As a child, there was a 'red bridge' that strangely caught my attention every time I passed by in the car. Don't you have places in your daily scenery that linger in your memory, making you wonder, 'What is that?'
As an adult, I happened to stop by that place during a solo drive, and there I found many people digging into the ground, eagerly conducting archaeological research. I remember being strongly moved at that moment, thinking, 'I want to unearth the romance of history too!' That was the starting point for my deep engagement with Aizu's history.
That place is the nationally designated historic site "Enichiji Ruins" located in Bandai Town.
The 'Hiei Mountain of Tohoku' that existed in Aizu
Enichiji was founded in the early Heian period (807) and has been a major temple that has etched its history in this land for nearly a thousand years until it was abandoned in the early Meiji period. At its peak, it was recorded as a massive religious city with "3,800 sub-temples, and the roofs of the halls lined up as far as the eye could see," and it once held such influence that it was called the 'Hiei Mountain of Tohoku.'
The founder of this great temple was a single Buddhist monk named "Tokuitsu." He lived during the same era as Kukai and Saicho, but he was also a figure who engaged in a "great controversy" that shook the history of Japanese Buddhism far away from the central regions (Nara and Kyoto) in this Aizu area.
[Buddhist Mystery] Can anyone become a Buddha? "Japan's Largest Buddhist Controversy"
At that time, Saicho, the founder of the Tendai sect, preached that "anyone, everyone can attain enlightenment and become a Buddha (Ichijo)." In contrast, Tokuitsu, who was in Aizu, directly countered this. He argued that "there are inherent differences in people's abilities and natures, and unfortunately, there are those who cannot attain enlightenment (Sanjo, Gosei Kabetsu Theory)."
The Greatest Confrontation in Japanese Buddhist History: The "San'itsu Gonjitsuron Controversy"
This is called the "San'itsu Gonjitsuron Controversy," a historical debate that fiercely exchanged opinions in writing for five years.
In contrast to Saicho's ideal that "everyone can be saved," Tokuitsu's claims may sound a bit harsh. However, Tokuitsu was an elite who mastered the cutting-edge study of "Yogacara," which logically analyzes the workings of the human mind and consciousness. His rebuttal was not just idealistic; it was based on a serious examination of "human reality."
Saicho, who advocates ideals, and Tokuitsu, who looks at reality. If you lived in this era, to which teaching would you resonate more deeply?
Why did Tokuitsu choose "Aizu and Bandai"?
So, why did such a genius monk choose Aizu in Tohoku instead of the glamorous stage of the capital? There are several reasons to consider.
One reason is the existence of the rich nature of Mount Bandai and the belief in sacred mountains. And it was a transportation hub. However, more interestingly, Tokuitsu intentionally distanced himself from the "central Buddhism connected to state power." He believed that by separating from politics and vested interests, he could build a "pure land of faith and practice" in this quiet Aizu region.
Prayer to the "Yakushi Nyorai" Close to the Local People
As evidence, the principal image he chose for Enichiji was not the "Amitabha Buddha for going to paradise after death," which later became popular, but the "Yakushi Nyorai who saves people facing illness and suffering in this world."
He aimed to heal the suffering in front of him, standing by the local people fighting against harsh nature and epidemics. That was the kind of Buddhism Tokuitsu aimed for.
A journey to read the resuscitated temple complex and the unknown history
After the Keiji Wars and the battles of Date and Ashina, Keijitsu-ji was destroyed and fell into a state of slumber beneath the earth due to the waves of the Meiji era's anti-Buddhist movement. However, after many years of excavation, the main hall and the middle gate have been beautifully restored, allowing visitors to feel the grandeur of the time.
At Tabinoito, we offer tours in an Academic style that unravel the grand historical dramas not found in textbooks, while feeling the local atmosphere.
The vision of an ideal world imagined by a monk named Tokuichi, the behind-the-scenes of Japan's largest Buddhist debate, and why I was drawn to this place. Would you like to embark on an "adult historical exploration" that stimulates intellectual curiosity? I look forward to solving the mysteries of history with everyone on-site.
