Mongaku - Mongaku

Years of birth and death unknown. A monk from the end of the Heian period to the early Kamakura period. His real name was Endo Morito. He was the son of Endo Mochito of the Watanabe clan in Settsu. He initially served Josaimon'in, but fell in love with his colleague Minamoto no Wataru's wife Kesa and accidentally killed her, which led to him becoming a monk and traveling around the country to practice asceticism at sacred sites. Mongaku revered Kukai, and in 1168 (Jin'an 3) he lived at Jingoji Temple, the former site of Kukai, and worked to restore it. In 1173 (Shoan 3), he visited the Hojuji Palace of Emperor Goshirakawa and extorted a manor for the promotion of Jingo-ji Temple, but was exiled to Izu, where he met Minamoto no Yoritomo, who was also exiled. In 1178 (Jisho 2), he was pardoned and returned to Kyoto, but even after his exile, Mongaku did not lose his love and respect for the devout Emperor, and in the following year, 1179, he was outraged that Taira no Kiyomori had imprisoned the Emperor, and encouraged Yoritomo in Izu to overthrow the Taira clan. In 1180, he mediated an imperial edict from the Emperor ordering the pursuit of the Taira clan, and encouraged Yoritomo to raise an army. In 1183 (Juei 2), the Cloistered Emperor donated the Kaseda Manor in Kii Province to Mongaku, and he received other donations of temple land from the Cloistered Emperor and Yoritomo, and he worked hard to restore Jingo-ji Temple. By 1190 (Kenkyu 1), the buildings of Jingo-ji Temple were almost complete, and Mongaku was visited by the Cloistered Emperor. Mongaku also attempted to restore To-ji Temple, an ancient site of Kukai, and in 1189 (Bun'ei 5), Harima Province was allocated as a construction fee province. Mongaku led the restoration project, and completed the repairs of the various halls in 1197. However, with the deaths of the Cloistered Emperor in 1192 and Yoritomo in 1199 (Shoji 1), Mongaku lost his patron and was exiled to Sado Island due to a scheme by Minister of the Interior, Minamoto no Michichika. In 1202 (Kennin 2), he was pardoned and returned to Kyoto, but incurred the wrath of Emperor Go-Toba, and the following year, in 1203, he was exiled again to Tsushima, where he eventually died.

[Masayoshi Kamiyokote October 19, 2017]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

生没年未詳。平安末～鎌倉初期の僧。俗名遠藤盛遠(えんどうもりとお)。摂津の渡辺党の遠藤茂遠(もちとお)の子。初め上西門院(じょうさいもんいん)に仕えたが、同僚の源渡(みなもとのわたる)の妻袈裟(けさ)に恋慕し、誤って彼女を殺したのが動機で出家し、諸国の霊場を遍歴、修行した。文覚は空海(くうかい)を崇敬し、1168年（仁安3）その旧跡である神護寺(じんごじ)に住み、修復に努めた。1173年（承安3）後白河(ごしらかわ)法皇の御所法住寺(ほうじゅうじ)殿を訪ね、神護寺興隆のために荘園(しょうえん)の寄進を強請して伊豆(いず)に流され、そこで配流中の源頼朝(よりとも)に会った。1178年（治承2）許されて帰京したが、流されてのちも文覚は信仰の篤い法皇への敬愛の情を失わず、翌1179年、平清盛(たいらのきよもり)が法皇を幽閉したのを憤り、伊豆の頼朝に平氏打倒を勧め、1180年には平氏追討を命ずる法皇の院宣(いんぜん)を仲介して、頼朝に挙兵を促した。1183年（寿永2）法皇から紀伊(きい)国桛田荘(かせだのしょう)を寄進されたのをはじめとして、法皇や頼朝から寺領の寄進を受け、神護寺の復興に努力した。1190年（建久1）には神護寺の堂宇はほぼ完成し、法皇の御幸を仰いだ。文覚はさらに空海の古跡である東寺(とうじ)の復興をも図り、1189年（文治5）播磨(はりま)国が造営料国にあてられ、文覚は復興事業を主催し、1197年には諸堂の修造を終えた。しかし1192年に法皇が没し、1199年（正治1）に頼朝が没すると、文覚は後援者を失い、内大臣源通親(みちちか)の策謀で佐渡に流された。1202年（建仁2）許されて帰京したが、後鳥羽(ごとば)上皇の怒りを買い、翌1203年、さらに対馬(つしま)に流され、やがて没した。

［上横手雅敬　2017年10月19日］

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