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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 ...

rankings. For the artist, see Yamazaki Sōkan.'' ''Sōkan'' (僧官) is the

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 ...

system of rankings for Buddhist

clergy Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

. There are three ranks, collectively known as Sōgō (僧綱), comprising ten categories or levels, followed by a series of titles known collectively as ''sōi'' (僧位). Each of the three ranks is known by an abridged form;

monks A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedicat ...

or priests are often referred to by their rank, rather than their specific title. The first rank, ''sōjo'', consists of three levels: *''Dai-sōjō'' (大僧正) *''Sōjō'' (僧正) *''Gon-sōjo'' (権僧正) The second rank, ''sōzu'', has four levels: *''Dai-sōzu'' (大僧都) *''Gon-dai-sōzu'' (権大僧都) *''Shō-sōzu'' (小僧都) *''Gon-shō-sōzu'' (権小僧都) The third rank, ''risshi'', contains three levels: *''Dai-risshi'' (大律師) *''Chū-risshi'' (中律師) *''Gon-risshi'' (権律師) Those monks could then earn the following titles, known as ''sōi'': *''Hōin'' (法印) - Seal of the Law for the sōjo rank *''Hōgen'' (法現) - Eye of the Law for the sōzu rank *''Hōkyō'' (法橋) - Bridge of the Law for the risshi rank

References

*Frederic, Louis (2002). "Japan Encyclopedia." Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. Buddhism in Japan Buddhism in Silla {{Japan-reli-stub