. tachikawa-ry 805
“cross-transmissions”), even if he would later transmit only one of the
lineages he had received. One important issue is that in these blood
lineage documents, the name of the lineage itself was most often not
noted but could be deduced from the listed names of masters and
disciples.
On the other hand, because of the generalized practice of “cross-
transmissions,” the contents of transmissions tended to even out
over time. Of course, since the differences between lineages was their
essential raison d’être, this “leveling out” was to be avoided as much
as possible. This was certainly one important reason why certain lin-
eages introduced some peculiar teachings or practices for which they
claimed the utmost secrecy. Generally speaking, however, it is almost
impossible to recognize doctrinal differences between lineages. Differ-
ences of doctrines or thought, rather, were individual matters.
- The Real Tachikawa-ryū
The beginning of the real Tachikawa-ryū is documented in two types
of sources: the first is contemporary historical records (such as aris-
tocrats’ diaries), and the second is some thirteenth-century mikkyō
documents. According to the tradition, the founder of the Tachikawa-
ryū was the younger brother of an important monk of Daigoji named
Shōkaku (1057–1129), son of the Minister of Left, Minamoto
no Toshifusa (1035–1121). Shōkaku was the founder of the
Sanbōin-ryū lineage. Among his several brothers was
Ninkan (?–1114?), who was ordained in Daigoji and became
Shōkaku’s disciple. However, Ninkan came to be implicated in an
important political incident during his service as a protector monk
(gojisō ) of Prince Sukehito (1073–1119), the third
son of Emperor Go-Sanjō (1034–1073, r. 1068–1073).
After Go-Sanjō’s death, his first son became Emperor Shirakawa
(1053–1129, r. 1073–1087). Though Go-Sanjō left a testa-
ment according to which Sukehito would be later invested as emperor,
Shirakawa wanted to put his own descendants on the throne, and
his son was installed as Emperor Horikawa (1079–1107,
r. 1086–1107), and later succeeded by Shirakawa’s grandson, Emperor
Toba (1103–1156, r. 1107–1123). Sukehito’s ambitions were
frustrated by these successions, and in 1113 a plot that Ninkan, his
protector monk, planned to assassinate Emperor Toba was discovered.
The monk was arrested and exiled to Izu in Kantō in the tenth