Kokei

Japanese: 公慶 - こうけい

Year of death: 12/7/1705 (30/8/1705)
Year of birth: 15th November 1648 (29th December 1648)
A monk of the Sanron sect of Buddhism at Todaiji Temple in the mid-Edo period. He dedicated half his life to the restoration of the Great Buddha and the Great Buddha Hall at Todaiji Temple. He was born in Miyazu, Tango Province (Kyoto Prefecture). He was the son of Takayama Yorishige. He entered Daiki-in Temple at Todaiji Temple in December 1660 (Manji 3), and studied under Eikei, taking the name Shikibukyo Kokei. Since the burning of the Great Buddha in 1567, the Great Buddha had been left exposed to the rain for over 100 years, with reconstruction difficult due to the continuing wars. Since entering the temple, Kokei had aimed to restore the Great Buddha, and in May 1684 (Jokyo 1), he applied to the Edo Shogunate for permission to repair the Great Buddha, which was granted in June. In the same year, he began work on the Great Buddha's restoration, and promoted it throughout the country. In March 1692 (Genroku 5), the Great Buddha's makeup was completed, and a ceremony to consecrate its eyes was held. Next, he began the reconstruction of the Great Buddha Hall, setting up a fundraising office in Edo in December of the same year and, with the cooperation of Shogun Tsunayoshi and his birth mother Keishoin, he promoted the construction throughout the country. The ridgepole-raising ceremony was held on April 10th of the leap year of the second year of the Hoei period (1705). After the ceremony, Kokei went to Edo to express his gratitude to the shogunate and performed a bowing ceremony, but fell ill on June 27th and passed away on July 12th. The completion of the Great Buddha Hall was celebrated in March of the sixth year of the same year, and it is the Great Buddha Hall we see today. <References> Horiike Shunpo (ed.), "Kokei Shonin Nenpu Shuei"

(Gouji Matsuo)

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

Japanese:

没年：宝永2.7.12(1705.8.30)
生年：慶安1.11.15(1648.12.29)
江戸中期の東大寺三論宗の僧。東大寺大仏と大仏殿の復興に半生を捧げた人。丹後国(京都府)宮津の出身。鷹山頼茂の子。万治3(1660)年12月に東大寺大喜院に入寺し,英慶に師事して式部卿公慶と称す。大仏は永禄の炎上(1567)以来,引き続く戦乱のために再興がままならず100年以上も雨にさらされたままの状態であった。公慶は入寺以来,大仏の再興に志し,貞享1(1684)年5月,江戸幕府に大仏修理の許可を願い出,6月に許可された。同2年に大仏再興に着手し,全国に勧進する。元禄5(1692)年3月には大仏の新粧が修了し,開眼供養を行った。次に大仏殿の復興に着手,同年12月には江戸に勧進所を設置し,将軍綱吉,その生母桂昌院らの協力を得て,全国に勧進。宝永2(1705)年閏4月10日には上棟式を行う。公慶は上棟式を終えたのち幕府に感謝の意を表すために江戸に向かい,拝礼の儀をすませたが,6月27日に病となり7月12日に死去した。大仏殿の落慶は,同6年3月で,今日の大仏殿である。<参考文献>堀池春峰編『公慶上人年譜聚英』

(松尾剛次)

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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