Sangō Shiiki
Sangō Shiiki (三教指帰) is a dialectic allegory written by Kūkai in 797. It is Japan's oldest comparative ideological critique.
At the time of writing, Kūkai was 24 years old. It is his debut work.
Contents
[edit]The text is three volumes in length. It is written in a dialectic style comparing and critiquing Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. Teachers from each school of thought attempt to educate a dissolute nephew Tokaku. In volume one, Kibō lectures on Confucianism. In volume two, Kyobō Inji critiques Confucianism from a Taoism position. Finally, in volume three, Kamei Kotsuji critiques Taoism from a Buddhist position. The conclusion is that Buddhism is the superior philosophy.
Characters
[edit]The main characters appearing within the text were based on actual people:
- Kamei Kotsuji: Kūkai himself
- Tokaku: Saeki clan (佐伯氏)
- Kibō: Ato no Ōtari (阿刀大足)
- Kyobō: unclear but seems to be based on Sima Xiangru
References
[edit]- Kubota, Jun (2007). Iwanami Nihon Koten Bungaku Jiten (in Japanese). Iwanami Shoten. ISBN 978-4-00-080310-6.
- Nihon Koten Bungaku Daijiten: Kan'yakuban [A Comprehensive Dictionary of Classical Japanese Literature: Concise Edition]. Tōkyō: Iwanami Shoten. 1986. ISBN 4-00-080067-1.
- Watanabe, Shōkō; Yūshō Miyasaka (1965). Nihon Koten Bungaku Taikei: Sangō Shiiki, Shōryōshū (in Japanese). Iwanami Shoten. ISBN 4-00-060071-0.
