lady Horiuchi's life. A fascinating look at a Zen convent throughout its history