was a
Japanese monk of the
Hossō sect of
Buddhism and a prominent political figure in the
Nara period.
Early life
Dōkyō was born in
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. It was also known as .
Geography
The area was radically different in the past, with Kawachi ...
. His family, the Yuge no Muraji, were part of the provincial gentry. He was taught both by a Confucian teacher and by the Abbot Gien of the
Eihei-ji. Under Gien he learned Sanskrit. Subsequently, Dōkyō lived as an ascetic for several years in the
Kongō Range on
Honshu, where he practiced meditation and
sutra
''Sutra'' ( sa, सूत्र, translit=sūtra, translit-std=IAST, translation=string, thread)Monier Williams, ''Sanskrit English Dictionary'', Oxford University Press, Entry fo''sutra'' page 1241 in Indian literary traditions refers to an aph ...
s; both of these practices were concerned with the acquisition of magical powers. In 748 he is recorded as being at the
Todai-ji under Rōben, and in 749 he participated in a
sutra
''Sutra'' ( sa, सूत्र, translit=sūtra, translit-std=IAST, translation=string, thread)Monier Williams, ''Sanskrit English Dictionary'', Oxford University Press, Entry fo''sutra'' page 1241 in Indian literary traditions refers to an aph ...
copying ceremony in
Nara, and was called to
Kōken's court three years later.
[Shively, Donald H. and William H. McCullough. (1999)]
''The Cambridge History of Japan'', p. 453
Rise to power
When Dōkyō cured the illness of Kōken in 761, after she had abdicated in 758, he attained a secure and influential place in her court; she initially regarded him as her healer and spiritual adviser, before turning to him for political advice as well. According to some accounts, he also became her lover. When
Emperor Junnin attempted to remonstrate her over this latter issue, she rebuffed him and granted Dōkyō greater powers and authority. She appointed him ''shōsōzu'' (vice-rector)
[
Dōkyō](_blank)
/ref> in 763. Fujiwara no Nakamaro, a favorite of the Junnin and Chancellor, was angered by this decision but failed in his attempt to oppose Dōkyō - he was exiled. When Kōken returned to the throne as Empress Shōtoku following Fujiwara no Nakamaro's unsuccessful rebellion, Dōkyō was made daijō-daijin within a year, giving him authority over both civil and religious affairs.Usa Shrine
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territor ...
in Buzen Province
was an old province of Japan in northern Kyūshū in the area of Fukuoka Prefecture and Ōita Prefecture. It was sometimes called , with Bungo Province. Buzen bordered on Bungo and Chikuzen Provinces.
History
The ruins of the ancient capital ...
to predict peace in Japan if Dōkyō were named emperor. This angered the ruling class, including the powerful Fujiwara clan. Hence, a second oracle was brought to Kyoto by Wake no Kiyomaro
was a high-ranking Japanese official during the Nara period. He was born in Bizen Province (now Wake, Okayama) to a family of politically important, devoted Buddhists who hoped to keep Buddhism and politics separate through religious reform. He b ...
.[Bender, Ross]
"The Hachiman Cult and the Dōkyō Incident"
''Monumenta Nipponica'', Vol. 34, Issue 2, p. 125; retrieved 2013-1-9. It stated:
Since the establishment of our state, the distinction between lord and subject has been fixed. Never has there been an occasion when a subject was made lord. The throne of the Heavenly Sun Succession shall be given to one of the imperial lineage; wicked persons should immediately be swept away.
In response to the second oracle, Dōkyō had Wake no Kiyomaro sent into exile in Ōsumi Province.
Policies during ascendancy
During this period, the height of his political power and influence, Dōkyō built a temple in Yao, Osaka. It was sponsored by Shōtoku. Its foundations were discovered by archaeologists in 2017.
Fall from power and death
When the empress died in 770, Dōkyō was stripped of his titles and banished from Nara, sent to Shimotsuke Province; the Fujiwara clan reasserted its authority over both the monastic institutions and the broader political landscape.
See also
* Genbō
was a Japanese scholar-monk and bureaucrat of the Imperial Court at Nara. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Gembō" in . He is best known as a leader of the Hossō sect of Buddhism and as the adversary of Fujiwara no Hirotsugu.
Career
In 7 ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dokyo
700 births
772 deaths
Japanese Buddhist clergy
Nara period Buddhist clergy
People from Yao, Osaka
People of Nara-period Japan