Gyōnen
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gyōnen (凝然; 1240–1321) was a Japanese Buddhist monk of the Kegon school who resided at the temple of Tōdai-ji, Nara in the late Kamakura period. He studied the history of Buddhism in India, China, and Japan, compiling documents on this subject in pursuit of a comprehensive understanding of Japanese Buddhism.[1]
Biography
Gyōnen, also known as Jikan, was born in Iyokuni (present-day Ehime Prefecture).
He received the Bodhisattva Precepts at Mt. Hiei in 1255.[2] At the age of 18, he received the novice precepts and was fully ordained by Enshō (1220–1277) at Tōdai-ji when he was 20. He studied the teachings of a number of traditions of Buddhism including Sanron and Hossō under various masters around Japan before setting into Tōdai-ji, where he remained for most of his life.[1]
Works in English translation
- The Essentials of the Vinaya Tradition: The Collected Teachings of the Tendai Lotus School, translated by Leo M. Pruden (1995).[3]
- The Essentials of the Eight Traditions. Berkeley, Calif.: Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research. OCLC 988575765.[4]
- Gyōnen's Transmission of the Buddha Dharma in Three Countries. Green, Ronald S.; Mun, Chanju (2018). translated by Ronald S. Green and Chunju Mun.[5]
- "The Risshū-kōyō: An Annotated Translation," trans. by Leo M. Pruden, Ph. D. thesis, Harvard University 1969.[6]
- The Origins and Development of Pure Land Buddhism: A Study and Translation of Gyōnen's Jōdo Hōmon Genrushō, trans. by Mark Laurence Blum (2004).[7]