| This dissertation examines the history of Kofukuji temple from the 8th through the 13th centuries through the eyes of its main ritual, the Yuima-e. I consider this important state ritual as a Theatre of the State in which all sociopolitical parties are present. Thus, I look at the history of Kofukuji through an analysis of state ritual(s) to re-examine the exoteric-esoteric context (kenmitsu taisei ) of the period under consideration.;In my analysis I stress the importance of looking at the slow development of particular exoteric-esoteric lineages from the tenth century on. By following this gradual development through an examination of Yuima-e participation and commentarial production, I show that the study of this particular ritual can provide a new way of looking at the larger socio-political developments in which the temple operated. This way, I use the Yuima-e as a vehicle to question particular categorizations or the shift from Fujiwara no Michinaga's height of power to the rise of the powerful retired emperors. Central in my analysis is a close examination of the relations between inner and outer temple developments to thoroughly reformulate Kuroda Toshio's notion of exoteric-esoteric Buddhism. |
