"Genji-monogatari" ("The Tale of Genji") is the greatest monument of Japanese literature, created at the beginning of the XI century by the court lady Murasaki Shikibu. It reflects various aspects of the life of the aristocratic society of the Heian Period (794-1185): from aesthetic and religious-philosophical to everyday life. Since the appearance of the Tale of Genji and up to the present day, it is considered a model of the classic Japanese novel. The images and storylines of this monument later had a huge impact on Japanese culture. In this article, I tried to introduce the reader to some Buddhist philosophical views of that time, in particular, with the ideas and provisions contained in the "Lotus Flower Sutra of the Wonderful Dharma", as well as to show how Murasaki Shikibu reflected them in her work.

"The Lotus Flower Sutra of the Wondrous Dharma" (skt. "Saddharma pundarika sutra", Japanese " Me:Ho: renge:The Lotus Sutra, as I will continue to call it, first appeared in India. Until now, there is no reliable information about the time, author and circumstances of the appearance of this monument. We can only assume that it was created no later than the first centuries AD by followers of Mahayana Buddhism (Skt. "big chariot"). The first reliable information about this sutra appeared in the third century AD in connection with its penetration into China. From the third to the seventh centuries, several attempts were made to translate the Lotus Sutra into Chinese. In the fifth century, the translation made by the Indian philosopher Kumarajiva was recognized as the best and was widely distributed throughout East Asia, i.e. China, Korea, and Japan.

In Japan, the Lotus Sutra was destined to occupy a special place among other Mahayana Buddhist texts. The first mention of it occurs in the "Nihon seki" ("Annals of Japan"). In the autumn of 606, Empress Suiko asked Prince Shotoku (Setokutaishi) to recite the sutra "Sho: manga" ("The Sutra of Queen Srimala") and the Lotus Sutra in the Wokamoto Palace [Nihon seki, T. P., 1997, p. 99]. Perhaps these sutra readings were initiated by Suiko in order to sanctify the power of the empress from the standpoint of Buddhism and thereby strengthen her authority in the country. The Queen Srimala Sutra tells of a queen who preaches the "Law of the Buddha" to her subjects, and the Lotus Sutra contains the Buddha's dictum that a woman can become a Buddha and preach his teachings. It is possible that in this way the empress wanted to identify herself with Srimala - the preacher queen-in the eyes of the court and justify her status as a sovereign who propagates and protects the Teachings of the Buddha in the country. In this regard, we can mention an excerpt from

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In his treatise Gangoji goran engi narabi-ni ruki shizate ("Records of the Founding of the Gangoji Monastery and its Treasures"), Prince Shotoku-taishi refers to Suiko as "the Empress of the Law" and quotes a passage from Chapter XXIV of the Lotus Sutra - "Bodhisattva Wonderful Sound", which says:: "A woman will live in the palace of the sovereign and start preaching" (Buddhism in Japan, 1993, p. 421). Later, tradition attributed to Shotoku-taishi, along with the drafting of the "Constitution of 17 Articles" (Japanese: "Jyushichi jo (no-) kempo") - the first Japanese state program - the publication of one of the first egzegetic treatises - "Sange gise" ("Interpretation of the Meaning of the Three Sutras"), namely the Lotus Sutra, the Queen Srimala Sutra, and the Vimalakirti Sutra. There is even a legend that Shotoku-taishi sent an embassy to China specifically for these three sutras (Kogen Mizuno, 1987, p. 167).

Most modern researchers, however, believe that Prince Shotoku could not have been the author of the above-mentioned works, since in reality the "Interpretations..." could not have been composed earlier than the end of the VII century. The original author of the " Interpretations..." still not exactly known. As many Japanese and Russian researchers suggest, their compiler was most likely a Buddhist monk from some temple in the capital (maybe from Horyuji). But whoever it was, there is no doubt that he knew the Buddhist writings well and was well versed in Buddhist philosophy. The "Interpretations..." explains the provisions and formulations contained in these three sutras, and defines the concepts of Mahayana Buddhism. However, it would be a mistake to count " Interpretations..."a work intended only to explain Buddhist treatises. Their characteristic feature is a great similarity with the "Constitution of 17 articles". In both cases, the principles of proper behavior of each member of society and, as a result, the entire state are indicated.

In this respect, interesting comments have been made on the Lotus Sutra. Thus, considering the parable of the prodigal son from Chapter IV, the author of the" Interpretations... "draws very remarkable analogies: a bodhisattva who has passed the last seven" lands " (stages) is compared to a minister; a bodhisattva who has not passed them is compared to an assistant minister; shravakas - persons who are led to enlightenment with the help of a mentor-are identified with the people. The Buddha is the center of all virtues. Thus, a coherent hierarchical system emerges: Buddha-bodhisattva-shravakas. It is easy to see that it completely coincides with the similar scheme in the "Constitution of 17 Articles": master - subordinate - subject [Ignatovich, 1988, p.191]. "Interpretations..."they are the first among the Japanese treatises that consider the state, as well as the individual, as an object of salvation, inextricably linked with the Buddhist church.

In the Nara period (710-794), the Lotus Sutra, along with the Golden Light Sutra and the Human-loving King Sutra, acquired the status of a "country-protecting sutra" (Gokoku keten). It was believed that the veneration of these sutras, their regular reading, interpretation, correspondence and proper storage contribute to the acquisition of the grace of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, grant health and long life to members of the imperial family and the highest nobility, as well as save the country from natural disasters, enemy invasions, riots, epidemics and famine. Japanese emperors actively promoted the spread of these sutras in the country. Numerous copies of them were distributed to all the provinces, and local monks were instructed to hold public readings and interpretations of them every month. Such measures were implemented thanks to the kokubunji system - provincial Buddhist monasteries. This system was established in the late seventh and early eighth centuries and was under state control. During the reign of Emperor Shōmu (701-756), a special decree was issued in 741 on the formation of the city of Shōmu.-

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There is a system of monasteries designed to perform exclusively "protective functions". Thus, along with two male temples (kokubunsoji) in each province, it was prescribed to build two female temples (kokubuninji), which were called"temples ["Sutras"] of the flower of law", (i.e., Lotus Sutras. - A. I.) " destroying crimes "("Hokke-matsuzai-ji") "[Ignatovich, 1988, p. 114]. The nuns belonging to these temples were required to hold a recitation and interpretation of the Lotus Sutra once a month. In addition, seven-story pagodas were to be built at the temples, which contained copies of the Golden Light Sutra and the Lotus Sutra.

In the teachings of the main Buddhist six schools of the Nara period, the Lotus Sutra was also given a certain place, although it was not included in the main canonical texts. Thus, the theorists of one of the six schools - Sanron - directly called the Buddhist category of "eight ne" ¹ (yap. happu or habbu) the essence of the Lotus Sutra [Ignatovich, 1988, p. 114]. In the typology of Sanron Buddhist teachings, the Lotus Sutra was considered the main one ("trunk") and was intended for those who had already learned the meaning of the side sutras ("branches") intended for Sravakas, but had not yet understood the meaning of the "Avatamsaka Sutra" ("roots") that the Buddha preached to bodhisattvas. According to the Matsunaga couple, "This classification reflects the spirit of the Lotus Sutra" (Matsunaga, 1987, p. 76).

A significant contribution to the spread of the Lotus Sutra in Japan was made by the Chinese monks Daoxuan (yap. Dosen) and Jiancheng ( yap. Ganjin) - the founders of the Rissu school (kit. Lu). Along with the Vinaya texts (a section of the Buddhist canon that governs the conduct of monks and nuns) and the Huayang School, they and their students brought to Japan a large number of Tiantai School treatises on the teachings of the Lotus Sutra.

One of the followers of Daoxuan, Gehe (722-797), later became the mentor of the Site (767-822). The name of the Site is associated with a new stage in the history of the spread of the Lotus Sutra in Japan during the Heian period. During his long seclusion on Mount Hiei, he thoroughly studied the main Mahayana sutras, including the works of Zhi-yi, the founder of the Tiantai school. Soon, through his acquaintance with Juko, one of the ten court priests (naikubu), he became a zenji meditation teacher and began actively preaching the Lotus Sutra. Already at the end of 798, he gave 10 lectures on this sutra [Buddhism in Japan, 1993, p. 190]. His activity did not go unnoticed, and in 802, he was invited, along with the most famous monks from Nara, to meetings dedicated to reading and studying the main works of the Tiantai school, which were organized by the brothers Waki-Hirose and Masuna at Takaozanji Shrine. His performances were a success and attracted the attention of Emperor Kammu himself (737-806). Soon he was sent to China, where he studied for about a year at the Xiuchansu Temple on Mount Tiantai, where he collected a large number of Buddhist works. When he returned from China, he brought with him 461 scrolls of sutras and treatises. Thanks to the patronage of the Emperor Kammu, he founded a new Japanese Buddhist school, Tendai. Tiantai), whose teachings are based on the Lotus Sutra.

The Japanese Tendai school was not a copy of its Chinese predecessor, unlike the Buddhist schools of the Nara period. First, elements of esoteric Buddhism (mikka) played a significant role in it, and to a lesser extent, vinaya and Zen meditation. Secondly, in Japan, Tendai Buddhism immediately acquired the features of a national ideology, while in China the Tiantai school had a slope-

__ ¹ Happu ("eight not") is one of the interpretations of the "middle path" (true path) in the teachings of the Sanron school.

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However, it was far removed from any political or national ideas. It has already been mentioned that during the Nara period, the Lotus Sutra was included in the list of "sutras protecting the country", which meant its official recognition. He went even further, developing a detailed concept of the "theocratic state". According to it, the state was one of the objects that bodhi-sattvas direct to the path of salvation. Bodhisattvas were primarily meant as monks who were the bearers of the highest knowledge contained in the Lotus Sutra. Their duties, according to Experts, included not only daily preaching of the Mahayana sutras (primarily the Lotus Sutra), but also active participation in the economic and political life of the country. Subsequently, this concept was to some extent implemented by the successors of the Government, under which the Tendai School was formed into an autonomous temple association, which had large land plots and had a huge impact on the religious and political life of the country. Third, the Japanese school differed from its Chinese predecessor in that the process of spreading the new teaching in Japan was associated with the reform of the entire Buddhist religious system. By the end of the eighth century, the complex relationship between the Buddhist church and the state, caused by the growing influence and power of Buddhist priests, was compounded by the struggle between the leading Christian schools for leadership. Both the imperial court and the Buddhist religious organization needed a new Buddhist teaching that would, on the one hand, strengthen the connection between the Buddhist church and the state, and on the other, help to overcome differences within the schools themselves. The Tendai school's doctrines, by virtue of its inherent syncretism, theoretically removed all these contradictions.

One of the main reasons for the popularity of the Tendai school in Japan and China was its fundamental idea, expressed in the Lotus Sutra, about the identity of nirvana and samsara. In the first part of the Lotus Sutra - shakumone ("Opening Sermons of the Buddha") Shakyamuni Buddha, while on Mount Gridhrakuta, announced that the time had now come for him to impart to his disciples the true knowledge (Dharma) intended only for bodhisattvas. Previously, he preached with the help of "tricks" (hoban), since not everyone is able to perceive the sermons about the "big chariot"path. The Buddha did not mislead his listeners at all, but, on the contrary, gradually gave them the opportunity to learn about true knowledge. He is the father of all sentient beings, leading them to the highest good, even against their will, and bringing deliverance to all.

The most important concept enunciated in the Lotus Sutra is that every living being is inherently Buddha-like, often without even knowing it. So, one man lived in poverty for many years, not knowing that a precious stone was sewn in his clothes. [Sutra o tsvetke..., 1998, pp. 184-186]. For the first time in the history of Buddhism, the sutra declares that both notorious villains and schemers will become Buddhas, such as Devadatta, a cousin of the Buddha who hated him, and a woman (the daughter of the dragon king) who was previously denied the possibility of salvation. Another new claim is that the Buddha is eternal and unchangeable, and his supposed death is just a "trick" designed to create a sense of drama in people and thereby push them to realize the truth. As A. N. Ignatovich notes: "In the history of Buddhism in the Far East, the Lotus Sutra really played the role of a universal sutra, since it was recognized as a work that captured the truths common to all Mahayana movements, proclaimed by Shakyamuni Buddha" [Sutra on the Flower..., p. 420].

The Lotus Sutra has also had a profound impact on Japanese culture. Her subjects and images are reflected in both religious and secular paintings, sculptures, decorative and applied arts. The earliest surviving image is-

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the basis of such works is a bronze plate with the image of Shakyamuni Buddha preaching the Lotus Sutra, presented in 686 by the monk Dom to Emperor Temm with wishes for health and longevity. The subjects of the Lotus Sutra were painted on silk, walls and doors of temples and pagodas.

With the spread of the "secret teachings" of the Tendai school in the Japanese Buddhist world, one of the leading genres of Japanese religious art is manadala - Buddhist worldviews based on the Lotus Sutra. Every month, the court held "Eight-part readings" of the sutra. For four days, morning and evening, this sutra was read, as well as explanations from a special arbiter in case of any difficulty in understanding it. Each time, one of the eight sutra scrolls was interpreted. The entire court was present at these readings. Special significance was attached to the third day, when the fifth scroll was read, which described how Shakyamuni Buddha, serving the hermit Asita, chopped wood, collected firewood and carried water. At this time, "Woodcutters' Processions "were organized, during which monks-participants of the "Eight-part Readings" - passed with bundles of firewood and buckets of water, singing:

The Lotus of Law, I managed to find it
Collecting firewood,
Collecting spring herbs,
By drawing water, it was found.

The Lotus Sutra was recited during various purification rites. It was customary to rewrite it for the sake of fulfilling various vows.

The Lotus Sutra also had a profound impact on Japanese literature. Already in the first poetry anthology "Manyoshu", published in 771, there are a number of poems that, according to some researchers (for example, A. N. Ignatovich), echo chapters from the Lotus Sutra. The Buddhist anthology "Nihon Reiki" ("Japanese Legends of Miracles"), compiled at the turn of the eighth and ninth centuries by the Buddhist monk Kyokai, constantly mentions the miracles and benefits that await those who read and copy the Lotus Sutra and the retribution for those who blaspheme it. In the book" Notes at the bedside "("Makura no-soshi"), written by the court lady Sei-senagon, in the dan (chapters) of the" Sutra "and" Sacred Books", the Lotus Sutra is mentioned first. Sei-senagon also mentions "Eight-part Readings" (Sei-senagon, 1995).

Of course, the Lotus Sutra could not but affect the "Genji-monogatari". In the story, it is found as often as the Chinese classical sources. The characters of" Genji - monogatari", while talking, quote various passages from it, and, as a rule, quotes are given in cases when they want to emphasize certain personal qualities of the main characters. Thus, in the chapter "Young Murasaki", Monk Sozu compares Genji to the udumbara flower, which, according to a number of Buddhist sutras, including the Lotus Sutra, blooms once every three thousand years. It is sometimes said that it blooms when another Buddha appears in the world. In the Lotus Sutra, in the chapter "Tricks", the udumbara flower is compared to the Dharma of the Buddha. It is as difficult to see It as it is to hear the Buddha's Dharma. A person who praises the Dharma with just one word and makes offerings to all the Buddhas of the three worlds is even rarer than the udumbara flower. [The Flower Sutra..., p. 114]. Comparing Genji to a wonderful flower, Monk Sozu means that the appearance of a person of such rare beauty in a secluded monastic monastery is like the flowering of an udumbara flower.

Admiring the wonderful fragrance that comes from Kaoru, the named son of Genji, the servant of Naka-no-kimi-one of the daughters of the Eighth Prince-involuntarily recalls a saying from the Lotus Sutra: "The sutras say that the fragrance that comes from a person's body is a sign of his choice, a reward for high benefits.

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The "deeds of the Yakuo Bodhisattva" refers to the fragrance of sandalwood from Bull's Head Mountain, isn't that a terrible name? So, when Mr. Daisho passes by, you immediately think about the truth of the Buddha's words. The reason probably lies in the fact that he zealously serves the Buddha" [Murasaki Shikibu, 1964, p. 161]. The ladies refer to the following passage from the Lotus Sutra, found in Chapter XXIII, " The Former Deeds of the Bodhisattva [named] King of Healing "(Yakuobasatsu): "If [any] person, after hearing this chapter about the former deeds of the bodhisattva [named] King of Healing, can happily follow [in the present life, this person will constantly have the fragrance of sandalwood [from the mountain] Bull's Head coming out of his mouth [The Flower Sutra..., p.277].

Telling the Akashi Empress about the strange encounter with Ukifune, Kaoru's beloved, and her amazing beauty, the monk Sodzu of Yokawa notes:: "If a sea dragon can give birth to a Buddha...", referring to the contents of Chapter XII of the Devadatta Lotus Sutra, which tells how a woman-the dragon's daughter-became a Buddha. As mentioned earlier, the claim that a woman can become a Buddha was one of the reasons for the popularity of this sutra in the Far East. In general, when studying the influence of the Lotus Sutra on Genji-monogatari, it is noteworthy that Murasaki Shikibu most often mentions and quotes Chapter XII of Devadatta. So, Kaoru, reflecting on the reasons that forced his mother-the Third Princess-to take vows, recalls the "five obstacles" that, according to the Lotus Sutra, prevent a woman from achieving enlightenment. "First, it cannot become the heavenly king Brahma; second, it cannot become the Shakra; third, it cannot become the king of mar; fourth, it cannot become the holy king who turns the wheel; and fifth, it cannot become the body of a Buddha" [Flower Sutra..., p.209]. In the sutra, a disciple of the Buddha, Shariputra, speaks about the "five obstacles", convinced that a woman is not able to"immediately become a Buddha." Kaoru, on the other hand, recalls the "five barriers", doubting that his mother decided to become a nun after gaining sudden enlightenment.

In the Genji-monogatari, another parable from Devadatta is often mentioned, which tells how Shakyamuni Buddha was the king of a certain country in a previous life and wanted to learn the Dharma. After learning that the holy hermit Asita had the Lotus Sutra, he left his country and throne and followed the saint. The king served Asita for a thousand years, gathering fruit and firewood for him, drawing water, and eventually became Buddha-like. The king then, as already mentioned, was Shakyamuni Buddha, and the saint was Devadatta. The meaning of this parable is that even a Devadatta, who was previously thought to be unable to attain enlightenment, will eventually become a Tathagata Buddha and save many sentient beings. Lady Omi, anxious to pay her sister a visit at all costs, tells her father To-no-chujou that she is even willing to draw water (chapter "Eternal Summer"), implying that she is willing to serve her sister as the Buddha once served the hermit. To which To-no-chujou jokingly remarks: "Come on, I don't think you'll have to gather firewood..." Murasaki compares himself to Shakyamuni Buddha gathering firewood, exchanging songs with Lady Akashi, on the eve of the ceremony of offering the rewritten Lotus Sutra as a gift to the Buddha (chapter "The Great Law") [Murasaki Shikibu, 1964, p. 176].

It has already been mentioned above about the "Woodcutters ' March", organized during the "Eight-part Readings". The chapter "Sacred Sakaki Tree" describes in detail the "Eight-part Readings" that took place at the initiative of the Fujitsubo Empress after the death of Emperor Kiritsubo. "After the Tenth day of the Twelfth Moon, the' Eight-part Readings ' began. Thanks to the efforts of the Empress Consort (Fujitsubo. - E. L.) the ceremony was extremely solemn. Precious bolsters, silk wrapping paper, reed-woven cases, and other small items were hardly ever so carefully selected before, let alone the scrolls themselves

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with texts for each day... On that day, special attention was paid to the choice of readers, so, starting with the "Woodcutters ' March", the most familiar words sounded unusually solemn " [Murasaki Shikibu, 1964, p.399-400]. From this passage, it becomes clear how much importance the imperial court attached to the public recitation of the sutra, making every effort to surround this event with refined luxury, paying special attention to every detail. After all, worshipping the sutra itself and offering it various jewels and incense also gave believers the opportunity to be reborn in the form of a Buddha or bodhisattva.

The Genji-monogatari also mentions other rituals related to the recitation of the Lotus Sutra. These are the sutra readings during the novel's characters 'illnesses and the Jefuka worship rite, which is described in the chapter "The Triple Knot". This rite consisted of the monks walking along the roads, bowing and loudly chanting gathas (hymns) from the Lotus Sutra: "O people, there is no contempt in my heart for you! I look at you with deep respect. The reason is that all of you can follow the path of bodhisattvas, all of you can achieve enlightenment "[The Flower Sutra..., p. 265]. With these words, the main character of this chapter, Bodhisattva Jefuke (Sadaparibhuta), greeted all people, despite the humiliations and insults to which he was subjected. In The Tale of..., this rite is performed by the hermit Azari to appease the soul of the late Eighth Prince and heal his sick daughter Ooikimi.

In the saddest moments of the characters ' lives, Murasaki Shikibu also compares their behavior with the events described in the Lotus Sutra. When an old nun, the wife of a hermit who has entered the path from Akasi, and his disciples learn about the disappearance of a teacher, their sadness is so great that, according to the author, it can only be compared with the grief of the disciples of Shakyamuni Buddha after his death. The First Green chapter says: "The most enlightened disciples of the Buddha, who had penetrated the truth of Eagle Mountain, wandered around the world in despair when the firewood ran out, and what could the old nun do? Alas, her grief was boundless "[Murasaki Shikibu, p. 288] As all the commentators of the story note, the phrase "when the brushwood ran out" is taken from the "Introduction" to the Lotus Sutra, from a passage that speaks of the death of Shakyamuni Buddha. "On the same night, the Buddha disappeared, just as a fire disappears when the brushwood runs out "[Murasaki Shikibu, p. 95].

However, the most famous passage in the Genji-monogatari, which quotes Buddhist terms contained in the Lotus Sutra, is considered to be a conversation between Genji and Tamakazura (chapter "Fireflies") about the national Japanese monogatari literature. It is believed that this passage reflected both Murasaki Shikibu's views on literature and her religious beliefs (Murasaki is believed to have been initiated into the Tendai School). Defending monogatari as a serious literary genre, Genji says: "In the Great Law preached by the merciful Buddha, there are words called 'subterfuge', and yet there are narrow-minded people who doubt their truth. It is mentioned in the Hodo sutras, now that we are talking about it, that both subterfuge and true knowledge are one. Just as enlightenment and delusion are different, so are the good and bad things depicted in the monogatari. If you understand it well, there is nothing that is completely useless" [Murasaki Shikibu, p. 433].

It is noteworthy that Prince Genji skillfully uses such complex Buddhist terms as hoben ("trick"), bodai ("enlightenment") and bonneau ("delusion"). In Mahayana, hoben is the seventh paramita, an auxiliary tool used by Buddhas in the "transformed body" to lead sentient beings to the path of salvation. In the Lotus Sutra, in the chapter "Tricks", it is said that "[The Buddhas] preach with various arguments, comparisons and words, [inventing] "tricks", according to [the abilities of living beings] " [The Flower Sutra..., p. 111]. The Buddha

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Shakyamuni used" tricks "to divide the Dharma teaching into the three chariots, so that by preaching" tricks " in accordance with the abilities and desires of all living beings, he could reveal to them the true meaning of the Buddha's Dharma. Also in the tenmatics of the Tendai school, the word "hoben", as a rule, refers to all Buddhist treatises, except for the Lotus Sutra, which can be used as an auxiliary tool at the very initial stage of training. Genji compares monogatari to hoben, implying that although monogatari is not considered serious literature, it still reflects reality as it is. The mention of the Hodo period sutras is also noteworthy. According to Zhiyi, one of the patriarchs of the Tiantai school, this is the third of the five periods of the Buddha's preaching activity. During this time, the Buddha gradually revealed to his followers the meaning of his teaching. During the Hodo period, Mahayana principles were taught, as well as the "bodhisattva teachings".

Thus, the Lotus Sutra had no less influence on the Genji-monogatari than the classical Chinese and Japanese sources. The ideas and images taken from this sutra, as well as the associations associated with it that are traced in the plot of the novel and give it a deep philosophical meaning - all this was one of the reasons for the elevation of the Tale of Genji to the rank of classical Japanese literature and its continued success.

list of literature

Buddhism in Japan: Gangoji goran engi narabi-ni ruki shizate, Moscow, 1993.

Ignatovich A. N. Buddhism in Japan: An Essay on Early History, Moscow, 1988.

Murasaki Shikibu. Genji is a monogatari. Tokyo: Iwanami Publ., 1964.

Nihon seki, vol. II, St. Petersburg, 1997.

Sutra on the Lotus flower of the Wonderful Dharma, Moscow, 1998.

Sei-senagon. Notes at the headboard, Moscow, 1995.

Matsunaga D. i A. Foundation of Japanese Buddhism. Vol. I. Tokyo, 1987.

Kogen Mizuno. The Sutras: Origin, Development, Transmission. Tokyo, 1987.

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