Case Analysis of the Shonindo

Abstract

We shall, based on historical records of the time, demonstrate the existence of Shonindo in the Edo period. Chapter sections are numbered sequentially. The first section comprises 4.1 What Is Shonindo? Here we shall provide a definition of Shonindo. The second section, 4.2 The Early Edo Period: Shonindo in the seventeenth century, is divided into six sub-sections. The first sub-section, 4.2.1, provides a bird’s-eye view of the seventeenth century as its premise. Sub-sections 4.2.2, 4.2.3, 4.2.4, 4.2.5 take up four historical records, the Keicho Kenmon Shu, the Choja Kyo, the Shison Kagami, and the Kanemochi Choho Ki. We shall analyze the religious faith and keywords found in each record, clarify their distinctive characteristics, and list representative examples by faith. In the final sub-section, 4.2.6, we shall provide a chronological analysis of the four records to clarify their merits. The third section, 4.3 The Middle Edo Period: Shonindo in the eighteenth century, is a wide-ranging case analysis. In sub-section, 4.3.1 we provide a bird’s-eye view of the eighteenth century serving as the premise of this period. We examine 24 historical records in sub-sections 4.3.2, 4.3.3, 4.3.4, 4.3.5, 4.3.6, 4.3.7, 4.3.8, 4.3.9, 4.3.10, 4.3.11, 4.3.12, 4.3.13, 4.3.14, 4.3.15, 4.3.16, 4.3.17, 4.3.18, 4.3.19, 4.3.20, 4.3.21, 4.3.22, 4.3.23, 4.3.24, and 4.3.25 and, as we did immediately above, analyze the religious faith and keywords found in each record, clarify their distinctive characteristics, and list representative examples by faith. In the final sub-section, 4.3.26, we shall provide a chronological analysis of the 24 records to clarify their merits. These records are the Kadōkun, the Tosei Shogun Dan, the Choninbukuro, the Chonin Koken Roku, the Akindo Yawaso, the Fukujin Kyokunbukuro, the Chonin Tsune no Michi, the Akindo Heizei Ki, the Tohi Mondo, the Kagyo Dotoku Ron, the Ken’yaku Seika Ron, the Ishida Sensei Goroku, the Kyokunzo Nagamochi, the Akindo Sugiwai Kagami, the Zenkun, the Shobai Kyokun Kagami, the Fuki no Ji ga Tame, the Akindo Koganebukuro, the Wagatsue, the Seken Senshin Ron, the Yowatarigusa, the Shuju Kokoroegaki , the Kagyo Sozoku Chikaragusa, and the Kanemokaru no Denju. The fourth section, 4.4 The Late Edo Period: Shonindo in the nineteenth century, is divided into 13 sub-sections. The first sub-section, 4.4.1, is a bird’s-eye view of the nineteenth century. We examine 11 historical records in sub-sections 4.4.2, 4.4.3, 4.4.4, 4.4.5, 4.4.6, 4.4.7, 4.4.8, 4.4.9, 4.4.10, 4.4.11, and 4.4.12 and, as we did in the previous sections, analyze the religious faith and keywords found in each record, clarify their distinctive characteristics, and list representative examples by faith. In the final sub-section, 4.4.13, we shall provide a chronological analysis of these 11 records to clarify their merits. These records are the Tosei Kanyo Ki, the Shison Takaragusa, the Sekitoku Sodan, the Wagami no Tame, the Hinpuku Taihei Ki, the Minka o Sodategusa, the Tosei Kanyo Ki Nihen, the Fuki Jizai Shu, the Shoka Kokoroegusa, the Genkin Oyasu Uri, and the Shusei no Ishizue. Finally, in Sect. 4.5, we shall look at the entire Edo period and summarize how mercantile ethics were affected.