　私がこの記事に目を留めたのは「智慧の輪」という説明（寺院側の由緒か？）にである。ちょいと待ってくれ、という疑問があるからだ。朝日新聞ディジタル版には動画が添付されていて、その映像を観ると「輪」は何か芯に麻布のようなものを巻いてカッチリ作られていて円の上縁から2,3尺のところに注連縄を張っている。私は、この見かけとは異なるものの、原型は「茅（ち）の輪」ではないかと推測するのである。
「智慧の輪」ではなくて「茅の輪」だ、と。
　寺の言い分にイチャモンつけるわけではないが、「茅の輪」が原型だとすると、あらためて解説しておきたくなった。いや、山田維史の「私考」と言い直してもかまわない。

　「茅の輪」くぐりは六月晦日に夏越の祓（なごしのはらい）としておこなわれた行事で、平安時代の昔から夏期に流行しやすかった病を祓うためのものだった。「茅の輪」をくぐれば身の穢れを祓って寿命が千年のびるという信仰である。川崎市麻生区の「武州琴平神社」では現在も6月半ば過ぎに夏越の祓の茅の輪くぐりの行事がある。
　また『備後国風土記逸文』(713年以降の奈良時代に成立）には、蘇民将来と巨且将来の兄弟に由縁する記述がある。兄の蘇民将来は来訪した神を手厚くもてなしたが、弟の巨且将来は神を粗略にしたので、神は兄の腰に茅の輪を結わえ付けて一家の長命と繁栄を保証し、弟の方は疫病で滅亡させてしまった。海彦山彦神話のヴァリエーションのような説話である。

　さて、このふたつの「茅の輪」くぐりの由来に共通しているのは、「穢れを祓う」ということと「長命で繁栄する」ということだ。私はここに擬死再生儀礼を観るのである。擬（もどき）として一度死に、身の穢れを落としてから再び此の世に生まれ変わる、という思想（信仰）である。
　それでは「茅の輪」とは何であるか。それは「産道」であり「女陰」である。「茅の輪」は「血の輪」なのである。まさにそこから生命は誕生するのであり、子孫繁栄の根源である。蘇民将来の男の「腰」に茅の輪を結わえたというのも無意味な文言ではないのである。すなわち「茅の輪くぐり」は性神信仰・性器信仰のひとつのヴァリエーションだ。
　「茅の輪くぐり」には大事な決まり事がある。それは、くぐる方向である。「茅の輪」はたいてい神社の御神体あるいは寺院の御本尊を正面としている。祈願者はその御神体・御本尊の側から神仏に背を向けるような方向から茅の輪をくぐらなければならない。おわかりだろうか？　通常の参拝方向の逆すなわち神仏の領域から人界に向かってくぐるのだ。此の世に生まれ変わって出てくるのである。

　というわけで、四天王寺元三大師堂の「智慧の輪」とやらは、「茅の輪」の意味を「知の輪」とトッちがえたのではあるまいけれど、意地の悪い見方をすれば、私は、何もそこまでして客（信者とは言うまい）集めをしなくともよかろうにと、今時の坊主の心根を怪しんだ。受験生諸君も神仏に祈っている時間があるなら寸暇を惜しんで勉強したほうがよいかもしれない。もしも、もしもだよ、不合格だったなら、自己の勉強不足や非力を棚に上げて神仏を恨むことになるかもしれない。そうならないためにも神仏頼みはおよしなさいと、爺ちゃんは言いたいなー。

The Asahi Shimbun reports that a memorial service
for praying for passing the entrance examination was
held at Genzandaishido on the 3rd January at Shitennoji
Temple in Osaka City. It is said that prayers go through
the " Chiénowa (Ring of Wisdom)" that seemes to be
associated witn the great master Genzandaishi (aka
Ryogen Jikeidaishi ; 912-985) of the Heian period.

I noticed this article in the explanation of the
"Chiénowa (Ring of Wisdom)" (is it the historical ex-
planation of the temple side?). This is because there

is attached to the digital version of the Asahi Shimbun,
and I watch the video, the "ring" is made by wrapping
something like linen around the core, and the Shime-
nawa (a sacred Shintō straw festoon) is attached about
60 cm from the upper edge of the ring. Althoug it is
different appearance of this ring, I presume that the
prototype is the " Chinowa (the Shintō thatched ring) .
It's not the " Chiénowa (Ring of Wisdom)" but the
"Chinowa".

I don't mean to add an objection to the temple, but
if the "Chinowa " is the prototype of the " Chiénowa ",
I would like to explaine a little. Oh, no, I can rephrase
it as "Private Thought" by Tadami Yamada.

The going through Chinowa was an event held on the
end of June as the Nagoshi-no-Harai (a purification
ceremony for geting over summer) , and was in-
tended to eliminate diseases that were easy to spread
in the summer from the Heian period. It is a belief
that if you go through the " Chinowa ", you will be able
to cleanse yourself and extend your life to a thousand
years.
At " Bushu Kotohira Shrine" in Asō Ward, Kawasaki
City, there is still an event to go through " Chinowa "
of Nagoshi-no-Harai after mid-June.
In addition, there is a description in "Bingonokuni
Fudoki Itsubun" (completed in the Nara period after
713) that is related to brothers of Sominshōrai and
Kokatsushōrai. The elder brother Sominshōrai was
hospitable to the visiting god, but the younger brother
Kokatsushorai refused the visiting god. So, the god
tied a chinowa to the elder brother's waist to guarantee
the longevity and prosperity his family. The younger
brother was destroyed by plague. It is a narrative like
a veriation of the brothers of Yamahiko and Umihiko
myth.

By the way, what these two origins of " Chinowa "
have in common is that they "clean up the dirty life"
and "prosper with a long life." I see the ritual of re-
birth of death here. It is the idea (faith) of dying
once as a fake, removing the filth, and the being
reborn in this world.
Then what is the " Chinowa "? It is the "birth canal"
and the "vulva". The " Chinowa (the Shintō thatched
ring) is the " Chinowa (Blood Ring)". (*note; the words'
pronunciation are the same in Japanese) Life is born from
that very point, and it is the source of prosperity of de-
scendants. It is not meaningless to say that the Chino-
wa was tied to the "waist" of man Sominshōrai. In other
words, " the going through Chinowa" is a variation of
sexual god worship and genital worship.

There is an important rule in "The going through
Chinowa ". It is the direction of going through.
" Chinowa " usually faces the main shrine or the
principal image of the temple. The prayer must go
through the Rong from the direction of turning his
back to the God and Buddha from the side the god
and principal idol. Do you understand? It goes
through from oppsite direction of normal worshi,
that is, from the realm of God and Buddha toward
the human world. It will be reborn in this world.
There is a shrine that accurately conveys this
"The going through Chinowa " pseudo-death re-
generation ritual. It is " Kai Takeda Shrine" in Kofu
City, Yamanashi Prefecture. There is a large torii
gate in front of the main shrine, and in fromt of
it is the "Chinowa ". When I worshiped (in June),
there was an explanation on the sign next to the
Chinowa . The explanation is to turn your back to
the main shrine and go through. In fact, the solid
proof of my discussion is that the Shimenawa
hung on the ring of Chinowa at Takeda Shrine
is decorated with a paper Shide cut out from a
human figure. ... It is not the zigzag of lightning-
shaped paper Shide that you usually see. It is
nothing but a symbol of prayer for prosperity of
descendants.

So, I don't think the "Chienowa" in the Genzan-
daishido of Shitennoji misunderstood the meaning
of "Chinowa" as "Chinowa (the ring of intelligence)".
(*note; the word pronunciation is also the same in Japanese)
But, from a nasty point of view, I doubted the heart of
current monks, thinking that it would not be necessary
to change the original meaning and gather customers
(not to say believers). If you, students, have time to pray
to the gods and Buddha, you may want to spare some
time to study. If you fail, you may end up resenting the
gods and Buddha by putting your lack of study and
powerlessness on the shelf.
Very old man, I, wants to say that you shouldn't rely
on God and Buddha.

Tadami Yamada

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