Ningai - Ningai

Japanese: 仁海 - にんがい

Year of death: May 16, 1046 (June 22, 1046)
Year of birth: Tenryaku 5 (951)
A Shingon Buddhist monk from the mid-Heian period. He is also known as "Ninkai." According to one theory, he was born in 954. He was a superstar in the world of esoteric Buddhism, with outstanding spiritual power and energy. He was born in Izumi Province (southern Osaka Prefecture). He was the son of Miyamichi Korehira. At the age of seven, he climbed Mount Koya, studied under Gashin, and became a monk. He then went to study under Gengo at Daigo-ji Temple, and in 990, he received the Transmission of the Law Kanjo and became independent as an esoteric Buddhist. In 991, he founded Mandala-ji Temple (now Zuishin-in Temple) in Ono, Yamashina. During the great drought in the Kinai region in 1018, he received an imperial order to perform a rain-making ritual at Shinsen-en, which proved miraculous. In 1029, he was appointed chief priest of Todai-ji Temple, and in 1029, he became the head priest of To-ji Temple. In 1038, he was appointed as a monk and lived to the age of over 90 years, surrounded by glory. Ninkai had many spiritual gifts, especially in the spiritual control of rain, which is directly related to the life and death of agriculture. He prayed for rain 10 times in his life, and all of his prayers were granted, earning him the nickname "Rain Monk." He also had outstanding political skills, and when it came to the restoration of the impoverished Mount Koya, he linked up with Kishin, the leader of the kanjinsho, and preached the theory of the Pure Land of Mount Koya. In 1023, he finally led Fujiwara no Michinaga and others to climb the mountain, and received their support thereafter. He was also blessed with talent as an educator, and trained many disciples, becoming the founder of the Ono school, one of the two major schools of Shingon, alongside the Hirosawa school. Although there is a difference in scale due to the difference in the historical background, Ninkai can be said to be a second Kukai in terms of his talent and behavior. His fame was even conveyed to the Song Dynasty. His writings total more than 150 volumes, including "Ono Rokujo", "Shidai of the Sutra of Rain", and "The Origin of the Practice of the Construction of Kongobu-ji Temple". His disciples include Seison, Kakugen, and Shinkaku. <References> Yuko Shirai, "The Formation of the Kukai Legend and Mount Koya"

(Masaki Akira)

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

Japanese:

没年：永承1.5.16(1046.6.22)
生年：天暦5(951)
平安中期の真言宗の僧。「にんかい」ともいう。一説には天暦8(954)年生まれ。霊力・行動力抜群,密教界のスーパースター。和泉国(大阪府南部)出身。宮道惟平の子。7歳で高野山に登り,雅真に師事して出家。次いで醍醐寺の元杲のもとに赴き,永祚2(990)年伝法灌頂を授かって密教者として自立。正暦2(991)年山科小野に曼荼羅寺(現在の随心院)を開創。寛仁2(1018)年の畿内大旱魃の折,勅命を受けて神泉苑で請雨法を修し,霊験があった。長元2(1029)年東大寺別当,同4年東寺長者に就任。長暦2(1038)年僧正に任じられ,栄光に包まれつつ九十余歳の長寿を保った。仁海には霊異多く,特に農業の死活に直結する雨の霊的統御に優れ,生涯に10度雨を祈って悉く成就し「雨僧正」の異称を奉られた。政治的手腕も傑出し,疲弊した高野山の復興に際しては,勧進聖の総帥たる祈親と結び,高野山浄土論を説いて治安3(1023)年ついに藤原道長らを登山に導き,以後その支援を得た。教育者としての資質にも恵まれ,あまた弟子を養成して広沢流と並ぶ真言2大流派のひとつ,小野流の祖となる。時代背景の相違によるスケールの差はあるものの,仁海は才能や行動様式の点で第2の空海とも評しうる。名声は宋にも伝えられた。著書は真偽合わせ150巻以上で『小野六帖』『請雨経次第』『金剛峰寺建立修行縁起』など。弟子に成尊,覚源,真覚などがいる。<参考文献>白井優子『空海伝説の形成と高野山』

(正木晃)

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