Myōun and the Heike: Monastic Influence in Twelfth-Century Japan

Abstract

In contrast to founders of new Buddhist schools, monastic leaders of established religious centers in pre-1600 Japan have often been ignored as subjects of serious scholarship. In part, this can be explained by their involvement in political and military matters, which has been seen as of little consequence to religious studies or detrimental to the imperial state since, according to later ideals, the religious and political spheres were assumed to be separate. However, recent studies have demonstrated the extent to which state and religions were interdependent, especially through rituals, allowing monks a considerable presence in politics, the economy, and even in warfare. To get a deeper understanding of this interdependence at the individual level, this article focuses on the relationship between Taira no Kiyomori and the Tendai monk Myōun, both of whom were significant figures in the late Heian state.