Bukkyō no kyōgaku ni motozuita sekinin no kanōsei: Jōdoshin-shū to Tendai-shū ni chūmoku shite 仏教の教学に基づいた責任の可能性 ：浄土真宗と天台宗に注目して [Über die Möglichkeit von Verantwortung auf Grundlage der buddhistischen Lehre: Mit Schwerpunkt auf die Jōdoshin-shū und Tendai-shū]

Rüsch, Markus

Abstract

‘Responsibility’ is not a topic that is frequently discussed in Buddhist scriptures. Rather, the primary interest of Buddhist discourses on salvation is liberation from attachment and overcoming the illusion of ‘self’. Thus, it is difficult to find a definitive conception of responsibility in Buddhism. Additionally, the precepts—which were created to maintain order in the Buddhist community, and, as a whole, may be the concept that is closest to the idea of responsibility—are for the most part rules that are expressed in negative terms, e.g., do not kill, do not steal. This paper examines to what degree responsibility is defined in positive terms in Japanese Buddhist scriptures, particularly focusing on the Tendaishū and Jōdo Shinshū. In Saichō’s Buddhist thought, the realisation of the Buddha’s realm is intimately connected to social welfare. Shinran’s teaching demands a form of responsibility that is not mere self-reflection but is self-conscious of the impact of one’s actions on others. By highlighting these aspects of Japanese Buddhism, this study examines how social contributions and coexistence with others are related to discourses of salvation. In conclusion, this paper demonstrates that responsibility serves as a bridge between conventional morality and the Buddhist view of salvation that attains its true meaning only when it transcends this world.