Appropriate - Appropriate

Japanese: 相応 - そうおう

Year of death: Enki 18.11.3 (918.12.8)
Year of birth: Tencho 8 (831)
A Tendai Buddhist monk from the early Heian period. The founder of Tendai Shugen. His surname was Ichino. He was born in Azai County, Omi Province (Shiga Prefecture). In 845, at the age of 15, he climbed Mount Hiei, and while practicing asceticism, he was recognized by Ennin for offering flowers to the central hall every day. At the age of 17, he was ordained under Ennin as his teacher, given an appropriate name, and practiced asceticism in seclusion in the mountains for 12 years. In 858, he prayed for the illness of Emperor Montoku's consort Taga Ikuko (daughter of Fujiwara no Yoshiakira), and was said to have performed miraculous deeds. From the following year, 859, he practiced asceticism at the Kuzu River upstream of the Azumi River on Mount Hira, and at Mount Kinpu in Yoshino. In 859, he made a life-size statue of Acala on Mount Hiei, and in 860, he built Mudoji Temple and enshrined it as the principal image there. There is a story that after his death, a saint who adored Empress Akiko of Emperor Montoku (Empress Somedono, daughter of Fujiwara no Yoshifusa) became possessed by a Tengu and performed religious services, which earned him the praise of his miraculous powers. He also devoted himself to the prosperity of Mount Hiei, restoring the Toto Jogyo-do Hall and building the Hiyoshi Shrine, and in the same year, at the request of the Imperial Court, he had Saicho preached and Ennin was given the title of Jikaku no Daishi. In 889 (Kanpei 1), he was granted the title of Savior for his services to Emperor Uda and became an attendant of the emperor, and in 911 (Engi 11), he refused public and private invitations (invitations from the Imperial Court to give Buddhist services or lectures) and practiced nembutsu ceaselessly, passing away at the age of 88. In his lifetime, he never wore clothing sewn by a woman, wore silk, or rode a horse or cow. It is said that at Katsukawa Myoo-in Temple, Soyo felt a living, flesh-and-blood image of Acala on Mt. Hira, carved his image and made it the principal image, and the Hiei Mountain Sennichi Kaihogyo, which was founded by Soyo, is still carried out today based on his story.

(Yunko Nishiguchi)

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

Japanese:

没年：延喜18.11.3(918.12.8)
生年：天長8(831)
平安前期の天台宗の僧。天台修験の開祖。姓は櫟氏。近江国(滋賀県)浅井郡に生まれる。承和12(845)年15歳で比叡山に登り,毎日修行のかたわら中堂に花を供えていたのを円仁に認められ,17歳のとき円仁を師として得度受戒し,相応の名を授けられ,12年籠山修行した。天安2(858)年,文徳天皇の女御多賀幾子(藤原良相の娘)の病を祈って霊験を称されている。翌貞観1(859)年以降,比良山安曇川の上流葛川,吉野金峰山で修行し,同5年比叡山で等身の不動明王像を造り,同7年無動寺を建立し本尊として安置した。文徳天皇皇后明子(染殿皇后,藤原良房の娘)を慕った聖人が死後,天狗となってとりついたため,加持をして霊験を称された話がある。比叡山の興隆にも力を尽くし,東塔常行堂の修復,日吉社の造営を行い,また同年には朝廷に願い出て最澄に伝教,円仁に慈覚の大師号を賜っている。寛平1(889)年,宇多天皇加持の功により度者を賜い内供奉となり,延喜11(911)年,公私の公請(朝廷から法会や講義に召されること)を断って不断念仏を修し,88歳で没した。生涯女人裁縫の衣を着ず,絹を身に着けず,牛馬に乗らなかった。葛川明王院は相応が比良山で生身の不動明王を感得し,姿を刻して本尊としたと伝え,比叡山千日回峰行は相応を祖として,現在も相応の故事によって行われている。<参考文献>『天台南山無動寺建立和尚伝』

(西口順子)

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