From September 2011 onward, we will read a new text of the Buddhist Canon in our seminar, the Xianyu-jing/Kengu-kyō 賢愚經. Different from the other texts that we read so far, the Ōjō yōshū 往生要集 or the Keiran-shūyō-shū 溪嵐拾葉集, this text is written in Chinese, by some Chinese monks of the 5th century. One of the important features of this text is that, although it is based on Indian texts, it was directly written in Chinese, by Chinese writers. Being not a translation, it is “pure Chinese,” without unnatural turns of phrase characteristic of translations of indian texts. It is a collection of parables, of the avadāna genre. As we will understand in reading it, the stories are often very dramatic, and written out in a pleasant and entertaining style. It is certain that this literary genre profoundly influenced the development of Chinese literature of tales, as well as Japanese literature of tales (setsuwa 説話). From the standpoint of the history of Buddhism, it is possible to think that this kind of tales prepared a mentality which will fully open out in great Tantric myths. We will explain the tales of the Kengu-kyō, trying to situate them in the cultural history of Buddhism.
Our seminar, which is an introduction to the Buddhist kanbun, is designed for foreign (and Japanese) students and young researchers living in or near Tokyo. It is held in principle twice a month with the participation of five or six students (currently Monday evening from 18h to 20h, at Tōyō bunko). A solid knowledge of literary Japanese (or Chinese) is required. We speak mainly in Japanese, but we use also English and French.
We will always be happy to have new students.


 gengu-kyô   teaching