Myōe Shonin
Oxford University Press eBooks June 24, 2023 DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780197609606.003.0003 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Historical analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Profiles the monk Myōe Shonin (born 1173), who recorded dreams, visions, and meditation experiences for more than forty years. The chapter describes his dream life as a spiritual realm in which he received guidance, teachings, warnings, and anticipations, and where he felt at home even during strange or nightmarish dreams. |
Abstract
Abstract This chapter introduces the second of the dream journalists, Myōe Shonin. Born in 1173 ce in Japan, he became an ascetic monk who advocated for religious reforms in the Kegon and Shingon schools of Buddhism. Myōe kept a journal of his dreams, visions, and meditation experiences for more than forty years. The intensity of his desire to emulate as closely as possible the life and being of the Buddha led Myōe on a lifelong quest for visionary experiences in waking and dreaming. In his dreams, Myōe received guidance, teachings, warnings, and anticipations. While dreaming, he entered a more fluid and open-ended spiritual realm, where he felt entirely at home, even when the dreams became strange or nightmarish.
Citations in the library
Cites 4
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