Gyoki
Encyclopedia
was a Japan
ese Buddhist priest of the Nara period
, born in Ōtori county, Kawachi Province
(present day Sakai
, Osaka
), to family of Korean Baekje
descent. Gyōki became a monk at Asuka-dera
temple in Nara at the age of 15, and studied under master Dōshō as one of his first pupils. Gyōki studied Yogacara
(唯識), a core doctrine of Hosso, at Yakushi-ji
. In 704, he returned to his birthplace to make his home into a temple, then started to travel around Japan to preach for commoners and help the poor. He formed a volunteer group to help the poor mainly in the Kansai region, building 49 monasteries and nunneries that also functioned as hospitals for the poor. Gyōki and his followers roamed the countryside, teaching common people about Buddhism, building temples that were more like community centers, and organizing irrigation and other public works projects to help the poor. Since regulations at the time strictly prohibited activities by priests outside their monastic compounds, his travelling around the country made him a non-official, private priest (i.e. not registered through the ). Gyōki and his followers were persecuted by the government, although Gyōki's popularity and administrative skill in public works later earned him a pardon from the government. Gyōki was later recognized, and in 745 became the first priest who was given the rank of Daisōjō
.
During the construction of Tōdai-ji
, the government recruited Gyōki and his fellow ubasoku monks to organize labor and resources from the countryside. He contributed to building of Tōdai-ji and also built several ponds. He died on February 2, 749 at the age of 80 and was buried at Chikurin-ji
, now in Ikoma, Nara
. The Imperial Court in Kyoto
posthumously granted him the title of Bosatsu
in 751, so in Japan he is often referred to as Gyōki Bosatsu.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese Buddhist priest of the Nara period
Nara period
The of the history of Japan covers the years from AD 710 to 794. Empress Gemmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō . Except for 5 years , when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the capital of Japanese civilization until Emperor Kammu established a new capital, Nagaoka-kyō, in 784...
, born in Ōtori county, Kawachi Province
Kawachi Province
was a province of Japan in the eastern part of modern Osaka Prefecture. It originally held the southwestern area that was split off into Izumi Province...
(present day Sakai
Sakai, Osaka
is a city in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. It has been one of the largest and most important seaports of Japan since the Medieval era.Following the February 2005 annexation of the town of Mihara, from Minamikawachi District, the city has grown further and is now the fourteenth most populous city in...
, Osaka
Osaka Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the Kansai region on Honshū, the main island of Japan. The capital is the city of Osaka. It is the center of Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto area.- History :...
), to family of Korean Baekje
Baekje
Baekje or Paekche was a kingdom located in southwest Korea. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla....
descent. Gyōki became a monk at Asuka-dera
Asuka-dera
', also known as ', is a Buddhist temple in Asuka, Nara. Asuka-dera is regarded as one of the oldest in Japan.-Temple complex:A number of records refer to the origin of the temple, such as the Nihongi and Fusō-ryakuki...
temple in Nara at the age of 15, and studied under master Dōshō as one of his first pupils. Gyōki studied Yogacara
Yogacara
Yogācāra is an influential school of Buddhist philosophy and psychology emphasizing phenomenology and ontology through the interior lens of meditative and yogic practices. It developed within Indian Mahāyāna Buddhism in about the 4th century CE...
(唯識), a core doctrine of Hosso, at Yakushi-ji
Yakushi-ji
is one of the most famous imperial and ancient Buddhist temples in Japan, located in Nara. The temple is the headquarters of the Hossō school of Japanese Buddhism...
. In 704, he returned to his birthplace to make his home into a temple, then started to travel around Japan to preach for commoners and help the poor. He formed a volunteer group to help the poor mainly in the Kansai region, building 49 monasteries and nunneries that also functioned as hospitals for the poor. Gyōki and his followers roamed the countryside, teaching common people about Buddhism, building temples that were more like community centers, and organizing irrigation and other public works projects to help the poor. Since regulations at the time strictly prohibited activities by priests outside their monastic compounds, his travelling around the country made him a non-official, private priest (i.e. not registered through the ). Gyōki and his followers were persecuted by the government, although Gyōki's popularity and administrative skill in public works later earned him a pardon from the government. Gyōki was later recognized, and in 745 became the first priest who was given the rank of Daisōjō
Sokan
અThis is an article on Buddhist rankings. For the artist, see Yamazaki Sōkan.Sōkan is the Japanese system of rankings for Buddhist clergy. There are three ranks comprising ten categories or levels, followed by a series of titles known collectively as sōi...
.
During the construction of Tōdai-ji
Todai-ji
, is a Buddhist temple complex located in the city of Nara, Japan. Its Great Buddha Hall , the largest wooden building in the world, houses the world's largest bronze statue of the Buddha Vairocana, known in Japanese simply as Daibutsu . The temple also serves as the Japanese headquarters of the ...
, the government recruited Gyōki and his fellow ubasoku monks to organize labor and resources from the countryside. He contributed to building of Tōdai-ji and also built several ponds. He died on February 2, 749 at the age of 80 and was buried at Chikurin-ji
Chikurin-ji
thumb|250px|Tomb of Gyokithumb|250px|Old Main HallChikurin-ji is a Buddhist temple, in Ikoma, Nara, Japan.-History:This temple is said to be established by a famous Japanese monk Gyoki in the 8th century, and well-known as a place where Gyoki himself was buried. Actually his silver urn with his...
, now in Ikoma, Nara
Ikoma, Nara
is a city located in the north-west end of Nara Prefecture, Japan.As of June 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 120,304, with 46,989 households and the density of 2,262.20 persons per km², and it is the third biggest population in the prefecture...
. The Imperial Court in Kyoto
Imperial Court in Kyoto
thumb|left|350px|Front view of Kyoto imperial palaceImperial Court in Kyoto was the nominal ruling government of Japan from 794 AD until the Meiji Era, in which the court was moved to Tokyo and integrated into the Meiji government....
posthumously granted him the title of Bosatsu
Bodhisattva
In Buddhism, a bodhisattva is either an enlightened existence or an enlightenment-being or, given the variant Sanskrit spelling satva rather than sattva, "heroic-minded one for enlightenment ." The Pali term has sometimes been translated as "wisdom-being," although in modern publications, and...
in 751, so in Japan he is often referred to as Gyōki Bosatsu.
Further reading
- De, Bary, and Yoshiko Dykstra. Sources of Japanese Tradition. New York: Columbia University Press, 2001.
- Nakamura, Kyoko. Miraculous Stories from the Japanese Buddhist Tradition. Surrey: Curzon, 1997.
External links
- Japanese Buddhism: A Historical Overview Aizu History Project