The Ritual of “Enemies’ Suppression” as a Way to Strengthen Authority in the Politics of Emperor Go-Daigo

This study is devoted to the role of magical rituals for suppression (chōbuku) as a method to strengthen the authority in the policy of the Japanese Emperor Go-Daigo (1288–1339, ruled 1318–1339). It analyzes one of the surviving texts describing the chōbuku ritual, “Gyakuto taiji goma shidai” (“The Procedure for Performing the Goma Ritual to Subdue Rebels”), composed by the monk Monkan on the order of Emperor Go-Daigo in 1337. Originally intended to pacify evil spirits that hinder the aspiration for enlightenment and enemies of the Buddhist Dharma, these rites also contained an element of magic aimed to subjugate those whom the practitioner personally considered his enemies. Obviously, this ambivalence made it possible to use it almost officially within the framework of the well-known theory of the unity of imperial power and the Buddhist Dharma (ōbō-buppō). The text also reveals a universal character, intended to endow the figure of the emperor with the features of a universal Buddhist chakravartin king, capable of governing the Universe with the help of the Dharma and the deities described in the text. It is noted that for Emperor Go-Daigo, the magical chōbuku rituals, along with the abhisheka enthronement ritual, became an integral part of domestic policy for fighting the bakufu government. It is concluded that, considering these details, further research should also be conducted on ritual texts associated with Shingon tantric magic, having received less attention compared to philosophical and religious scriptures. These texts may also have influenced the formation of Kamakura Buddhism.