The article deals with the problem of the relationship between the supreme power and nature in Japan of the VIII-X centuries. Based on the analysis of official chronicles and diary entries, the author considers the following issues: the emperor's responsibility for the course of natural processes and ritual measures of influence on nature. In order to bring nature into a safe and prosperous state, the emperor had to possess two basic qualities: virtue (toku) and humanity (nin). He realized these qualities in practical measures (assistance to victims) and ritual properties (prayers, amnesty), which were called upon by the desire to please Heaven, Shinto deities and Buddhas. This made the ancient Japanese state largely socially oriented.

Keywords: ancient Japan, emperor, nature, natural disasters, virtue, humanity, Sky.

There are two main aspects of relations between the supreme power and the world around it: relations with higher powers and relations with people (subjects, elites, estates, "society", representatives of other states, etc.). There are many works devoted to this topic. However, it seems to me that there is another, no less important aspect that becomes the subject of reflection to a lesser extent: the relationship between power and nature, the environment. In this case, we are referring not so much to practical relations (efforts to transform the natural environment) as to symbolic ones - the role and place of nature in the mental constructions of power. Consideration of these relations will allow us to better understand the mechanisms of the functioning of power, its discourse, and clarify the place of power in the system of relations between man and nature. The main source for this analysis is the materials of the Japanese official chronicles.

VIII-X centuries - the time of the creation and flourishing of the centralized state, when Chinese managerial and ideological ideas took root on Japanese soil. State life was built in accordance with detailed legislation designed and tailored in the Chinese way, the purpose of which was to create a formalized and completely predictable environment.

"Chinese ideas" should be understood as a loosely divided set of ideas that came directly from China. It was an amalgam of Confucian, Taoist, and Buddhist beliefs, rites, ceremonies, and practices. Local customs were also not forgotten: the appeal to Shinto deities was regular. Using the language developed by these systems, the habitat of the ancient Japanese was described. The specified ideological systems

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they were rarely perceived as contradictory. The ancient Japanese did not so much strive for" purity " of teaching as for efficiency.

In the Japanese worldview, the emperor's supreme power is linked to the natural environment much more strongly than in the West. The genesis of supreme power in Japan had a religious basis, the emperor is not a military leader, but above all a high priest, his main function is to ensure fertility. To achieve this goal, the authorities seek to establish control over nature and time (the alternation of seasons, rains and buckets, cold and heat, natural disasters, etc.). This mentality is common to all traditional societies and probably had a local origin in Japan. However, the specific formulation of the duties (responsibilities) of the ruler to ensure fertility and minimize the consequences of natural disasters was largely formed under the direct influence coming from the mainland.1
So, the state ideology of ancient Japan was a composite entity. It should be borne in mind that the sovereign's own affiliation to any one ideological system cannot be determined. Nevertheless, it can be argued that the basic properties of the sovereign to control the natural elements are described mainly in terms of Chinese ideas about the supreme ruler. First of all, these are the categories of "virtue" (yap. toku, kit. de)2 and "humanity" (yap. nin, kit.zhen).

Each person (at least a high-ranking one) had a certain amount of te. The imperial reserve is the most significant, and the ruler has certain opportunities to replenish it, which he does with the help of ritual means available to him. A sovereign with de exudes light and translates culture to his subjects. Thus, they directly depend on the potentials of the sovereign.

When the subjects of Kamm (737 - 806, on the throne 781 - 806) praised him, they directly and honestly declared that his virtue reaches Heaven, Earth and Man, his light is equal to the sun, he fills the whole country up to the very outskirts, so that the weather in the country is the most favorable and the earth will regularly give birth [Nihon koki, Enryaku, 13 - 8 - 13 (794)] 3. Towards the end of Kamm's reign, the situation did not change in the eyes of his subjects. The appearance in the sky of the star of the Old Man (α of the Southern Cross constellation), which, as it was believed in Chinese astrology, promises longevity and promises peace in the country, they attributed to the virtues of the sovereign. In response, he spoke of his lack of virtue, which, however, can be increased. In this regard, he resorted to acts that are designed to demonstrate his humanity to Heaven: he declared an amnesty, promoted the ranks, ordered the distribution of grain to the elderly [Nihon koki, Enryaku, 22 - 11 - 1, 22 - 11 - 15 (803 city of)]. If you find "miraculous clouds "(a sign of virtuous government) in three places at once (above the palace, in the provinces of Kii and Chikuzen) courtiers begged Emperor Junn (786-840, on the throne 823-833) to recognize these clouds as a sign of the sovereign's virtue, but he stubbornly refused, likening his miserable rule to walking on thin ice, controlling a horse with rotten reins. Finally, after the third appeal, Junna agreed to accept congratulations and celebrate the appearance of the clouds with an amnesty and other humane acts [Nihon koki, Tente, 3 - 12 - 27, 3 - 12 - 29, 3 - 12 - 30 (826 d.)].

The emperor was showered with praise by his subjects. However, the emperor himself almost invariably described himself in the most derogatory way. This is the ideal of the Confucian "humble" ruler. This modesty is due to the fact that the final result of

1 For the specifics of supreme power in ancient Japan, see [Meshcheryakov, 2004].

2 The concept of de cannot be adequately translated (for an overview of possible translations and interpretations, see [Kobzev, 1998]). I will use the term "virtue"in my work.

3 References to the texts of chronicles and diaries are given in accordance with the established practice in world Japanese studies: the motto of the board, year-month-day, year according to the Gregorian calendar.

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the addressee of the Emperor's speeches is the Sky. And before him the sovereign is a tree withered in spring, and his voice is the murmur of an insect against the background of spring thunder [Shoku nihon koki, Jeva, 9 - 8 - 27 (842)].

Self-praise of the sovereign is usually recorded only in the case of communication with foreigners. Ambassadors from Silla and Bohai addressed the Empress Shotoku (718-770, on the throne 764-770) as "the empress who lights up Japan". In this case, she dispensed with self-deprecating formulas, graciously agreeing with this statement and, in turn, calling herself the "illuminator of the eight limits" [Shoku nihongi, Tempe seho, 4 - 6 - 14 (752), 5 - 5 - 25 (753), 5 - 6 - 8]. However, when communicating with his court, the emperor preferred completely different, more modest figures of speech.

In edicts dealing with various natural disasters, the emperor often assumed responsibility for upsetting the balance of natural forces, explaining this as a lack of imperial te.

When the heavy rains began to fall, Emperor Heizei (774-824, on the throne 806-809) emphasized that he was personally responsible for this [Nihon koki, Daido, 1-8-3 (806)]. When introducing the new motto of the government, the sovereign of Shotoku stated: "We, the unworthy, have taken the precious throne. We do not have the virtue to introduce [the people] to culture, bad things happen often. Diseases often occur, and the harvest does not ripen from year to year. People's property is being damaged, people have nowhere to live - our heart aches "[Shoku nihongi, Tempe jingo, 1 - 1 - 7 (765)]. Sovereign Konin (709 - 781, on the throne 770 - 781)is equally critical of himself:

"The burden on Us is heavy, we step on thin ice, we look into the abyss. At the top, we do not know how to adapt to the times, guessing the wishes of Heaven; at the bottom, we do not know how to feed the people, as they do with children. We are constantly ashamed of the smallness of our virtue; there is no flowering in Our hearts. Every day we wish modesty - we refuse to eat, we wear thin clothes. Although We have proclaimed a law in the country prohibiting the killing of living people, although We have ordered the court to pardon criminals, diseases continue to torment people, natural disasters continue to threaten. We can't find a place for ourselves - our heart has been tormented for so long. But if the Buddha's teaching responds to Our desires, then there will certainly be a limit to suffering, and the calamity will cease immediately. Therefore, we wish to honor the enlightened one [Buddha] and thus get rid of misfortunes "[Shoku nihongi, Hoki, 1 - 7 - 15 (770)].

Examples of this kind, where the emperor took responsibility for a breakdown in the balance of natural forces, can easily be multiplied. At the same time, the sovereign is the only one who can restore the natural balance. But to do this, he needs to constantly keep himself " in a ritual form." The recognition of the sovereign's responsibility for the "normal" course of natural and social processes led to the most detailed regulation of his behavior. These regulations are much larger than those of any of its subjects. In addition to numerous ritual duties, he was required to observe strict prohibitions regarding speech and physical behavior, clothing, food, movement (in case of traveling outside the palace, fortune tellers developed a "safe" route to avoid exposure to adverse forces), etc. The Emperor observes many taboos in order to avoid ritual "contamination", regularly conducts the ritual purifications (misogi).

The fear of desecration was enormous. When the thieves broke into the palace's food warehouse, and the sovereign's guards discovered and surrounded them, because of the approaching enthronement ceremony, the thieves were given the opportunity to escape, because the guards were afraid that the criminals would kill themselves out of desperation and this would affect the integrity of the sovereign [Nihon koki, Daido, 3 - 11 - 4 (808)The discovery of a dead man's head in the vicinity of the palace led to a complete paralysis of the ceremonial activity of the court and the cancellation of many rituals, with the exception of purification rituals. After that, a dog birth occurred on the territory of the palace, which further aggravated the situation (childbirth, both in humans and animals, was considered a source of ritual pollution).

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On another occasion, when the head of a deceased person was found again on the palace grounds, it was necessary to cancel the sending of offerings to the Ise shrine [Mido kampakuki, Kanko, 8 - 1 - 29 - 8 - 3 - 9(1011 G.); Teva 4 - 7 - 27, 4 - 7 - 28 (1015 d.)].

Ritual contamination was thought to be transmitted from person to person. Therefore, contact with the defiled person was restricted, he immediately notified about the contamination and was locked up in the house for a certain period of time by the fortune teller. The Emperor's "Pollution" is broadcast all over the country. That is why he must always be healthy (i.e. ritually clean), and his illness (or even short-term malaise) is the reason for the cancellation of rituals and immediate prayers for recovery. At the time when the equestrian competitions were being held, news came that the Emperor Ichijo had a toothache. The competition was stopped and they waited for the results of divination to find out whether the sovereign's illness was the result of someone's curse or not. Only after they were convinced that the tooth was hurting on its own did the courtiers calm down [Racing, Techo, 1 - 7 - 16 (1000 g.)]. In case of illness, the emperor did not communicate directly with his subjects, being behind a special curtain, because due to his huge potentials, he could spread the contamination to the whole country. Crown Prince Ate (the future Emperor Heizei, 774-824, on the throne 806-809), who had not yet passed the enthronement rituals, claimed that he suddenly felt ill, he was consumed by a heat like boiling water or flames, and the blame for the disasters in the country lies with him alone [Shoku nihongi, Daido, 1-3 - 22 (806)]. In this statement, the connection between the illness of the sovereign and natural disasters is revealed very clearly.

Favorable omens testified to the fact that the sovereign has a significant reserve of virtue. The responsibility for detecting favorable omens lay with the subjects, the sovereign himself did not do this - the initiative to recognize its owner as te had to come from below. Whoever found a lucky omen was entitled to gifts and promotion. Happy omens were considered not only a sign of a righteous sovereign, but also a necessary tool of government. Informing the newly enthroned Emperor Nimma of the discovery of "miraculous clouds" that attested to his virtues, the courtiers showered the emperor with exceptionally lavish praise and begged him to accept their congratulations, reminding him that if you do not praise the happy signs, the sovereign risks being left without loyal subjects [Shoku nihon koki, Dzeva, 1-1 - 17 (834)].

Thus, without the appearance of miraculous clouds, doubts may arise about the legitimacy of the sovereign: The Sky had to express its approval to him. Therefore, at the feast dedicated to the enthronement of Nimme, a whole set of "models" of such miraculous signs was presented (all of them are of Chinese origin). On the two platforms marking the two provinces (determined by divination, in this case Omi and Bittu), which presented (supplied) the rice needed for the enthronement, the ideal country was represented-ideal because it is governed in an ideal way. On one platform, the following composition was built: a mountain (of course, a world mountain), on it aogiri tree (firmiana or sterculia) with two wonderful "phoenixes" (hoo - bird's head, snake's neck, turtle's back, fish's tail, a five-color pattern on the wings), a five-color cloud rose from the tree, hieroglyphs were located above symbols of Omi province, even higher - the sun, and above it - the moon (the sun with the moon-symbols of imperial power, along with the North Star were embroidered on the sovereign's clothes). In front of the mountain were the figures of the ideal subject of Tianlao (close to the Chinese Emperor Huangdi) and the mythological animal kirin (Chinese qilin, "unicorn": the body of a deer, the tail of a bull, on the forehead resembling a wolf, one horn), and behind the mountain-a wonderful bamboo (two roots, shoots from which connect into one trunk). On another platform on the mountain, an aromatic kosyunju tree was installed, above which were five-colored clouds and a "haze" with Bittyu characters.

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On the mountain were installed figures of a celestial maiden with a map, which she presents to the ideal emperor of antiquity Shun, boys who stole sacred peaches from the virgin, a wonderful bird rambo, a unicorn. Below was the figure of a crane, hinting at the longevity of the sovereign [Shoku nihon koki, Tente, 10 - 11 - 16 (833)].

As you can see, the concentration of miraculous symbols per unit of the palace area was huge. The courtiers wanted to see a legitimate, healthy and powerful sovereign on the throne. Apparently, therefore, when the emperor was excessively upset about his lack of virtue, the courtiers could sincerely disbelieve him of this. When, after a long series of earthquakes, the Junna Emperor issued a penitential decree about his official inconsistency, the courtiers convinced him that the sovereign was not always responsible for the natural anomalies that occurred. They argued that when insatiable locusts appear , it is not the fault of the sovereign, and the earthquakes were caused by the negligence of courtiers, their insufficient help to the sovereign. As proof of the virtues of Junn himself, they gave a weighty and truly irresistible argument - after all, a wonderful mushroom recently grew on the territory of the palace [Nihon koki, Tente, 5 - 7 - 29 (828)].

The Emperor is the highest earthly authority that corrects natural phenomena throughout the country. The Japanese emperor is primarily a priest, so he must have the appropriate qualifications. In Japan, there was no fixed order of inheritance. In this regard, after the death of the sovereign, dynastic disputes often arose. This happened after Kammu's death, when there were two candidates for the post of the next emperor. As a result of intrigues and disputes, Prince Ate (Emperor Heizei) became Emperor. The argument of the compilers of the official chronicle, which testified to the correctness of the choice, is indicative. They say that after Kammu's death, fires broke out in the mountains, the sun turned red, and the air became cloudy. And then Prince Ate determined that the reason lay in the poor-quality work of the Astrology Department: when determining the burial place of his father Kamm, fortune-telling on bamboo sticks and on the shell of a turtle brought different data. The diviners chose the wrong result (according to the sticks) and buried the emperor in the "wrong" place, which caused the curse of the spirits of the mountains and fires. Then Prince Ate himself offered prayers, and the fire subsided of its own accord [Shoku nihon koki, Kase, 2 - 2 - 25 (849)); Nihon koki, Enryaku, 16 - 7 - 2; 16 - 7 - 3 (797 G.); Shoku nihongi, Daido, 1 - 3 - 23 (806)], that is, the prince proved that it is he who has magical powers of control over the elements and is therefore worthy of the imperial post.

In the Western and Russian traditions, where the sovereign is mainly a military commander, the motif of " testing the hero "(candidate for ruler) is primarily associated with military valor. In the Japanese tradition, a candidate for a sovereign proved his priestly ability to establish contact with higher powers.

The Emperor's global responsibility for the course of natural affairs does not mean that the officials appointed by him do not bear their share of responsibility. This applies to both the central and local administrative apparatus.

It is the duty of the highest courtiers to inform the sovereign in good time about shortcomings in government, in order to avoid bad natural signs and the punishment of the highest heavenly powers. In the decree of the sovereign Gensho (680-748, on the throne 715-724), it was stated bluntly that last year

"bad omens were revealed one after another: there was a flood and drought, the people fled, the harvest did not ripen, the country was overcome by riots, everyone suffered from this. And finally, Minister Fujiwara [Fujito], who was a model for everyone, died unexpectedly. Our hearts are shaken and filled with sorrow. And now, in the new year, the disasters of last year are still going on, the wind and clouds are not the same as usual. Our heart is filled with fear, we know no rest day or night. It says in the old books: "If the government is not good. Heaven and earth send warning signs of evil." If there is something wrong [in the management],-

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it's a mess." Further, the empress lashes out at her courtiers and accuses them: "Your ranks are high, your positions are responsible. Why don't you have enough loyalty? If there is anything wrong with the management, you should speak about it without hesitation. Report honestly, without hiding anything. And We will study those reports favorably." After listening to the command, the dignitaries left and ordered their departments to submit memos " [Shoku nihongi, Epo, 5 - 2 - 17 (721)].

The emperor of Semu (701-756, on the throne 724-749), whose reign was marked by great political instability, also argued that it was not he who was to blame for natural disasters, but an unfit official apparatus:

"Recently, the heavenly punishments don't know the end, natural disasters happen one after another. We hear: "Management goes against the annual cycle, people's hearts are full of sadness. Heaven and earth send warnings, and portents of danger appear." Aren't We spreading virtue? Is there any neglect in Us? Or, perhaps, the officials do not show zeal in their affairs? We live beyond the nine Gates, and we don't know much. We order the heads of departments to draw up lists of officials under their jurisdiction who are devoted to their affairs with a pure heart and serve without blemish, as well as lists of those whose hearts are filled with dirty lies, and submit these lists to Us. The one who is good will be promoted, the one who is bad will be demoted according to his province. Obey Our command without hiding anything "[Shoku nihongi, Jingi, 4 - 2 - 21 (727)].

As for the local level, the responsibility for the disorder of the natural organism could be assigned to the provincial governors. Thus, Emperor Saga stated that in the provinces of the Kinai, Omi and Tamba districts, droughts have often occurred recently with the complete ritual connivance of the governors of these provinces. In this regard, they are instructed that in the event of a drought, they should certainly perform a cleansing ceremony and then pray for rain. If the rain still does not fall, then they are required to submit a report on the ineffectiveness of their ritual actions [Nihon koki, Konin, 5 - 7 - 25 (814)]. It was probably assumed that only after this should measures be taken at a higher ritual level. Apparently, the provincial governors obeyed the sovereign's order and began to pray for an end to droughts, but the idea of offering prayers for an end to heavy rains without additional reminders did not seem to occur to them on their own. Therefore, two years later, the Saga had to issue a new decree-now about the need to pray for an end to the rains. This decree was again addressed to the provincial governors [Nihon Koki, Konin, 7 - 7 - 20 (816)].

Thus, there was a distribution (fragmentation) of ritual powers and responsibilities, their partial transfer to the lower level of management. However, the actions of individual subjects could only have local consequences. Natural disaster (or happiness) awaited the entire country only in the case of appropriate actions or qualities of the emperor himself.

The Emperor is the intermediary between the affairs of heaven and those of earth. For the Emperor himself, the Sky presented itself as a model that he was obliged to follow. In the decree of the sovereign of the Saga, timed to coincide with the winter solstice, it was said: the grace of the divine forces is boundless, it regulates the relationship between yin and yang, gives life and joy to ten thousand beings. Now is the day when the turning point from cold to warm is taking place, and is it possible for one ruler to enjoy this joy? Therefore, an amnesty was declared in the Middle Kingdom. After the Empress Koken (718-770, on the throne 749-758) was presented with a white pheasant, she reduced taxes and distributed ranks, explaining that "when a happy omen appears, you should definitely do a good deed" [Nihon koki, Konin, 13 - 11 - 1 (822); Secu nihongi, jingo keyun, 2 - 6 - 21 (768)].

In this way, the emperor acted like Heaven: he showed humanity to his subjects, as Heaven shows mercy to all creatures on Earth,

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including the person. This grace is a manifestation of" humanity", without which it is impossible to speak of a righteous sovereign.

Heaven sends both unfavorable and happy omens. If the latter were discovered, the courtiers would praise the Emperor. The sky responds to the affairs of the sovereign, the sovereign responds to the signs sent by Heaven. When Nebo was the emperor, the emperor thanked him and held appropriate social events. This was their dialogue. When the "miraculous clouds" were discovered, Emperor Nimme responded with a large-scale promotion in ranks, provided material assistance to the poor and the elderly [Sekou nikoi koki, Jeva, 1 - 10 - 2 (834)]. In this case, the emperor transformed the signal sent to him by Heaven into "humanity" aimed at his own salvation. subjects. When, after making offerings to Shinto deities for the purpose of sending down rain, a thunderclap suddenly rang out at night, giving hope for the long-awaited rain, gifts were urgently given to the palace guards [Shoku iihon koki, Jeva, 6 - 3 - 29 (839)]. Apparently, because other subjects, due to the lateness of the hour, are already in the palace. none were found, and the emperor's favor should be shown immediately-so that Heaven would not be disappointed in the sovereign and his humanity.

The Emperor is an earthly likeness of the Sky, which acts as a standard for the sovereign. The Junna Emperor was praising the heavens and the Earth for bringing rain in due course. Therefore, he, the emperor, followed this pattern, also showed mercy to his subjects. In the summer, Junna announced measures befitting the time of year: he gave rice to monks and the elderly, assigned ranks to certain categories of officials, and ordered plaques of praise to be placed in front of the homes of children who honored their parents, child-loving parents, and exemplary husbands and wives. These signs also serve as a certificate of lifelong exemption from military service [Nihon koki, Konin, 14 - 5 - 20 (823)].

The emperor carefully monitored the slightest weather changes and reacted to them. When it snowed in the capital, he gave his subjects (courtiers) warm clothes. In case of particularly severe cold weather, he issued a special order to issue sake [Nihon koki, Tente, 7 - 11 - 18 (830)]. It is unlikely that the courtiers surrounding the sovereign lacked clothing and alcohol, they were certainly more "warmed" by the care of the sovereign, who implemented his function of protecting his subjects at all levels from extreme environmental events. The same category of Heaven-pleasing affairs included the voluntary reduction of personal expenses by the emperor and the nobility, and the refusal of part of the allowance (these measures were taken in the event of an outbreak of famine in the country). Thus, all " practical "measures of caring for subjects (including providing material assistance, easing taxes, etc.) should be largely recognized as ritual, since they were considered a manifestation of the ruler's" humanity", which Heaven treats positively.

The earthly activity of the sovereign is designed to ensure the favor of Heaven. It was the Sky that acted as the final addressee in the activities of the sovereign. This explains a certain "illogicality" of his actions. Thus, the Emperor Shomu twice complained that many criminals had recently been divorced, but instead of increasing the penalties, he declared an amnesty [Shoku nihongi, Tempe, 17 - 9 - 17 (745), Tempe, 20 - 3 - 8 (748)], for he hoped that Heaven will appreciate his humanity, act on the criminals itself, re-educate them, and prevent future crimes. Shōmu's daughter, Empress Koken, did the same as her father [Shoku nihongi, Tempe seho, 5 - 4 - 15 (753)].

The sky is not only a standard, it is also a "mirror" in which you can see the earthly situation, which is not visible from the ground. By sending signs and omens, the Sky gives signs addressed to the ruler. He must give them the correct interpretation. Understanding the world order, in which human behavior reflects the moods of the heavenly forces, dictated the need for monitoring the heavenly and earthly spheres. To be on time

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to feel the mood of the Sky, it was necessary to carefully monitor natural phenomena.

Not a single natural anomaly should have gone unnoticed, since it indicated the" mood " of the Sky, and required measures to correct deficiencies in management. And here the emperor's subjects came to his aid. Therefore, the decree of the Empress Gensho stated: "We wish that civil and military officials would report honestly and faithfully about the deviations in rainfall, thunderstorms and earthquakes that they noticed" [Shoku nihongi, Epo, 5 - 1 - 27 (721 A.D.)]. And so they did-including the highest-ranking individuals. Six days after Fujiwara Mitinaga counted "five to six" thunderclaps, it was decided to make offerings to the main Shinto shrines [Mido kampakuki, Kanko, 6 - 12 - 6, 6 - 12 - 12 (1009 G.)]. Each official tried as best he could, but bureaucratic procedures did not work. we kept up with nature. There were cases when the prolonged rains ended, and the sovereign's envoys only went to the sanctuaries to perform prayers [Mido kampakuki, Kanko, 6 - 8 - 18 (1009)].

The correlation between the emperor's virtue and the state of natural forces had the character of an axiom. Subjects were required to report information about natural anomalies to the sovereign, but these were reports "for official (imperial) use." Public reference to the unfavorable state of natural forces was equated with criticism of the regime and was subject to prosecution. So, a minor official named Ootomo no Sukune Kamitari was found guilty of distributing an essay where he wrote about ten cases of natural disasters. For this, he was immediately demoted and sent to serve on the remote island of Tane. The informer, his younger brother Kamitari, was promoted [Shoku nihongi, Tempe hoji, 1 - 5 - 9 (757)]. Thus, it was possible and necessary to report natural disasters to the Emperor, but other addressees were not recognized as legitimate.

All officials observed nature, which was reflected in their diaries, which they were required to keep. In these diaries there was (almost) nothing personal - only official affairs and the state of nature. However, the main responsibility for recording and interpreting celestial and terrestrial natural phenomena (the position and condition of the sun, moon, stars and comets, meteorites, hail, thunderstorms, snowfall, rain, hurricane, earthquakes, etc.) was assigned to the Astrology Department (literally, "yin and yang department", Ommere), which reported in secret about anomalies to the emperor. The Department did not make decisions on how to respond to natural anomalies. The decision was always made by the emperor himself. Experts from Ommere only "read" natural signs. Only the high priest, i.e., the Emperor, had the right to address the higher powers. So, if the divination performed by the Ommere staff indicated that a flood or disease would occur in a given year,it was the emperor who ordered preemptive prayers.

Ommere officials were rewarded for their faithful weather service. For accurately predicting the end of heavy rains, the employee was awarded a premium-silk and linen. Other employees of this department went to two mountains the next day (there were landslides due to heavy rains, houses were destroyed) to offer prayers and calm local deities (it is not known whether they received a bonus). The role of the Astrology Department in political life was also great: to maintain the authority of the authorities (or the pretender to power) they were able to detect a lucky omen "in time".

The sovereign also controlled natural forces through a" magical network " of Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. The Engisiki ("Internal instructions for the years of Engi", compiled in 927, put into effect in 967) contains a list of sanctuaries (more than 3000) that received state support. Shrines were required to perform annual cycle rituals, as well as an extraordinary-

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public prayers by order of the central authorities. The list of sanctuaries was the fruit of a long process to identify those gods whose activities were recognized as effective and useful from the point of view of ensuring the "natural security" of the state. The chronicles contain a large number of reports about the assignment of deities to ranks. These were the same ranks as the officials. Thus, it was believed that the gods and their priests were in the public service and received the necessary rank allowance, including land allotment.

State sanctuaries existed in all provinces of the country. An example of assigning a shrine a rank in recognition of its effectiveness is the Kawarumine Shrine in Tagawa County, Buzen Province, Kyushu. According to the report, this sanctuary is located on top of a treeless mountain. However, after the Buddhist preacher Saito (767-822) prayed on it for the safe journey of the Japanese embassy to China and built a Buddhist temple at the foot of the mountain, the mountain became overgrown with grass and forest. Prayers to a local Shinto deity for rain and the cessation of diseases coincided with the gathering of a rich harvest in Tagawa, and the deity was recognized as beneficent. In this regard, the local authorities asked to include the sanctuary in the state list, and their request was granted.

The history of assigning a rank to another sanctuary is as follows. When a fire broke out near the Inaba provincial headquarters and the wind spread the fire to the government complex, local officials began to pray to the local deity Ube, and the wind immediately stopped and the fire subsided. In this regard, the deity was awarded the lower degree of the 5th junior rank [Shoku nihon koki, Jeva, 4 - 12 - 11 (837); Kase, 1 - 7 - 27 (848)].

Displeasure and retribution could be attributed to deities if they failed to attain rank. The deity Ava, according to legend, sent a terrible fire to the island where it lived. He was granted the lower degree of the 5th junior rank in the most urgent manner, because the deity promised that, if his demand was met, the province, county, and the entire Celestial Empire would be provided with peace and rich harvests [Shoku nihon koki, Jeva, 7 - 9 - 23; 7 - 10 - 14 (839 city ofTwo deities from Izu province also acted in a similar way: divination conducted in the palace showed that they were the ones who caused the drought. Then the provincial leadership immediately filed a petition to assign the status of "famous" to these deities, arguing that the deities had already demonstrated their potencies in the past.: they destroyed the rock that blocked the passage to the valley, which made it possible to develop the economic development of this valley [Nihon koki, Tente, 9 - 5 - 19; 9 - 5 - 22 (832 d.)].

Since the influence and "scope" of Shinto deities is limited in space (there is no omnipotent monotheistic deity), there was a need for a network of state shrines to cover the entire country - only in this case could favorable weather conditions and a rich harvest be ensured throughout the country, which was ensured by the observance of both the annual cycle and the annual cycle. and emergency services.

The same logic applied to Buddhist temples. State Buddhist monasteries (male and female, kokubunji), endowed with similar functions, existed in each province. They began to be created by decree of 741. As the influence of Buddhism on the way of life increased, the list of state-owned Buddhist temples (Jogakuji) that received state support was constantly updated. There could be several such temples in the province. Assistance to churches was subject to certain conditions that were known to the applicants. The petition to the highest name to recognize the Jinganji temple as a state temple contained a promise to put it in order and organize the reading of sutras there, ensuring the protection of the state, pacifying the elements of rain and wind, and obtaining a rich harvest. The Junna Emperor responded to the request with his consent and immediately-

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but he granted the temple 20 te (1 te = 0.9918 ha) of waterfields for a period of two generations. If all the promises contained in the petition are fulfilled, the use of these fields was allowed to be extended for another two generations [Nihon koki, Tente, 1 - 9 - 27 (824)].

Among all the types of natural disasters in ancient Japan, the most practical concern for the population was caused by summer droughts and heavy rains (the irrigation system that mitigated their consequences was still insufficiently developed). The chronicles are full of reports of various magical means designed to affect the rain balance. Moreover, measures against drought and against heavy rains can be separated by a very short period of time. When, after persistent prayers, the rain of grace began to fall, it immediately turned into its opposite, and after only four days, massive prayers had to be held to stop the downpour [Shoku nihon koki, Jeva, 1 - 7 - 8, 1 - 7 - 13 (834 G.)]. To avoid such overlays, the emperor in one in the same decree, he ordered the famous mountains to be prayed for rain, and at the same time ordered prayers in "famous" Shinto shrines so that the coming rains would not be too prolonged and damage the crops [Shoku nihon koki, Jeva, 4 - 6 - 28 (837))]. In another decree, the emperor complained about the drought, ordered to pray in shrines for rain and at the same time for deliverance from the disasters caused by the wind, which by default will accompany these rains [Shoku nihon koki, Jeva, 7 - 4 - 25 (840)]. A complete form of guidance (decree) intended for all "rain cases", looks like this:

"In the five provinces of Kinai and in the seven districts, we command you to make offerings to famous deities, and in all shrines to pray for good rain. If the rains are too heavy and cause harm, then you should pray for the rain to stop - in the same order as in the first case "[Shoku nihon koki, Jeva, 12 - 5 - 10 (845)].

Among natural disasters, droughts and rains are the most frequent and routine objects of ritual influence. Unlike the continental climate, Japan's monsoon climate is characterized by much less variability depending on a particular year, which significantly facilitated weather "forecasts". Apparently, this gave good reasons to believe that ritual measures of influencing the weather bring the desired effect and awareness that the weather (water and temperature regimes) is under control. Perhaps there are so many reports of rains and droughts in the chronicles, not only because they actually happened, but also because they were a predictable object of influence and gave the emperor the opportunity to fully manifest his function as the lord of the elements.

Among other natural phenomena, the imperial court was most concerned about earthquakes. But not so much because they caused great damage (in a small urban area, the damage usually turned out to be insignificant), but because earthquakes were considered a sign indicating serious flaws in the government and future disasters that threatened the imperial house directly.4 All Japanese officials knew this law, formulated by Chinese political philosophy. The statesman and scholar of literature Sugawara Michizane (845-903) even got the topic "earthquakes"when passing the exam for the position. In a positively evaluated examination essay, he wrote that the Sky is the purest mirror that sends earthquakes to notify the ruler of its dissatisfaction with his unrighteousness [Kanke bunso, 1966, p. 551].

Chronicle data show that earthquakes can indicate the following "anomalies" in the affairs of government: natural death of a former emperor; violent death (causing damage to) a member of the imperial house; illness of an active member of the imperial family.-

4 For more information, see [Meshcheryakov, 2010].

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political tensions and instability. Earthquakes act as a bad omen and a warning that something extremely undesirable for the imperial house will happen in the near future. The subjects seem to have used the Emperor's fear of earthquakes as a strong argument for achieving their goals. A report from Mutsu Province reported on the poor state of affairs in that province. The focus is on the unfavorable position of the stars and the frequent earthquakes that have occurred recently. In this regard, the authors of the note ask for an increase in the military contingent in Mutsu, because otherwise they will not be able to pacify the local Emishi tribes. The request was granted [Shoku nihon koki, Jeva, 6 - 4 - 26 (739)].

* * *

After the Chinese, the Japanese emperor was considered a guarantee that things were going well in the country. This applies not only to society, but also to nature. Natural disasters occurred regularly and required a response. Methods of harmonizing and controlling the natural elements, methods of overcoming the consequences of natural disasters were both practical and ritual in nature. In the first case, an imperial decree was announced on the provision of material assistance from the state, on easing taxes, granting loans, improving agricultural facilities, voluntary redistribution of water in the interests of the poor, etc.Such assistance testified to the "humanity" of the sovereign, which was kind to Heaven. The desire of the sovereign to earn the approval of Heaven made the ancient Japanese state largely socially oriented.

list of literature

Kobzev A. I. Te and its correlative categories in Chinese classical philosophy // From Magic Power to Moral Imperative: the Category of de in Chinese culture, Moscow: Vostochnaya Literatura, 1998.
Meshcheryakov A. N. Japanese Emperor and Russian Tsar. Element Base, Moscow: Natalis-Ripol Classic Publ., 2004.
Meshcheryakov A. N. The Ancient Japanese State of the eighth century and natural disasters: ritual and practical forms of control // Meshcheryakov A. N. Japan in the embrace of space and time, Moscow: Natalis, 2010.
Racing - Fujiwara Yukinari. Races. Tokyo: Kodansha Publ., 2012.

Kanke bunso. Kanke gosyu / / Nihon koten bungaku taikei. Tokyo: Iwanami Publ., 1966.

Mido kampakuki as Fujiwara Mitinaga. Mido kampakuki. Tokyo: Kodansha Publ., 2009.

Nihon koki. Tokyo: Xueisha Publ., 2003.

Shoku nihongi. Tokyo: Iwanami Publ., 1989.

Shoku nihon koki. Tokyo: Kodansha Publ., 1995.

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