35 院政
後三条天皇のお立てになりました改革の御方針は、一々当時の弊害の急所を突いてお
り、これが実施せられ、且つまた永続していったならば、我が国の健康は取り戻せたに
違いありません。然るにその改革は、藤原頼通･教通兄弟の強い抵抗にあい、天皇は之を
歎いて御病気におかかりになり、延久の御政は、わずか数年で終わりました。宣旨枡
（せんじます）こそ後々まで残ったものの、荘園の整理は中途で止められ、倹約の奨励
も、間も無く忘れられました。
後三条天皇は贅沢を戒められ、乗用車に金物を打って美しく飾る事を禁止せられまし
た。しかるに延久の御代を終わって十四年、応徳三年には、鳥羽殿が作られました。讃
岐守と、備前守とが主としてその費用を献上し、その功によって、それぞれの国司に重
任した外、五畿七道六十余州、つまり全国に命じて仕事を割り当て、池を掘り、山を築
かしめられました。池の広さは南北八町、東西六町、水の深さは八尺あまり、池に船を
浮かべ、船には帆をかけました。ひとり上皇の御所を造るばかりでなく、その周囲には
都市計画を立てて、近臣の屋敷を配給し、それぞれ家を造らせられたので、あだかも都
遷しのようであったと云います。
寛治二年は、それより二年後ですが、その春、白河上皇、高野山にお参りの時、紀伊
の国司は御船を用意してお迎え申し上げましたが、それはいわゆる屋形船で、その屋形
には舶来の錦を張り、高麗端の畳を敷き、銀泥の絵屏風を立て、実に贅沢なものであっ
たと云います。後三条天皇が倹約を以て国を建て直そうとされた御精神は、全く忘れ去
られた事、明らかです。
白河天皇は御在位十四年、堀河天皇に御位をお譲りになり、それより堀河･鳥羽･崇徳
三天皇の御代にわたって、凡そ四十三年の間、院中で政をおとりになりました。天皇は
いわば皇太子の如く、上皇が実質上の天皇として政治をおとりになる、之を院政と云い
ます。それは変態であって、国家組織の上から云って、決して良い事ではありません。
それを世間では、後三条天皇がお考えになった事だとし、目的は藤原氏を押さえるにあ
ったなどと云っている者もありますが、二つとも見当はずれ、後三条天皇にはそのよう
なお考え全然無く、また藤原氏抑圧を目的としたものでもありません。それは不幸なる
皇室内部の勢力争いから起こったものでした。
その頃、人々の心を暗くしたものは、末法思想でした。これは仏教で立てている時代
のわけ方で、釈迦の入滅以後千年の間は正法の時代、次の千年は像法の時代、最後の万
年は末法の時代と云い、正法時代には、仏の教も残り、それに従って行をする者もあり
、行をすれば悟を開く事が出来たが、像法になると、教と行とはまだあるが、もはや悟
を開く事は出来ない、末法に入ると、残っているのは教のみで、行もなく、悟も無いと
云うのです。時代の下るに随って、人間の精神も堕落して、修養の努力をする者も無い
が、かりに努力しても無駄で、恐ろしい動物的本能、はげしい憎しみあい、はてしなく
続く闘争、この世ながらの地獄の生活に入るのだと云う、恐ろしい運命観です。
そこで釈迦の入滅が何年であったかが、問題になりますが、実はそれが一向分かりま
せん。我が国の皇紀を不確実だとして避難する人がありますが、釈迦入滅については、
いろいろ違った説があります。いくつあるかと云うに、五十あまりあります。どり程違
っているかと云うに、最も古く取る説と、最も新しく取る説との開きは二千八百年以上
になるのです。古い時代の歴史を調べ、どれ程むつかしいか、お分かりでしょう。とこ
ろで我が国では、後冷泉天皇の永承七年が、釈迦入滅後二千一年で、これより遂に末法
の時代に入ったのだと信ぜられていました。それは人々にとって非常な悲しみであり、
恐怖でありました。我々はもはや救の無い時代、努力しても修養しても無駄な時代に入
ったのだと信じているのですから、無理もありません。
おまけに之を実証してくれたのが、叡山や三井寺、興福寺などの乱暴です。僧侶と云
う者、もともと仏に仕えつつ学問をはげみ、世の人々を善導するのが本務の筈です。そ
れが修行や学問をやめて、腰に刀を帯び、手に薙刀を持って、人を殺し、寺を焼くとな
れば、いかにもこれは末法濁世だと思われたでしょう。たとえば白河天皇の永保元年三
月、興福寺の大衆数千人、多武峯を襲撃して、麓の人家三百あまりを焼きました。四月
には三井寺の大衆、数百の兵をひきいて、叡山の麓、日吉神社を襲います。之を見て叡
山黙っていない、数千の兵を繰り出して三井寺に迫る。四月には睨みあいで済みました
が、六月九日になって叡山の僧徒数千人、武装して三井寺を攻め、火をつけて焼き払い
ました。堂塔百十八、神社四、僧房六百二十一、舎宅千四百九十三、以上焼失。印度･支
那･日本三国の仏教史において未曽有の事だと、人々は歎きました。九月になって三井寺
から叡山へ報復に行く。之に怒った叡山は、九月十五日またまた三井寺を攻めて、前の
戦いに焼け残った堂塔、神社、僧房、舎宅を焼き払いました。
もともと叡山と三井寺とは、いわば兄弟分の筈です。いずれも天台宗で、伝教大師最
澄の門流です。（中略）
かような乱暴を延暦寺もすれば、三井寺もやり、武力を背景として朝廷に強請する事
、興福寺もすれば、熊野山も真似ると云う有様でしたが、驚いた事には、こう云う大社
寺の強請に対しては、朝廷は非常に弱い態度を取られ、大抵の無理は、そのまま通され
たのでした。（中略）
後三条天皇が大改革をお考えになった時、藤原氏をひきいる者は前関白頼通と関白教
通の兄弟でした。二人は御堂関白道長の子です。道長は、「この世をば我が世とぞ思」
った人で、世にも美しい法成寺を造りました。それは焼けて跡形もありませんが、頼通
の建てた宇治の平等院は、今も残っています。彼は永承七年、いよいよ世は末法に入る
と聞いて、自分の別荘を改築して平等院鳳凰堂を建て、翌々年出来上がって、一丈六尺
の阿弥陀如来像を安置し、その荘厳さは、古今無双と謳われました。（中略）
その頼通の子師実、その子師通、その子忠実、その子に忠通･頼長兄弟、この兄弟の時
に、保元の大乱が起こるのです。永承七年より保元元年まで、その間百四年、奢侈と我
侭とにあけくれて、後三条天皇の御指導に従わなかった報は、やがて恐るべき大乱とな
って現れたのでした。
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35 Rule by the Retired Emperor (Insei)
Emperor Go-Sanjou's (r. 1068-1072) political reforms sharply opposed the current
corrupt practices. Had they been instituted and followed, it might have been
possible to restore stable and sound government. However, the reforms met with strong
resistance from Fujiwara no Yorimichi and Fujiwara no Norimichi. The Emperor,
disheartened, fell ill and the direct imperial rule of the Enkyou era ended in
a few years. The standardized dry measure remained, but nothing changed in the
matter of private domains, and the encouragement of a frugal lifestyle was
ignored.
Although Emperor Go-Sanjou prohibited luxuries such as decorative ornaments
for carts, the Toba Palace was built for the Retired Emperor Shirakawa in the
3rd year of Ohtoku era (1086, fourteen years sfter Emperor Go-Sanjou's reign).
Gubernatorial appointments in Sanuki (Kagawa Prefecture in Shikoku Island) and
Bizen (Okayama Prefecture) Province were awarded to the men who paid the cost
of this construction. Laborers from across the country were recruited to dig
the ponds and construct the mounds. The resulting pond measured 8 chou (about
872 meters) from south to north, and 6 chou (about 654 meters) from east to
west, and over 8 shaku (about 2.4 meters) in depth. A sailing vessel floated on
it. This was not a mere palace for retired emperor; a plan was also laid out
for the construction of houses around it for his subjects. The whole project
resembled the moving of the capital.
Two years later in the spring of the 2nd year of Kanji era (1088), Retired
Emperor Shirakawa went on a pilgrimage to Mt. Kouya. The Governor of Kii
Province (Wakayama Prefecture) prepared a luxurious houseboat to receive him,
draped with imported silk brocade, with tatami floor mats trimmed with Koryo
cloth, and furnished with picture screens painted with silver. Obviously at
this point Emperor Go-Sanjou's hopes for a more frugal approach in order to
rebuild the nation had been forgotten.
Emperor Shirakawa (r. 1072-1086) reigned for fourteen years, and after handing
over the throne to Emperor Horikawa (r. 1086-1107), he ruled the nation as
Retired Emperor for the next forty-three years, which included the reigns of
Emperor Horikawa, Toba (r. 1107-1123), and Sutoku (r. 1123-1141). In this
arrangement, the actual political sovereign was the Retired Emperor, and the
Emperors were like Crown Princes. This is called "Rule by the Retired Emperor
(Insei)."
This government was unusual and should not be viewed as acceptable. Some
scholars hold that it was designed gy Emperor Go-Sanjou to suppress the Fujiwara
clan, but this is untrue: it arose from an unfortunate power struggle within
the imperial house.
At that time, people's minds were darkened by the pessimism of the theory of
the Latter Days of the Law. According to Buddhist time frames, the first
millennium after the death of Buddha is the period of Pure Law; the next
millennium is the period of Imitation Law, and the final ten millennia, the
period of the Latter Days of the Law. In the first period, Buddha's teaching
remains intact and followers can attain enlightenment through observance of the
law and asceticism. In the second period, Buddha's teaching and asceticism
remain but it is not possible to achieve enlightenment. In the third and last
period, only Buddha's teaching remains, while asceticism and enlightenment are
impossible to attain.
This is a frightening world perspective: with the passage of time human
aspiration becomes degenerate and austerity is not practised. Any effort to do
so would be wasted. Humankind will be driven by base instincts and intense
hatred, which will bring eternal strife, leading to a life of hell on earth.
Here, the point of contention would be the date of Buddha's passing, but this
is unknown. Some criticize the Japanese imperial calender for imprecision, but
that is not the only problem, for there are more than fifty different theories
on the date o Buddha's death. The span from earliest to the latest of the
proposed dates is more than 2800 Years, indicating the difficulty we encounter
in any research on antiquity.
In Japan, it was believed that the 7th year of Eishou era (1052), during the
reign of Emperor Go-Reizei (r. 1045-1068), was the 2001st year since Buddha's
passing. Subsequently Japan entered into the Latter Days of the Law. Naturally,
people felt profound grief and horror; they believed their times to be devoid
of salvation, and there was no point in practicing austerities and asceticism.
The brutality and violence of the monks of Enryaku-, Miidera-, and
Koufukuji-Temples made this clear. Monks were to serve Buddha, pursue learning,
and guide the people towards probress. Instead, they armed themselfes with
swords and halberds to kill people, and burned down the tmples: an apocalyptic
scene in a world of degradation.
For example, in the 3rd month of the 1st year of Eiho (or Eihou) era (1074)
during the reign of Emperor Shirakawa, several thousand monks of
Koufukuji-Temple attacked a temple on Mt. Tou-no-mine and burnt more than 300
houses in the foothills. Subsequently, in the 4th month, the monks of
Miidera-Temple advanced to Hie Shrine at the base of Mt. Hiei. Several thousand
monks of Enryakuji-Temple on Mt. Hiei retaliated by laying a siege at
Miidera-Temple. In the 4th month they were stalemated, but on the 9th day of
the 6th month the armed monks of Enryakuji-Temple assaulted Miidera-Temple and
burnt it down - 118 halls and pagodas, 4 shrines, 621 monk cells, and 1493
residences burnt to ashes. People felt that was an unprecedented disaster in
Buddhist world history. Later in the 9th month, Miidera-Temple tried to
retaliate by advancing to Enryakuji-Temple. Angered, Enryakuji-Temple attacked
Miidera-Tempre on the 15th day of the 9th month, and set fire to whatever was
left.
At the start the monks at Enryakuji- and Miidera-Temples were associated
closely as brothers, as the temples belonged to the Heavenly Platform Sect
disseminated by Saichou the Great Master Dengyou (766-822). (an omission)
Backed by military power, the monks of Koufukuji-Temple and Mt. Kumano also
blackmailed the imperial court. Surprisingly, the court was extremely meek in
dealing with the Buddhist temples and met most of their demands. (an omission)
When Emperor Go-Sanjou planned a major political reform, brothers Fujiwara no
Yorimichi, the former Imperial Regent, and Fujiwara no Norimichi, the current
Imperial Regent were the leaders of the Fujiwara clan. They were the sons of
the great Fujiwara no Michinaga (966-1027), who composed the famous poem with
the phrase "This world is indeed my world," and built the splendid
Houjouji-Temple. The temple was destroyed by fire, but Byoudouin Hall, built by
his son Yorimichi in Uji, Kyouto still remains. In view of the onset of the
Latter Days of the Law in the 7th year of Eishou era (1052), Yorimichi rebuilt
his villa into a structure called Hououdou in the premises of Byoudouin Hall,
taking two years to complete. There he placed a grand statue of Amitabha, 1 jou
6 shaku (about 4.8 meters) tall. The serenity of the monument was unequalled
in history.
The Fujiwara genealogy continues: Fujiwara no Yorimichi was succeeded by his
son Fujiwara no Morozane, who was followed by his son Fujiwara no Tadazane.
Fujiwara no Tadazane had two sons, Tadamichi and Yorinaga. When these brothers
were in power, in the 1st year Hougen era (1156), the Hougen Rebellion broke
out. It had been 104 years since the 7th year of Eishou era (1052) when
Yorimichi built Hououdou in the premises of Byoudouin Hall. The formidable Hougen
Rebellion was the direct outcome of the Fujiwara clan's unwillingness to
obey Emperor Go-Sanjou. Instead, they pursued their hedonistic life to their
hearts' content.
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少年日本史 (平泉澄)
The story of Japan （Hiraizumi Kiyoshi)
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