Eri - Eri

A Shingon Buddhist monk from the Heian period. His birthplace and family name are unknown. He studied Shingon under Soei, Shobo, Zennen (?-908), and others, and in 915 (Engi 15) he became the head priest of To-ji Temple (Kyoogokoku-ji Temple) as a lay priest, in 928 (Enjo 6) he became the second head priest of To-ji Temple, and the following year in 929 he was appointed head priest of To-ji Temple. He was famous for his excellence in painting and sculpture, and in 877 (Gangei 1) he built the Thousand-Armed Kannon statue at To-ji Temple (one theory says it was made by Shobo; a nationally designated important cultural property), and in 907 he repaired the Bishamonten and Jikokuten statues at Todai-ji Temple. He also built the five-story pagoda of To-ji Temple, and during the Johei era (931-938) instructed over 50 Buddhist sculptors to create the Thousand-Armed Kannon, Kokuzo Bosatsu, and Jizo Bosatsu statues in the lecture hall of Todai-ji Temple, as well as paintings on the pillars of the Great Buddha Hall of the same temple, the Amida Nyorai statue in the Jyogyo Sanmai-do Hall on Mount Hiei, and the founder statue in Kanjo-in Temple of To-ji Temple, making him a major figure in the creation of statues and paintings in the early Heian period. He passed away on December 24, 1272, as Gon no Shosozu, at the age of 84.

[Yukei Hirai May 19, 2017]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

平安時代の真言宗の僧。出身地、姓氏は不詳。宗叡(しゅうえい)、聖宝(しょうぼう)、禅念(ぜんねん)（？―908）などに真言を学び、915年（延喜15）に東寺（教王護国寺）凡僧(ぼんそう)別当、928年（延長6）に東寺二長者(にのちょうじゃ)に進み、翌929年東寺別当に任じられた。絵画、彫刻に秀でていたことで名高く、877年（元慶1）東寺の千手観音像(せんじゅかんのんぞう)造立（一説に聖宝作。国指定重要文化財）、907年東大寺の毘沙門天(びしゃもんてん)と持国天(じこくてん)の修理を行った。そのほか、東寺五重塔の建立、承平(じょうへい)年中（931～938）には50人余の仏師を指導して東大寺講堂の千手観音、虚空蔵菩薩(こくうぞうぼさつ)、地蔵菩薩の造立、同寺大仏殿の柱の絵、比叡山(ひえいざん)常行三昧堂(じょうぎょうさんまいどう)の阿弥陀如来像(あみだにょらいぞう)、東寺灌頂院(かんじょういん)の祖師像などをつくり、平安初期の造像、絵画制作に大活躍した。承平5年12月24日、権少僧都(ごんのしょうそうず)として寂した。84歳。

［平井宥慶　2017年5月19日］

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