Myoun - Myoun

Japanese: 明雲 - みょううん

Year of death: 11/19/1184 (1/3/1184)
Year of birth: Eternity 3 (1115)
A Tendai Buddhist monk from the end of the Heian period. He was the head priest of Tendai, the legal affairs officer, the guardian priest of the Rokujo, Takakura and Antoku emperors, and the precept teacher of Emperor Goshirakawa and Taira no Kiyomori. He was also known as En'yubo. His father was Minamoto no Akimichi, a disciple of Kajii Monzeki Saiun Hoshinno. In 1167, he expelled Kaishu and became the head priest of Tendai. In April 1177, Fujiwara no Michitaka, provincial governor of Kaga Province (Ishikawa Prefecture), son of Fujiwara no Michimitsu (later Saikou), a trusted vassal of the retired Emperor Goshirakawa, and his brother Michitsune, the deputy governor, burned down Hakusan Chugu Yokusen-ji Temple, and the monks of Enryaku-ji Temple, the main temple of Hakusan, carried Hiyoshi and Hakusan portable shrines and demanded the exile of Michitaka, Michitsune, and Michimitsu.The Imperial Court exiled Michitaka to Owari Province (Aichi Prefecture), dismissed Myoun from his position as head priest, confiscated his temple duties, ordered him to return to secular life, and exiled him to Izu Province (Shizuoka Prefecture).While being escorted, he was recaptured by the monks of Enryaku-ji Temple near Seta (Shiga Prefecture), but the Shishigatani Incident (a plot to overthrow the Taira clan) occurred, leading to the execution of Saikou and Michitaka, and the exile was dropped, and Myoun secluded himself in Ohara (Kyoto City). In November 1179, when Kiyomori relieved him of his position as a trusted aide to the Emperor and suspended his cloistered government, Myoun was appointed as a monk and re-appointed to the head priest position. In 1179, he became the head priest of Shitennoji Temple, in 1181 he became the head priest of Shirakawa Rokushoji Temple, and in 1182 he was appointed as Daisojo. He was killed by a stray arrow from Minamoto no Yoshinaka's soldiers while visiting the Hojuji Palace of the retired Emperor Goshirakawa. Known as "the Taira clan's guardian monk" (Gukansho), he was highly trusted by Kiyomori and played a role in suppressing the anti-Taira forces at Enryaku-ji Temple during the civil war, but he shared the fate of the Taira clan as they rose and fell. <References> Gyokuyo, Tendai Zajuki, and The Tale of the Heike.

(Yunko Nishiguchi)

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

Japanese:

没年：寿永2.11.19(1184.1.3)
生年：永久3(1115)
平安末期の天台宗の僧。天台座主,法務,六条・高倉・安徳各天皇護持僧,後白河天皇,平清盛の戒師。円融房とも。父は源顕通,梶井門跡最雲法親王の弟子。仁安2(1167)年に快修を追放して天台座主となる。安元3(1177)年4月,後白河上皇の近臣藤原師光(のち西光)の子加賀国(石川県)国司藤原師高と弟の目代師経が白山中宮涌泉寺を焼いたことから,白山の本寺延暦寺衆徒が日吉・白山神輿を奉じて,師高,師経と師光の追放を迫り,朝廷は師高を尾張国(愛知県)に配流,明雲の座主職を解任して知行寺務を没収し,還俗のうえ伊豆国(静岡県)に流罪とした。護送中に瀬田(滋賀県)の辺で延暦寺衆徒の手で奪回されたが,鹿ケ谷事件(平氏打倒の陰謀)が起こって西光,師高が処刑されたため流罪は沙汰やみとなり,明雲は大原(京都市)に籠居した。治承3(1179)年11月,清盛が院の近臣の官を解き院政を停止すると同時に,明雲は僧正に任じられ再び座主に就任,同4年四天王寺別当,養和1(1181)年白河六勝寺別当となり,同2年大僧正に任じられた。後白河上皇の法住寺殿に参内中に源義仲の兵の流れ矢に当たり没した。「平家の御持僧」(『愚管抄』)といわれて,清盛の信任厚く,内乱時に延暦寺の反平氏勢力を抑える役割を果たしたが,平氏の盛衰と運命を共にした。<参考文献>『玉葉』『天台座主記』『平家物語』

(西口順子)

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