Awakening - Awakening

Japanese: 覚明 - かくめい

Year of birth: Year of birth and death unknown. A monk from the late Heian period to the early Kamakura period. Also known as "Kakumyo." His real name was Shin'a. Also known as Shinkyu. He started out as a shinshi (prayer) at Kangakuin, but in the 1140s-50s he became a monk and climbed Mount Hiei, and after training in the Hokuriku region, he became a scholar in Nara. In 1180 (Jisho 4) during the Mochihito Incident, he wrote a letter of reply to Onjo-ji Temple, but his expression "Kiyomori is the scum of the Taira clan and the trash of the samurai" angered Taira no Kiyomori. He fled to the Hokuriku region, took the name Daifubo Kakumyo, and served as a right-hand man (scribe) to Minamoto no Yoshinaka, leaving petitions and letters of petition in the Tale of the Heike. After Yoshinaka's death, he took the name Shinkyu Tokugyo, and around 1190 (Kenkyu 1), he lived in Kamakura, and later on Mount Hakone, where he served as a Buddhist leader and drafted petitions. In the 6th year of the Kenkyu era, his identity was discovered by Minamoto no Yoritomo, who banned him from entering the palace. He was still alive in the 2nd year of the Genkyu era (1205). He wrote works such as "Private Notes on Wakan Roeishu" (1163), "Shin Rakufu Ryakui" (1172), "Bukho Denrai Shida" (The Status of the Transmission of Bukho), and "Hakoganeyama Engi and Preface." His brilliant literary talent and travels are thought to have provided many documents and stories for the creation of "The Tale of the Heike."

(Yoko Sakurai)

Source: Asahi Japanese Historical Biography: Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc. About Asahi Japanese Historical Biography

Japanese:

生年：生没年不詳
平安末期・鎌倉初期の僧。「かくみょう」とも。本名信阿。信救とも。はじめ勧学院の進士であったが1140～50年代に出家して比叡山に登り,北陸修行ののちに南都の学侶となる。治承4(1180)年以仁王の変で園城寺への返牒を草すが,「清盛は平氏の糟糠,武家の塵芥」の表現が平清盛を怒らせる。北陸に逃げて大夫房覚明と名乗り,源義仲の右筆(書記)を務め,『平家物語』に願書,牒状を残す。義仲死後は信救得業と号し,建久1(1190)年ごろには鎌倉に,やがて箱根山に住み,仏事の導師や願文起草を行う。建久6年に素性が源頼朝に知られ,禁足処分を被る。元久2(1205)年には存命。『和漢朗詠集私注』(1163),『新楽府略意』(1172),『仏法伝来次第』,『筥根山縁起并序』などを著す。華麗な文才と遍歴は,『平家物語』生成に多くの文書資料,話材を与えたと考えられている。

(櫻井陽子)

出典　朝日日本歴史人物事典：（株）朝日新聞出版朝日日本歴史人物事典について　情報

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