Reikiki

Reikiki
Cover of Reikiki (Shitennoji University Library, Onraido Collection)
AuthorUnknown
PublishedKamakura period

Reikiki (麗気記, "Account of the Auspicious Qi") is a doctrinal text of Ryōbu Shintō compiled in the late Kamakura period (late 13th–early 14th century).[1] It collects esoteric interpretations concerning the Ise Grand Shrine and consists of 18 fascicles (14 fascicles of text and 4 of illustrations).[2] Among Ryōbu Shintō writings it has long been regarded as one of the most influential works.[3] Authorship has been variously ascribed to figures such as Kūkai, Prince Shōtoku, En no Gyōja, Saichō, or Emperor Daigo.[4]

Formation

Like many medieval Shinto texts, Reikiki is a pseudepigraphal work attributed to multiple legendary authors. A widely known tradition claims that Emperor Daigo received the text from the dragon-woman of the Shinsen’en garden, while later transmission within Shingon Buddhism and an Edo-period supplement referring to "authored by Kūkai" popularised the belief that Kūkai was the compiler.[5][4]

The work is quoted in the Ruijū Jingihongen compiled by Watarai Ieyuki in 1320 (Gen’ō 2), proving that Reikiki existed by that date.[5] Scholars generally believe that separate esoteric manuals were gradually integrated into the present compilation by the late Kamakura period.[1][6]

Contents

The text comprises 14 fascicles of prose and 4 fascicles of diagrams.[2] It offers mystical interpretations of the descent of Amaterasu Ōmikami and Toyouke Ōmikami, the creation myth of Japan, and the enshrinement of Ise's Inner and Outer Shrines, all from an esoteric Buddhist perspective.[1][2] The prose is written in classical Chinese but marked with distinctive Japanese readings. It cites numerous earlier works, including the Yamato Katsuragi Hōzan ki, and presents Ryōbu Shintō ideas in conscious dialogue with the Ise-Shinto "Five Books of Shinto", emphasising a syncretic Buddhist–Shinto standpoint.[4][3] Mitsuhashi notes that the first six fascicles show stronger Ise Shinto influence, while the latter eight exhibit more overt Buddhist colouring.[6]

The final four fascicles (the "Divine Body Diagram Scrolls") contain some fifty images of deities, sacred objects, mandalas, and geometric symbols. These illustrations served as aids for ritual contemplation and are indispensable for interpreting certain passages.[2][7]

Reception

Reikiki held a special status among Ryōbu Shintō texts and was revered almost as a scripture alongside the Nihon Shoki.[5] Its complexity prompted numerous commentaries, such as Reiki seisaku shō (1389), Reiki kikigaki (1419) by Ryōhen, and several glosses by Shōkyō.[3]

Transmission of the text included an esoteric initiation rite known as the "Reiki kanjō", first recorded in 1350 at Shinbuku-ji. Modeled on Buddhist abhiṣeka but featuring distinctive hand-gestures and sung verses, the rite suggests symbolic union of yin and yang.[3] By the 16th century this initiation gradually shifted from a focus on Reikiki to one centered on the Nihon Shoki.[3]

In the early modern period the work remained important within descendant traditions of Ryōbu Shintō such as Onryū Shintō and Miwa Shintō, but its strong Buddhist–Shinto syncretism drew criticism in the anti-Buddhist climate of the late Edo and Meiji eras, leading to a decline in influence.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b c Okada, Shoji (1996). "Reikiki". Kokushi Daijiten (in Japanese). Vol. 14. Yoshikawa Kobunkan.
  2. ^ a b c d Ito, Satoshi; Kadoya, Atsushi; Arai, Daisuke; Suzuki, Hideyuki; Daito, Takaaki; Hirasawa, Takuya (2022). Introduction to Medieval Shinto (in Japanese). Benseisha. p. 290.
  3. ^ a b c d e Ito, Satoshi (2020). Medieval Shinto (in Japanese). No. 213/4753 (Kindle ed.): Chūōkōron Shinsha.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  4. ^ a b c Wata Hidenori. "Reikiki". Sekai Daihyakka Jiten (rev. ed.) (in Japanese). Retrieved 13 March 2025.
  5. ^ a b c d Ito, Satoshi; Kadoya, Atsushi; Arai, Daisuke; Suzuki, Hideyuki; Daito, Takaaki; Hirasawa, Takuya (2022). Introduction to Medieval Shinto (in Japanese). Benseisha. p. 291.
  6. ^ a b Mitsuhashi, Tadashi (2005). "The Worldview of the Reikiki". Nihon Shisōshi Gakkai (in Japanese). 37: 53–61.
  7. ^ Ito, Satoshi; Kadoya, Atsushi; Arai, Daisuke; Suzuki, Hideyuki; Daito, Takaaki; Hirasawa, Takuya (2022). Introduction to Medieval Shinto (in Japanese). Benseisha. p. 217.
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