Genealogy

Parents

• Father: Emperor Yōmei

• Mother: (Empress ) Princess Anahobe no Hashihito (穴穂部間人皇女)

Wives

• Princess Uji no Kaitako (菟道貝蛸皇女, b.570), daughter of Emperor Bidatsu and Empress Suiko

• Tachibana-no-Oiratsume, daughter of Prince Owari (橘大郎女)

　• Prince Shiragabe (白髪部王; d.30 December 643),

　• Princess Tejima (手島女王;30 December 643)

• Tojiko no Iratsume, daughter of Soga no Umako and Lady Mononobe (刀自古郎女)

　• Prince Yamashiro (山背大兄王; 30 December 643)

　• Princess Zai (財王; 30 December 643)

　• Prince Hioki (日置王; 30 December 643)

　• Princess Kataoka (片岡女王; 30 December 643)

• Lady Kawashide no Iratsume (膳大郎女)

　• Prince Hatsuse no Okimi (泊瀬王; 30 December 643)

　• Prince Saegusa (三枝王;30 December 643)

　• Prince Tomoshiko (伊止志古王; 30 December 643)

　• Prince Asaryoko (麻呂古王; 30 December 643)

　• Prince Tsukishine (舂米女王; 30 December 643) married to Prince Yamashiro

　• Princess Kunami (久波太女王; 30 December 643)

　• Princess Torybushi (波止利 女王; 30 December 643)

　• Princess Umayako (馬屋古女王; 30 December 643)

Biography

According to tradition, Shōtoku was appointed regent (Sesshō) in 593 by Empress Suiko (554–628), his aunt. Shōtoku, inspired by the Buddha's teachings, succeeded in establishing a centralized government during his reign. In 603, he established the Twelve Level Cap and Rank System at the court. He is credited with promulgating the seventeen-article constitution.

Shōtoku was an ardent Buddhist and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Sangyō Gisho or "Annotated Commentaries on the Three Sutras" (the Lotus Sutra, the Vimalakirti Sutra, and the Śrīmālādevī Siṃhanāda Sūtra). The first of these commentaries, Hokke Gisho, is traditionally dated to 615 and thus regarded as "the first Japanese text", in turn making Shōtoku the first known Japanese writer.

In the late 6th century, Shōtoku led an enormous national project to promote Buddhism and he commissioned the construction of Shitennō-ji. The Buddhist temple was built in Settsu Province (present-day Osaka) after his military victory against the powerful Mononobe clan, for he is said to have summoned them to crush his enemies. Shōtoku's name has been linked with Hōryū-ji, a temple in Yamato Province, and numerous other temples in the Kansai region. Documentation at Hōryū-ji claims that Suiko and Shōtoku founded the temple in the year 607. Archaeological excavations in 1939 have confirmed that Prince Shōtoku's palace, the Ikaruga no miya (斑鳩宮), stood in the eastern part of the current temple complex, where the Tō-in (東院) sits today. Despite being credited as the founder of Japanese Buddhism, it is also said that the Prince respected Shinto and never visited Buddhist temples without visiting Shinto shrines.

In his correspondence with Emperor Yang of Sui, Shōtoku's letter contains the earliest known written instance in which the Japanese archipelago is referred to by a term meaning "land of the rising sun." The Sui Emperor had dispatched a message in 605 that said, "the sovereign of Sui respectfully inquires about the sovereign of Wa," and Shōtoku responded by sponsoring a mission led by Ono no Imoko in 607, who brought along a note reading: "From the sovereign of the land of the rising sun (hi izuru tokoro) to the sovereign of the land of the setting sun."

He is said to have been buried at Shinaga in Kawachi Province (modern Osaka Prefecture).

Legends

A legend claims that when Bodhidharma came to Japan, he met with Prince Shōtoku whilst under the guise of a starving beggar. The Prince asked the beggar to identify himself, but the man did not reply. Instead of going ahead, Shōtoku gave him food, drink, and covered him with his purple garment, telling him to "lie in peace". Shōtoku then sang for the starving man.

Alas! For

The wayfarer lying

And hungered for rice

On the hill of Kataoka

(The sunshiny)

Art thou become

Parentless?

Hast thou no lord

Flourishing as a bamboo?

Alas! For

The wayfarer lying

And hungered for rice!

The second day, Shōtoku sent a messenger to the starving man, but he was already dead. Hereupon, he was greatly grieved and ordered his burial. Shōtoku later thought the man was no ordinary man for sure, and sending another messenger, discovered the earth had not been disturbed. On opening the tomb there was no body inside, and the Prince's purple garment lay folded on the coffin. The Prince then sent another messenger to claim the garment, and he continued to wear it just as before. Struck by awe, the people praised the Prince: "How true it is that a sage knoweth a sage." This legend is linked with the temple of Daruma-dera in Ōji, Nara, where a stone stupa was found underground, which is exceedingly rare.

Titles and name

Shōtoku is known by several titles, although his real name is since he was born in front of a stable. He is also known as or . In the Kojiki, his name appears as . In the Nihon Shoki, in addition to Umayado no ōji, he is referred to as Toyosamimi Shōtoku (豊聡耳聖徳), Toyosatomimi no Nori no Ōkami (豊聡耳法大王), and simply Nori no Ushi no Ōkami (法主王).

The name by which he is best known today, Prince Shōtoku, first appeared in Kaifūsō, written more than 100 years after his death in 622 AD.

Legacy

A number of institutes are named after Shōtoku, such as Shotoku Gakuen University and its associated junior college (both in Gifu). The first syllable of his name (聖), can be read shō in Go-on and can also be read sei in Kan-on. The later reading is found in Seitoku University and its associated junior college (both in Matsudo, Chiba) as well as Tokyo's defunct Seitoku Junior College of Nutrition (and indirectly its replacement Seiei College).

Currency

The portrait of Prince Shōtoku has appeared before on 100, 1,000, 5,000 and 10,000 yen bills. Two bills made with different types of materials and special inks with a face value of 100,000,000 (one hundred million yen) were also issued. The characteristic of these bills is that they have a border around it to prevent its alteration. As characteristics, it has a seal and figures in different positions starting from the middle outwards. The measurements of these 2 issues of bills are 35.3 cm x 16 cm and the other with a small variation of 34.3 by 16.5 cm. These cloth tickets were used for the exchange of important values at that time.

Gallery

Painting

File:Shotoku Taishi k.jpg|Painting of Shōtoku and two attendants, from Kakurin-ji temple in Kakogawa. Hyōgo Prefecture

File:MET 29 100 508.jpg|Silk painting of Shōtoku at age sixteen. Nanboku-chō Period, 14th century

File:Shotoku Taishi Aged 16 (Toyama).jpg|Silk painting of Shōtoku at age sixteen

File:Tenjyukoku embroidery.jpg|The Tenjukoku Shūchō Mandala, created to commemorate Shōtoku's death (622 CE)

File:Prince Shotoku.jpg|Shōtoku with younger brother (left: Prince Eguri) and first son (right: Prince Yamashiro)

File:Umayado Miko.jpg|Drawing of Shōtoku by Kikuchi Yōsai (1781-1878)

File:Shotoku Taishi by Kogan Zenji.jpg|Painting of Shōtoku by Kogan Zenji, 1800.

Sculpture

File:Shotoku Taishi-Rijksmuseum AK-BR-JAN-1.jpeg|Statue of Shōtoku as a child, with hands pressed together in worship. Circa 1200-1350 CE

File:Shotoku Taishi.jpg|Wooden statue of Prince Shōtoku in the Guimet Museum

File:Asuka dera Prince Shotoku.jpg|Shōtoku as a bodhisattva at Asuka-dera temple

File:Horyuji Monastery Shotoku Taishi of Shoryoin (331).jpg|Sculpture of Shōtoku from Hōryū-ji temple

生平

據《扶桑略記》和《聖德太子傳歷》，敏達天皇元年壬辰春正月朔初一日（572年1月31日）聖德太子出生。

據《上宮聖徳法王帝說》,出生日期在甲午年正月朔初一日（574年2月7日）。

592年，推古天皇（33任天皇）即位，據《日本書紀》，推古天皇元年夏四月庚午朔己卯（593年5月15日）立侄兒聖德太子為皇太子，輔佐天皇攝行朝政。

596年（推古3年），太子向高句麗的僧彗慈（又名惠慈）拜師。

聖德太子仿照中國制度，展開改革，即「推古朝改革」，正尊卑、定名分，與中國通交，篤信佛教。他于603年制定冠位十二階，依冠位區別官位高低，由中央朝廷授予，以整頓朝廷貴族官僚的身份制度，加強朝廷綱紀。翌年推行十七條憲法，作為朝廷官僚貴族的道德戒條，條文體現中國諸子百家及漢傳佛教思想。四度派遣遣隋使，607年派小野妹子，614年派犬上御田鍬、矢田部造，建邦交，吸收先進文物制度。振興佛教，建法隆寺、四天王寺，亦使建築、雕塑藝術得到進步；聖德太子亦著述《法華經義疏》《維摩經義疏》《勝鬘經義疏》等佛經注釋，亦即三經義疏，被尊為日本佛教始祖。採用曆法，編纂《國記》《天皇記》等史書，功績頗多。

根據一般說法，聖德太子 遣使致送的國書說：「日出處天子，致書日沒處天子，無恙。」實際上將日本與中國置于平等地位。隋皇帝看了很不高興，對鴻臚卿下令說：「蠻夷書有無禮者，勿復以聞。」，表明隋帝並無視於聖德太子對隋國對等關係的看法。但也有學者認為這封國書並不太像是以知書達禮、敬慕中國而聞名之聖德太子所該有的風格。實際上，《隋書》記載這封國書，是一位叫多利思北孤的倭國君王所致送，從未寫說這封國書是聖德太子所呈。若根據《新唐書》中記載，這封國書很明顯應是用明天皇（31任天皇）所遞交，與聖德太子毫無關係。

由於聖德太子篤信佛教，加上受到慧慈法師的恩慧，建立法隆寺。

據《日本書紀》，推古天皇二十九年辛巳春二月己丑朔癸巳（621年3月3日）聖德太子去世，而據《扶桑略記》 是廿九年辛巳二月廿二日（621年3月20日）。山背大兄王為其兒子，但在山背大兄王家族在斑鳩寺自殺，聖德太子一族滅亡。

傳說

聖德太子留下諸多傳說，如下：

;出生

:據說聖德太子是在馬廄出生，是由觀世音菩薩在其母親的口內受胎而誕生，這與《聖經》上耶穌誕生的敘述類似。

;豐聰耳

:聖德太子經常要聽取人民的請願，他能一次聽多人說話，在《上宮聖德法王帝說》中的記載是八人，《日本書紀》和《日本現報善惡靈異記》的記載是十人，《聖德太子傳歷》的記載是三十六人，另一種說法是太子能聽完多人說話之後，依序全部重複一次，一字不漏，有過人的記憶力。

;兼知未然

:

;南嶽慧思轉生

:

;飛行傳說

:

;片岡飢人傳說

:記載在《日本書紀》中的傳說，記述聖德太子在片岡山遇到飢餓的人的故事。

名稱相關

• 聖德太子這個稱呼並非他生前就使用的名稱，據說是死後經過百年以上而成立的以下文獻裡首次出現。

　• 《懷風藻》（天平勝寶三年・751年）編寫。

• 聖德太子是舊款日本鈔票一萬日元上的人像。

聖德太子著作

• 《三經義疏》（）。

• 《四天王寺緣起》（）。

• 《十七條憲法》初出於《日本書紀》章節裡全文引用段落。

• 《天皇記》、《國記》、《臣連伴造國造百八十部及公民等本記》（）於《日本書紀》中只記載書名，無現存物內容不明。

• 《先代舊事本紀》。

• 《未來記》。並不特指某一本書，是假託聖德太子所作，以「未來記」之名，在鎌倉時代大量出現的偽書群。

篤信佛教的聖德太子於推古十五年(607年)為《妙法蓮華經》、《勝鬘經》、《維摩經》三經作注，書名《三經義疏》。

譜系

相關條目

• 日本書紀

• 先代舊事本紀

• 日本佛教

• 日本銀行券

• 法隆寺

• 多利思比孤

• 東方神靈廟

流行文化

• 《搞笑漫畫日和》：聖德太子為主要角色，小野妹子為重要的男(？)配角

• 《東方Project》：以聖德太子為原型的角色豐聰耳神子。

影視作品

• 2001年日本古代史電視劇：《》，本木雅弘飾演聖德太子。