Gwalleuk was a Korean
Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
monk from the kingdom of
Baekje
Baekje or Paekche (, ) was a Korean kingdom located in southwestern Korea from 18 BC to 660 AD. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla.
Baekje was founded by Onjo, the third son of Goguryeo's founder Jum ...
who lived during the time of
King Wideok. In 602, he travelled to
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
and is known for helping to spread the teachings of Taoism and Buddhism to Japan. In particular, he brought over
''fangshu'' texts related to the likes of
geomancy
Geomancy (Greek: γεωμαντεία, "earth divination") is a method of divination that interprets markings on the ground or the patterns formed by tossed handfuls of soil, rocks, or sand. The most prevalent form of divinatory geomancy invo ...
and ''
onmyōdō
is a system of natural science, astronomy, almanac, divination and Magic (supernatural), magic that developed independently in Japan based on the Chinese philosophies of yin and yang and Wuxing (Chinese philosophy), wuxing (five elements). The p ...
'' (
yinyang
Yin and yang ( and ) is a Chinese philosophical concept that describes opposite but interconnected forces. In Chinese cosmology, the universe creates itself out of a primary chaos of material energy, organized into the cycles of yin and ya ...
-based
sorcery
Sorcery may refer to:
* Magic (supernatural), the application of beliefs, rituals or actions employed to subdue or manipulate natural or supernatural beings and forces
** Witchcraft, the practice of magical skills and abilities
* Magic in fiction, ...
and
divination
Divination (from Latin ''divinare'', 'to foresee, to foretell, to predict, to prophesy') is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic, standardized process or ritual. Used in various forms throughout histor ...
),
as well as a
calendar
A calendar is a system of organizing days. This is done by giving names to periods of time, typically days, weeks, months and years. A date is the designation of a single and specific day within such a system. A calendar is also a physi ...
, according to the
Nihon Shoki. In 624, he was made a high priest (僧正 ''sōjō''), possibly of
Gangō-ji
is an ancient Buddhist temple, that was once one of the powerful Seven Great Temples, in Nara, Japan.
History
The original foundation of the temple was by Soga no Umako in Asuka, as Asuka-dera. The temple was moved to Nara in 718, following t ...
, for the rest of his life.
He is mentioned several times in Buddhist records in Japan, where he was known as ''Kanroku'', the Japanese reading of his name.
Kōjien
is a single-volume Japanese dictionary first published by Iwanami Shoten in 1955. It is widely regarded as the most authoritative dictionary of Japanese, and newspaper editorials frequently cite its definitions. As of 2007, it had sold 11 mil ...
entry for ''Kanroku'' (觀勒)
Asteroid
The asteroid
4963 Kanroku discovered on 18 February 1977 by
Hiroki Kosai
is a Japanese astronomer with the Kiso Observatory. He is best known for helping to popularize astronomy in Japan and for his observations of comets and asteroids, most notably with his co-discovery the comet 1976 XVI. He is credited by the M ...
and
Kiichirō Furukawa
『新訂 現代日本人名録94 4. ひろ - わ』、247頁 was a Japanese astronomer and discoverer of minor planets at the Tokyo Astronomical Observatory. Furukawa was also associated with Nagoya University Department of Astrophysics.
Awa ...
of the Tokyo Astronomical Observatory was named after him.
References
See also
*
List of Baekje-related topics
Articles about Baekje-related people, places, things, and concepts include:
A
* Abe no Hirafu
* Ajikgi
* Asin of Baekje
B
* Baekje
* Battle of Baekgang
* Battle of Hwangsanbeol
* Beop of Baekje
* Biryu of Baekje
* Biyu of Baekje
* Gwisil Boks ...
*
Korean Buddhism
Korean Buddhism is distinguished from other forms of Buddhism by its attempt to resolve what its early practitioners saw as inconsistencies within the Mahayana Buddhist traditions that they received from foreign countries. To address this, the ...
*
Three Kingdoms of Korea
Samhan or the Three Kingdoms of Korea () refers to the three kingdoms of Goguryeo (고구려, 高句麗), Baekje (백제, 百濟), and Silla (신라, 新羅). Goguryeo was later known as Goryeo (고려, 高麗), from which the modern name ''Kor ...
Baekje people
6th-century births
Baekje Buddhist monks
Asuka period Buddhist clergy
Korean Buddhist missionaries
7th-century deaths
Onmyōdō
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