Traditional Japanese esoteric cosmology and divination system
Onmy?d?
(
陰陽道
, also
In'y?d?
,
lit.
'
The Way of Yin and Yang
'
)
is a system of
natural science
,
astronomy
,
mantras
,
almanac
,
divination
and
magic
that developed in Japan based on the
Chinese philosophies
of
yin and yang
and
wuxing
(five elements)
[1]
[2]
The philosophy of yin and yang and
wuxing
was introduced to Japan at the beginning of the 6th century, and, influenced by
Taoism
,
Buddhism
, and
Confucianism
, evolved into the earliest system of
Onmy?d?
around the late 7th century. In 701, the
Taiho Code
established the departments and posts of
onmy?ji
who practiced
Onmy?d?
in the Imperial Court, and
Onmy?d?
was institutionalized.
[3]
[1]
From around the 9th century during the
Heian period
,
Onmy?d?
interacted with
Shinto
and
Gory?
worship
(
御?信仰
)
in Japan, and developed into a system unique to Japan.
[4]
[5]
Abe no Seimei
, who was active during Heian period, is the most famous
onmy?ji
(
Onmy?d?
practitioner) in Japanese history and has appeared in various Japanese literature in later years.
Onmy?d?
was under the control of the imperial government, and later its courtiers, the
Tsuchimikado
family, until the middle of the 19th century, at which point it became prohibited as
superstition
.
[3]
[1]
Development
[
edit
]
In the 5th and 6th centuries, the principles of yin-yang and the
Five Elements
were transmitted to Japan from
China
and
Baekje
along with Buddhism and
Confucianism
, particularly by the obscure Korean monk
Gwalleuk
. Yin-yang and the Five Elements, as well as the divisions of learning to which they were linked ?
astronomy
,
calendar
-making, the reckoning of time,
divination
, and studies based on observation of nature ? were amalgamated into fortune telling. This process of judging auspicious or harmful signs present in the natural world, was accepted into Japanese society as a technique for predicting good or bad fortune in the human world. Such techniques were known mostly by
Buddhist monks
from mainland Asia, who were knowledgeable in reading and writing Chinese. Over time, demand from members of the
Imperial Court
who believed that
Onmy?d?
divination would be helpful in decision-making, made it necessary for the laity to perform the art, and
onmy?ji
began to appear around the middle of the 7th century. Under the Taiho Code enacted in the early 8th century, the departments of the Imperial Court to which
onmy?ji
belonged were defined by law.
[1]
From around the 9th century during the
Heian period
,
Onmy?d?
interacted with
Shinto
and
Gory?
worship in Japan, and developed into a system unique to Japan.
[4]
[1]
Until then,
Onmy?d?
emphasized divination for policy decisions by high government officials, but since the Heian period,
Onmy?d?
has emphasized magic and religious services such as warding off evil for preventing natural disasters and epidemics and for the productiveness of grain, as well as curses against opponents.
[4]
Because Shinto places importance on
purity
, Shinto priests were required to perform
misogi
(ritual purification) and fast before performing these religious services, so their activities were restricted. On the other hand, since
onmy?ji
did not have to perform
misogi
or fast, they were able to deal with
kegare
(uncleanliness) more easily, and they expanded their activities beyond the support of Shinto priests.
[4]
It gradually spread from the Imperial Court to the general public.
[5]
In the 10th century
Kamo no Tadayuki
(
賀茂 忠行
)
and his son
Kamo no Yasunori
(
賀茂 保典
)
, made great advancements in
Onmy?d?
, astronomy and calendar science.
[1]
From among their students emerged
Abe no Seimei
(
安倍?明
)
, who displayed superior skills in the divining arts of
Onmy?d?
, by which he gained an uncommon amount of trust from the court society. Tadayuki and Yasunori passed on their skills in astronomy to Seimei while their advances in calendar-making went to Yasunori's son. From the end of the Heian period into the Middle Ages, astronomy and calendar science were completely subsumed into
Onmy?d?
, and the Abe and Kamo families came to dominate the art in the Imperial Court.
[1]
Onmy?ji
[
edit
]
Onmy?ji
(
陰陽師
, also
In'y?ji
)
was one of the classifications of civil servants belonging to the
Bureau of Onmy?
[
ja
]
in ancient Japan's
ritsuryo
system. People with this title were professional practitioners of
Onmy?d?
.
[3]
Onmy?ji
were specialists in magic and divination. Their court responsibilities ranged from tasks such as keeping track of the
calendar
, to mystical duties such as
divination
and protection of the capital from evil
spirits
. They could divine auspicious or harmful influences in the earth, and were instrumental in the moving of capitals. It is said that an
onmy?ji
could also summon and control
shikigami
.
[6]
During the
Heian period
the nobility organized their lives around practices recommended by
onmy?ji
. The practice of "lucky and unlucky directions" provides an example. Depending on the season, time of day, and other circumstances, a particular direction might be bad luck for an individual. If one's house was located in that direction, such an individual was advised not to go back directly to his house but had to "change direction" (
katatagae
), by going in a different direction and lodging there. Such a person would not dare to go in the forbidden direction, but stayed where they were, even if that resulted in absence from the court, or passing up invitations from influential people.
[4]
Famous
onmy?ji
include
Kamo no Yasunori
and
Abe no Seimei
(921?1005). After Seimei's death, the
Emperor Ichij?
had a
shrine
erected at his home in
Kyoto
.
[7]
Onmy?ji
had political clout during the Heian period, but in later times when the imperial court fell into decline, their state patronage was lost completely. In modern-day Japan,
onmy?ji
are defined as a type of priest, and although there are many who claim to be mediums and spiritualists, the
onmy?ji
continues to be a hallmark occult figure.
Later history
[
edit
]
Onmy?d? was officially abolished in 1870 by the
Tensha Shinto Prohibition Ordinance
[
ja
]
, but it was permitted again after the propagation of religious freedom and the abolition of
State Shinto
in 1945.
[8]
A new organization for
Tensha Tsuchimikado Shinto
(
天社土御門神道
)
, considered the modern form of Onmy?d?, was established in 1954.
[9]
[10]
As of 2023
[update]
, the head was Yoshihito Fujita.
[11]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
Further reading
[
edit
]
External links
[
edit
]
Look up
onmy?d?
in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
- 占事略決
(Big5 Chinese) Online text of Senji Ryakketsu.
- 金烏玉兎集?第一
Online text of Kinugyokutosh? volume 1.