Monk Zhao - Sojo

A monk from the Later Qin Dynasty in China. Born in Jingzhao (Xi'an), he was one of the four disciples of the sutra translator Kumarajiva. He was well versed in classics such as the sutras and histories from an early age, and loved the Lao and Zhuang sutras, but was delighted when he saw the Vimalakirti Sutra and eventually became a monk. He later studied under Kumarajiva in Guzang (Gansu Province), and in 401 (the third year of the Hongshi era) he returned to Chang'an with his teacher, and at the command of Yao Xing (reigned 393-416), the second emperor of the Later Qin Dynasty, he assisted Kumarajiva in his translation work at Xiaoyao Garden. After the translation of the Great Chapter of the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra was completed in 404, Seng Zhao wrote Treatise on the Ignorance of Perfection of Wisdom, which he presented to Kumarajiva and was praised. Liu Yimin, a hermit from Lushan, also read it and was impressed, so he sent him a question and answer session and exchanged letters with him. He also wrote the "Commentary on the Vimalakirti Sutra," "Essay on the Intransitance of Things," and "Essay on the Absence of Vacuum," and wrote prefaces to the various sutras and treatises translated by Kumarajiva, making him the leading figure among Kumarajiva's many disciples. After his master's death, he wrote the "Essay on the Nameless in Nirvana" and presented it to Yao Xing. In later generations, the above four treatises were collectively titled "Essay on the Origin of the Buddha."

[Takahisa Ito February 16, 2017]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国、後秦(こうしん)代の僧。京兆(けいちょう)（西安）の人。訳経僧鳩摩羅什(くまらじゅう)門下の四哲の一人。幼少のころから経史など古典に通じ、老・荘を愛好したが、『維摩経(ゆいまぎょう)』をみて歓喜し、ついに出家した。のち姑臧(こぞう)（甘粛省）にあった羅什に師事し、401年（弘始3）師とともに長安に帰り、後秦第2代の皇帝姚興(ようこう)（在位393～416）の命により逍遙(しょうよう)園における羅什の訳業を助けた。404年『大品般若経(だいぼんはんにゃきょう)』が訳出されると、僧肇は『般若無知論』を著し、羅什に呈して賞賛された。廬山(ろざん)の隠士劉遺民(りゅういみん)もそれを読んで感嘆し、質疑書を送り、書簡を交わした。さらに『維摩経注』や『物不遷(もつふせん)論』『不真空論』を著し、羅什訳の諸経論の序文を製するなどし、羅什の多くの弟子のなかでも第一人者として活躍した。師の没後に『涅槃(ねはん)無名論』を撰(せん)して姚興に献じた。後世、上記4種の論文は一括されて『肇論(じょうろん)』と題して流布された。

［伊藤隆寿　2017年2月16日］

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