Nichizo - Nichizo

Japanese: 日蔵 - にちぞう

Year of death: 4th year of Kōhō (967)
Year of birth: Around 5th year of Enki (905)
A mountain ascetic in the mid-Heian period. He is a mountain ascetic monk of Mount Kinpu, who is associated with the Kitano Tenjin faith, and is of a different lineage from En no Gyoja. His original name was Doken. He died during a ritual at the Shokutsu Cave on Mount Kinpu in 941, and was led to the Pure Land of Mount Kinpu by Zao Bodhisattva (the principal image of Shugendo) in the form of a monk who appeared from Nozokiiwa (a famous training site where ascetics who are the first to climb the mountain are suspended in mid-air) in the west. Zao Bodhisattva told Doken his remaining life expectancy, and told him that he could prolong his life by practicing in the mountains, and had him rename him "Nichizo." Sugawara no Michizane appeared there accompanied by his strange subordinates, including the god of thunder and the demon king, and took Nichizo to his castle. Michizane said that he wanted to destroy the land and people of Japan out of resentment for being removed from his position as Minister of the Right by Emperor Daigo, but he refrained from doing so because his beloved esoteric Buddhism was widespread in Japan and the Buddha and gods were appeasing him. He also said that it was not Michizane himself who actually caused the disasters, but his strange subordinates, and that he would rise above them and become a transcendent deity, while at the same time telling them that he would make an image of Michizane and grant protection from disaster to anyone who prayed to him by chanting his name. Nichizo survived after witnessing Emperor Daigo's suffering in hell. The historical source for this story is usually the "Douken Shonin Meido-ki" in the Tenkei 4th year entry of the Fuso Ryakki, but this is only an excerpt. There is also a complete Shingon manuscript copy at Uchiyama Eikyu-ji Temple in Yamato Province (Nara Prefecture) (Nakano Genzo, "Study of the Six Paths of Religion"). This story is valuable in that it shows the existence of a Zao faith separate from that of En no Gyoja, and that the prototype of Pure Land Buddhism can be seen in Michizane.

(Ueda Sachiko)

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

Japanese:

没年：康保4頃(967)
生年：延喜5頃(905)
平安中期の修験者。役行者とは別系統の,北野天神信仰とかかわる金峰山修験僧である。原名は道賢。天慶4(941)年金峰山笙窟で修法中に息絶え,西の覗岩(初登攀の行者が宙吊りされるので有名な行場)から出現した和尚姿の蔵王菩薩(修験道の本尊)に導かれて金峰山浄土に至った。蔵王菩薩は道賢に寿命を告げ,山で修行すれば延命が可能と教え,「日蔵」と改名させる。そこへ菅原道真が雷神鬼王などの異形の配下を伴って現れ,日蔵を居城に連れて行く。道真は,醍醐天皇に右大臣の地位を追われた怨みから日本の国土人民を破壊したいのだが,日本には彼の愛する密教が流布し,仏神も彼を慰撫するので思いとどまっていると語る。また実際に災害を起こすのは道真自身ではなく,異形の配下であるといい,彼らの上に立って超越神化すると同時に,道真の形像を作り名号をとなえて祈る者には災厄を免れさせることを告げた。日蔵は,地獄で醍醐天皇が苦を受けるさまを見たうえで生還した。この話の史料は通常『扶桑略記』天慶4年条の「道賢上人冥途記」によるが,これは抄本である。そして完本の真言系写本に大和国(奈良県)内山永久寺本がある(中野玄三『六道絵の研究』)。この話は,役行者系とは別の蔵王信仰の存在や,道真に浄土教の原型が認められるなどの点で貴重である。

(上田さち子)

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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