Sadayoshi - Jokei

Japanese: 貞慶 - じょうけい

Year of death: Kenpo 1.2.3 (1213.2.24)
Year of birth: 21.5.1155 (22.6.1155)
A Hosso Buddhist scholar in the early Kamakura period. Also known as Gedatsubo, Jokei Iko, and Jijū-ko. Famous for being the author of the Kofuku-ji Sojō, which called for an end to Honen's exclusive practice of Nembutsu. The son of Sadanori, and grandson of Fujiwara Michinori (Shinzei), a close aide to the retired Emperor Goshirakawa, who was killed in the Heiji Rebellion (1159). His uncles included Anoin Choken, Kofuku-ji betto Kakuken, Koyasan Myōhen, and Todai-ji betto and Daigo-zasu Shoken. In 1162 (Oho 2), he traveled to Nara at the age of 8, and in 1165 (Eiman 1), he shaved his head at the age of 11. In 1172 (Joan 2), he received the teachings of the Kokuzo Bosatsu Gumonji-ho from Daigo-ji Jitsuun. In 1182 (Yōwa 2), he signed the colophon of Volume 1 of the Yogacara Book as Shaku Jokei of Kofuku-ji. In the same year, he served as a lecturer and debater for the Yuma-kai of Kofuku-ji Temple. From 1186 (Bun'ji 2), he was active as a lecturer and debater for the Yuma-kai, seasonal sutra reading, and Saisho-ko, as well as the Hakke-ko lectures at Hossho-ji Temple and Hosho-ji Temple, and was highly praised by Kujo Kanezane and others. On the other hand, on New Year's Day of the year of his lecture, he made a vow to copy the Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra for Kasagi-dera Temple (Soraku County, Kyoto Prefecture), and the following year, he cooperated with the monk Nobunaga to hold a memorial service in front of the Maitreya cliff-carved Buddha at the temple. After that, he wrote many letters of solicitation for the monks who were promoting the prosperity of Kasagi-dera Temple, and in 1193 (Kenkyu 4), the year after the completion of the Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra, he built the Hannyadai Rokkakudo Hall to house the sutra and retired to the temple. Kasagi-yama became a sacred place for Maitreya faith as the idea of the end of the law spread in the late Heian period, and in the early Kamakura period, it was connected to Mt. Omine and Mt. Katsuragi and became a place of activity for asceticism. While Sadayoshi was a learned monk, he had established a place for his religious life in such a place from an early age, which may have led to his later retirement. During his time at Kasagi, he was active in a more free position, but during that time, Honen's exclusive chanting of Nembutsu spread and conflict with old Buddhism deepened. In 1205, he drafted the "Kofukuji Petition," which criticized exclusive chanting of Nembutsu without the permission of the Imperial Court, calling for a ban on it, criticizing it as "the mistake of establishing a new sect" and "the mistake of hindering all goodness." In his later years, hoping to be reborn in the Potalaka Pure Land of Kannon, he moved to the Kannon sacred site Kaijusen-ji Temple (Kamo-cho, Soraku-gun, Kyoto Prefecture) in 1208. He passed away at the age of 59. <References> "Kamakura Old Buddhism" (Nihon Shiso Taikei, Volume 15)

(Ueda Sachiko)

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

Japanese:

没年：建保1.2.3(1213.2.24)
生年：久寿2.5.21(1155.6.22)
鎌倉初期の法相宗の学僧。解脱房,貞慶已講,侍従公ともいう。法然の専修念仏停止を求めた『興福寺奏状』の筆者として有名。平治の乱(1159)で殺された後白河上皇近臣藤原通憲(信西)の孫,貞憲の子。叔父に安居院澄憲,興福寺別当覚憲,高野山明遍,東大寺別当・醍醐座主勝賢がいる。応保2(1162)年8歳で南都下向,永万1(1165)年11歳で剃髪。承安2(1172)年醍醐寺実運より虚空蔵菩薩求聞持法を受法。養和2(1182)年唯識義巻一奥書に興福寺沙門釈貞慶と署名。同年興福寺維摩会の研学竪義を勤めた。文治2(1186)年より維摩会・季御読経・最勝講,法勝寺や法成寺の法華八講などの講師・論義として活躍,九条兼実らに高く評価された。一方で早くも研学竪義の年の元旦に笠置寺(京都府相楽郡)のために大般若経書写を発願,翌年には同寺の弥勒磨崖仏の前で勧進沙門信長と協力して斎会を行った。以後,笠置寺興隆の勧進沙門たちのために多くの勧進状を執筆,大般若経完成の翌年の建久4(1193)年経典を納める般若台六角堂を建立するとともに同寺に隠棲。笠置山は平安後期の末法思想の広がりのなかで弥勒信仰の聖地となり,鎌倉初期には大峰山,葛城山と結びついて修験の活動の場となっていた。貞慶が学僧である一方で早くからそうした所に信仰生活の場を設定していたことが,のちの隠棲につながったといえよう。この笠置時代はより自由な立場で活動したが,その間,法然の専修念仏が広がり,旧仏教との対立が深まる中,元久2(1205)年に『興福寺奏状』を起草し,朝廷の許可なくして「新宗を立つる誤り」「万善を妨ぐる誤り」などを批判内容として専修念仏の禁止を請うた。晩年は観音の補陀落浄土への往生を望み,承元2(1208)年,観音霊場海住山寺(京都府相楽郡加茂町)に移住。59歳で入滅した。<参考文献>『鎌倉旧仏教』(日本思想大系15巻)

(上田さち子)

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