was a Japanese monk who rose to power through the favor of Empress Kōken (Empress Shōtoku) and became a ''Daijō-daijin Zenji'', the rank set up for him, and later became a ''Hōō'', the highest rank of the religious world. He served Ryoben at

Tōdai-ji is a Buddhist temple complex that was once one of the powerful Nanto Shichi Daiji, Seven Great Temples, located in the city of Nara, Nara, Nara, Japan. The construction of the temple was an attempt to imitate Chinese temples from the much-admir ...

. He was favored by retired empress Kōken for nursing her and healing her illness. After the Fujiwara no Nakamaro Rebellion, Kōken came to the throne again as Empress Shōtoku, and Dōkyō became ''Daijō-daijin'' and then ''Hōō'', and wielded great power. He also attempted to take advantage of the oracle of Usa Hachiman to assume the position of emperor, but was blocked by Wake no Kiyomaro. He lost his position after the death of Empress Shōtoku and was sent to Shimotsuke Yakushi-ji.

Early life

Dōkyō was born in

Kawachi Province was a Provinces of Japan, 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 th ...

. 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 , historically known as , is the largest of the four main islands of Japan. It lies between the Pacific Ocean (east) and the Sea of Japan (west). It is the list of islands by area, seventh-largest island in the world, and the list of islands by ...

, where he practiced meditation and

sutra ''Sutra'' ()Monier Williams, ''Sanskrit English Dictionary'', Oxford University Press, Entry fo''sutra'' page 1241 in Indian literary traditions refers to an aphorism or a collection of aphorisms in the form of a manual or, more broadly, a ...

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

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
/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. In 766, he was granted a new position, ''hō-ō''; in 767 this position was altered to include military authority. The next year, in 768, Dōkyō persuaded an oracle from the Usa Shrine in Buzen Province to predict peace in Japan if Dōkyō were named emperor. This angered the ruling class, including the powerful

Fujiwara clan The was a powerful family of imperial regents in Japan, descending from the Nakatomi clan and, as legend held, through them their ancestral god Ame-no-Koyane. The Fujiwara prospered since ancient times and dominated the imperial court until th ...

. Hence, a second oracle was brought to Kyoto by Wake no Kiyomaro.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 was a province of Japan in the area of southeastern Kyūshū, corresponding to the eastern half of modern Kagoshima Prefecture, and including the Ōsumi Islands . Ōsumi bordered on Hyūga to the northeast, and Satsuma Province to the nor ...

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. Additionally, existing temples received extravagant donations and ongoing building projects were accelerated and expanded. The Usa Shrine also received grants of land. Dōkyō also actively spread Buddhist principles and the religion itself. Laws were issued banning the raising of dogs and hawks for hunting, and meat and fish were disallowed from presentation to the emperor's table. Moreover, the power of the great clans, such as the Fujiwara, was reduced and limited during this period.

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.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dokyo 700 births 772 deaths Japanese Buddhist clergy Buddhist clergy of the Nara period People from Yao, Osaka People of the Nara period

Early life

Rise to power

Policies during ascendancy

Fall from power and death

See also

References