Kangan Yoshitada - Kangan Giin

A Soto Zen monk from the Kamakura period and the founder of the Houou school. Born in Kitayama, Kyoto, he is said to have been the son of Emperor Gotoba (according to one theory, Emperor Juntoku), and therefore his school is called the Houou school. It is unclear who his teacher was, with various theories including Dogen, Koun Ejo, and Tetsu Gisuke. He initially studied Tendai Buddhism at Enryaku-ji Temple, but later switched to Zen Buddhism. In 1241 (Ninji 2), he became a disciple of Dogen at Yamashiro Kosho-ji Temple together with Kaikan and others from Echizen Hajaku-ji Temple, and accompanied Dogen when he moved to Echizen. He then traveled to Song China twice. During his second visit to Song China, he took Dogen's sayings with him and visited Mugaigion, Kidō Chigu, Taikō Tokunei and other monks. Around 1270 (Bun'ei 7), he moved to Kohori, Higo Province, at the invitation of Somyo-ni, and founded Nyorai-ji Temple and Gokuraku-ji Temple. In 1283 (Kōan 6), Daiji-ji Temple was founded with the patronage of Kawajiri Yasuaki, the land lord of Kawajiri Manor. The temple was the first in the history of the Soto sect to be granted permission to be an official temple, and prospered as a place of prayer for nobles and samurai. It also had a strong character as a kanjin hijiri (fundamental saint), and with the support of the Kamakura shogunate and others, he carried out works such as the construction of a bridge over the rapids of the Midorikawa River.

[Junichi Ueda]

"A Study of the History of Medieval Zen Buddhism in Kyushu" by Junichi Ueda (2000, Bunken Publishing)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

鎌倉時代の曹洞宗の僧で法皇派の祖。京都北山に生まれ、後鳥羽天皇(ごとばてんのう)（一説には順徳天皇）の子と伝えられ、ゆえに彼の門派を法皇派と呼ぶ。受法の師については、道元、孤雲懐奘(こうんえじょう)、徹通義介(てっつうぎかい)説などあり明らかでない。初め延暦寺で天台宗を学んだが、のちに禅宗に転派。1241年（仁治2）越前波著寺(はじゃくじ)の懐鑑(えかん)らとともに山城興聖寺(こうしょうじ)の道元の門に参じ、道元の越前移転にも随行した。その後2度渡宋。2度目の渡宋時には、道元の語録を携え、無外義遠(むがいぎおん)、虚堂智愚(きどうちぐ)、退耕徳寧(たいこうとくねい)などを歴参した。1270年（文永7）頃、肥後国古保里(こほり)の素妙尼(そみょうに)の招きにより同地へ移り、如来寺、極楽寺を開いた。1283年（弘安6）には、河尻(かわじり)荘地頭河尻泰明の外護により大慈寺を開創。同寺は曹洞宗史上初の官寺の許可を得、公家、武家の祈祷所として繁栄した。勧進聖(かんじんひじり)的性格も強く、鎌倉幕府などの支援を得て急流緑川(みどりかわ)への架橋工事などを行った。

［上田純一］

『上田純一著『九州中世禅宗史の研究』（2000・文献出版）』

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