Hodo Sennin - Hodo Sennin

Japanese: 法道仙人 - ほうどうせんにん

A legendary hermit who is said to have been active mainly at Ichijoji Temple in Kasai City, Hyogo Prefecture. He came from Mount Vulture in Tenjiku in the mid-6th century and is known for his use of hojutsu, especially for performing the "Hiba no Ho". In the Middle Ages, he was considered to be the person who founded mountain temples in the Harima region (Hyogo Prefecture). While he spread the belief in the Eleven-Headed Kannon, he also knew the art of onmyodo, and a powerful onmyoji named Ashiya Doman emerged from the lineage of the Hodo hermit, who later confronted Abe no Seimei. He is thought to be one of the sorcerers who skillfully combined Buddhism and onmyodo, but he was also active in missionary work among the general public and is said to have used medicine to cure illnesses. Hodo is also written as Hodo, and the legend of Hodo hermit's miracles is told from Harima to Mount Isurugi in Noto (Ishikawa Prefecture).

(Miyata Noboru)

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

Japanese:

兵庫県加西市にある一乗寺を中心に活躍したという伝説上の仙人。6世紀半ばに,天竺の霊鷲山から渡来した仙人で,方術を駆使し,特に「飛鉢の法」を行ったことで知られる。中世には播磨(兵庫県)一帯の山岳寺院を開創した人物にみなされた。十一面観音信仰を広める一方で,陰陽道の術もわきまえていたことから,法道仙人の系統から蘆屋道満という強力な陰陽師が出現し,のちに安倍晴明と対決した。仏教と陰陽道を巧みに結びつけた呪術者のひとりと思われるが,民間の布教活動は盛んで,医薬を用いて病気治しを行っていたともいわれている。法道は方道とも書かれており,播磨からさらに能登(石川県)の石動山まで,方道仙人の奇蹟伝説が語られている。

(宮田登)

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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