. onmyd and esoteric buddhism 687
Esoteric Buddhist rituals can be divided into rituals for becom-
ing Buddha and rituals for worldly benefits. The latter can be further
divided into protective rituals, blessings, rituals for having good rela-
tions with other people, and exorcisms against evil spirits. Esoteric
Buddhist rituals were often used along with Onmyōdō rituals in a syn-
thetic way, but sometimes they shared the same purpose. For example,
the goryūsai (ritual of the five dragons) is a type of rainmak-
ing ritual (amagoi ) commonly known in esoteric Buddhism
as shōu. Other rituals common to both Onmyōdō and esoteric
Buddhism include protective rituals against evil spirits and New Year
rituals.
The Interaction of Onmyōdō and Sukuyōkyō
Another significant development in the interactions between onmyōji
and Buddhist priests concerned Sukuyōdō. Since 717, Buddhist priests
were allowed to serve at the imperial court as diviners and healers
without entering the Onmyōryō; later, priests with knowledge of
Onmyōdō came to be called sukuyōji (specialists in Sukuyōdō-
related disciplines). Sukuyōkyō was introduced to Japan by Kūkai
, and while it did not survive for long in China, in Japan it con-
tinued to exist for many centuries. It is interesting to note that while in
India Sukuyōdō is primarily used to define the personality of someone,
as in modern Western horoscopes, in Japan it was basically a guide for
selecting auspicious days.
Sukuyōdō is a significant case of interaction between Onmyōdō and
the Buddhist temples. Especially during medieval times, it was difficult
to distinguish between Onmyōdō proper and Sukuyōdō. One example
of the combination between Onmyōdō and Sukuyōdō is a medieval
Japanese text called the Hoki naiden. Written around the
fourteenth century, the Hoki naiden is considered to be the most impor-
tant text of medieval Onmyōdō; it includes elements from Buddhism
and Japanese kami cults (especially those that subscribed to honji
suijaku theory). It is composed of five chapters; the first four
deal primarily with Onmyōdō teachings, while the last is an exposi-
tion of Sukuyōdō. However, the Sukuyōdō part has been influenced
by Onmyōdō thought, and the Onmyōdō part shows strong Buddhist
influences. The mixture of Onmyōdō and Sukuyōdō is even clearer
in the Hokishō , a commentary on the Hoki naiden probably
composed between the end of the sixteenth and the early seventeenth
centuries. For example, in the Hokishō every year is characterized not