Founder/Founder - Kaisankaiki

Japanese: 開山･開基 - かいさんかいき

It refers to the founding of a Buddhist temple, and also to the monk who founded it. By extension, it can also refer to the founder of a sect, because the founding of a sect was accompanied by the founding of general temples. In the past, quiet locations were selected, and temples were built by clearing mountain valleys, so they were called "kaizan" (founders). This is why, after the Kamakura period, the name of a mountain was added to the temple name. Also, since the foundation of the temple was laid, it was called "kaiki" (founder). In many cases, "kaizan" and "kaiki" are used synonymously, but in Zen and Jodo sects, the donor (danko) who worked hard to found the temple is called the "kaiki," and the monk who founded it is called the "kaizan" (founder) to distinguish between them.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

仏寺を創建すること，またその仏寺を創建した僧をいう。転じて宗派の開祖のことをもいい，これは宗派の開設が一般寺院の創建をともなったことによる。古くは閑静な地を選び，山谷を切り開いて堂宇を創建したので，開山と称した。鎌倉時代以後，寺号の上に山号を付すのはこのことによる。また寺基を開くことから開基と称した。多くの場合開山と開基は同義語的に用いられるが，禅宗や浄土宗では寺院の創建に尽力した資主(檀越（だんおつ）)を開基とよび，その開創の僧を開山とよんで区別している。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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