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a specific taxonomy. Kōgei played a crucial role in the development of
Taimitsu rituals, and this anthology documents the significant changes
that occurred in the eleventh century. Kōgei also received Tōmitsu ini-
tiation from Kyōun of Tōji, under whom he studied in Kyūshū,
and this is reflected in the inclusion of Tōmitsu interpretations in the
anthology.
The next extensive collection is the Gyōrinshō ( T. 2409), in
eighty-two fascicles, also considered to represent the liturgical tradi-
tions of the Tani branch. It was compiled in 1154 by Jōnen of
Mudōji , who was a disciple of the famous cleric Sōshitsu ,
the initiator of the Hōman-ryū. Among the sectarian features
of this text, of particular interest is the preeminence of the figure of
Śākyamuni. The first ritual rubric is devoted to Śākyamuni, and under
this rubric matters related to the two mandalas are dealt with on the
basis of the identity of Śākyamuni and Dainichi advocated by Taimitsu
scholiasts.^24
Slightly later is the compilation that is broadly regarded as the
canonical source of Taimitsu rituals, Asabashō. This is the
first compendium to include extensive illustrations of deities and their
variants, ritual objects, and diagrams of ritual platforms, and it is thus
fundamental for the reconstruction of the performative side of the
liturgy. (This is also the reason it is included in the iconographic sec-
tions of the canon.) The fact that extensive passages of doctrinal works
and important commentaries no longer available today^ are quoted also
heightens its value (Ōkubo 2001a, 4).
The Asabashō was compiled between 1242 and 1281 by Shōchō
(1205–1282), a scholiast belonging to an Anō sub-lineage called
Ogawa. However, Shōchō drew extensively from two previous
works by Jōnen, the Gyōrinshō and the Jikkanshō , and thus
this collection charts a large part of contemporary Taimitsu doctrines
and practices (Kirihata 1969). The title Asabashō derives from the three
seed-syllables that identify the three sections of the Womb Mandala—
tathāgata (A), lotus (SA), and vajra (VA)—suggesting the preeminence
of the Womb textual lineage. The liturgies are arranged according to
(^24) Early Taimitsu interpreters had attempted to reassess the role of Śākyamuni vis-
à-vis Dainichi as the preacher of the esoteric teachings. They equated specific aspects
of Śākyamuni’s activity with characteristics of the esoteric Buddha, drawing from
the imagery of the eternal assembly of the Vulture Peak, the place where Śākyamuni
preached the Lotus Sūtra. (Dolce 2006a: 147–48)