Chikou

Date of birth and death unknown. A scholar and monk at Gangoji Temple in the 8th century. His secular surname was Sukitamuraji, later changed to Kaminosugu. Born in Kawachi Province (now Osaka Prefecture), he became a monk at the age of 9 and lived at Sukita Temple in Asukabe County. He later moved to Gangoji Temple and studied the Three Treatises of Wisdom under Chizo. Chiko was said to have been naturally intelligent and had exceptional wisdom, and he wrote commentaries on sutras such as the Ullambana Sutra and the Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra, and widely read and spread Buddhism to students. Also, when he sensed that his fellow disciple Raiko (Yoriko, date of birth and death unknown) had attained rebirth in the Pure Land, he immediately ordered an artist to paint a picture of the Pure Land and hang it in the Gokuraku-in temple of Gangoji Temple, where he performed the training for attaining rebirth in the Pure Land. This picture of the transformations in the Pure Land is called the "Chiko Mandala." Chiko wrote many books, including the "Jomyogenron Ryakushu" (5 volumes) and the "Hannya Shingyo Shogi" (1 volume) (both still extant).

[Norika Futaba September 19, 2017]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

生没年不詳。8世紀の元興寺(がんごうじ)の学僧。俗姓は鋤田連(すきたむらじ)、のちに上村主(かみのすぐり)と改めた。河内(かわち)国（大阪府）に生まれ、9歳で出家し、安宿(あすかべ)郡の鋤田寺に止住した。のちに元興寺に移り、智蔵(ちぞう)のもとで三論教学を学んだ。智光は、天性聡明(そうめい)、智恵(ちえ)殊勝といわれ、『盂蘭盆経(うらぼんぎょう)』『大般若経(だいはんにゃきょう)』などの経疏(きょうしょ)を作製し、広く学徒のために仏教を読み伝えた。また、同門の礼光(らいこう)（頼光。生没年不詳）が浄土に往生したのを感得し、ただちに画工に命じて浄土の相を描かせて元興寺極楽院(ごくらくいん)内に掲げ、浄土往生の業を修した。この浄土変相図が「智光曼荼羅(まんだら)」である。智光の著述は多く、『浄名玄論(じょうみょうげんろん)略述』5巻、『般若心経(はんにゃしんぎょう)述義』1巻（いずれも現存）などがある。

［二葉憲香　2017年9月19日］

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