Hyeja (

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

: ) was the first priest who came across the sea from

Goguryeo Goguryeo (37 BC–668 AD) ( ) also called Goryeo (), was a Korean kingdom located in the northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula and the southern and central parts of Northeast China. At its peak of power, Goguryeo controlled most ...

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 ...

in the

Asuka period The was a period in the history of Japan lasting from 538 to 710 (or 592 to 645), although its beginning could be said to overlap with the preceding Kofun period. The Yamato polity evolved greatly during the Asuka period, which is named after t ...

, 595. He was a tutor of Buddhism to

Shōtoku Taishi Shōtoku may refer to: * Prince Shōtoku (574-622), a politician of the Asuka period * Empress Kōken, or Empress Shōtoku (718-770), the 48th imperial ruler of Japan * Shōtoku (era) was a after ''Hōei'' and before '' Kyōhō.'' This period ...

. He propagated Buddhism in Japan. He lived at Hōkō-ji (法興寺 Hōkō temple), currently Ango-in (安居院) or Asuka-dera (飛鳥寺 Asuka temple), with priest Esō who came from

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 ...

. They were called "Sanpō no Tōryō" (三宝の棟梁 The leader of three treasures). In 615, he went back to the home country,

, with an annotated book of the Buddhist scriptures, which was written by Shōtoku Taishi.Hyeja - Naver Encyclopedia
/ref> He heard the news that Shōtoku Taishi died on February 22, 622. He grieved very much and took an oath of meeting Shōtoku Taishi again in the

Pure Land A pure land is the celestial realm of a buddha or bodhisattva in Mahayana Buddhism. The term "pure land" is particular to East Asian Buddhism () and related traditions; in Sanskrit the equivalent concept is called a buddha-field (Sanskrit ). Th ...

(浄土 celestial realm) on the same day of next year. He achieved an oath.'' Nihon Shoki'', volumes 22, Story of Suiko. ''

References

Korean Buddhist missionaries Goguryeo Buddhist monks Year of birth unknown 623 deaths Asuka period Buddhist clergy {{Korea-reli-bio-stub