Kukai

Kukai
(773/4-835)
   Under his posthumous name Kobo Daishi he is probably the best-known Buddhist monk in Japanese history. He is credited with all kinds of miraculous and practical abilities including flood-control and the invention of the kana syllabary and is believed by the devout to be dormant in samadhi rather than deceased. His birthplace Shikoku has a famous pilgrimage circuit (junpai) dedicated to him. Kukai first studied Chinese classics, then practised Buddhist austerities in Shikoku and in 804 journeyed to China. Saicho (Dengyo daishi) was in another ship on the same voyage. Kukai returned to Kyoto in 806 with esoteric initiations from Hui-kuo, a direct disciple of the Indian monk Amoghavajra. He devoted his life to promoting Shingon Buddhism, in 816 establishing a great monastic centre on Mt. Koya in Kii province some distance south of Nara. He wrote a number of literary and Buddhist works of enduring importance, showing the superiority of Buddhism over Confucianism and Taoism and stressing the central esoteric teaching that with appropriate techniques of esoteric Buddhist meditation it is possible to realise 'in this very body' that all phenomena are manifestations of the Buddha of light, Vairochana (Dainichi nyorai). Kukai's disciples contributed to the development of shugendo. The later Shingon view of kami as suijaku 'trace-manifestations' (see Honji-suijaku) helped raise the status of the kami to the level of Buddhist divinities but cannot be attributed to Kukai himself. Though he always remained on good terms with the court, shrine priests and the established Nara Buddhist clergy he showed no awareness of 'Shinto' as a teaching. According to one legend Kukai alone has seen the miraculous 'ten treasures' which may or may not exist in the Iso-no-kami jingu at Tenri, Nara prefecture. According to the Kujiki they were handed down by Amaterasu to the early ruler of Yamato called Nigi-haya-hi, a predecessor of Ninigi.

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  • Kūkai — ( ja. 空海) or also known posthumously as Kōbō Daishi ( ja. 弘法大師), 774 ndash;835 CE was a Japanese monk, scholar, poet, and artist, founder of the Shingon or True Word school of Buddhism. Kūkai is famous as a calligrapher (see Shodo ), engineer,… …   Wikipedia

  • Kukai — Kūkai Kōbō Daishi (弘法大師, Kōbō Daishi? 31 juillet 774 22 avril 835), plus connu sous le nom de Kūkai (空海 …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Kukaï — Kūkai Kōbō Daishi (弘法大師, Kōbō Daishi? 31 juillet 774 22 avril 835), plus connu sous le nom de Kūkai (空海 …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Kûkai — Kūkai Kōbō Daishi (弘法大師, Kōbō Daishi? 31 juillet 774 22 avril 835), plus connu sous le nom de Kūkai (空海 …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Kūkai — (空海, Kūkai?, 31 juillet 774 22 avril 835), plus connu sous le nom de Kōbō Daishi (弘法大師 …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Kukai — Kūkai (空海; zu Deutsch etwa „Meer der Leere“; * 27. Juli 774 in Byōbugaura (heute: Zentsūji); † 22. April 835 (jap. Kalender: 835/3/21) am Kōyasan. Er war ein buddhistischer Mönch, Gelehrter und Künstler der frühen Heian Zeit Japans. Er ist der… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Kūkai — (jap. 空海; dt. etwa „Meer der Leere“; * 27. Juli 774 in Byōbugaura (heute: Zentsūji); † 22. April 835 (jap. Kalender: 835/3/21) am Kōya san) war ein buddhistischer Mönch, Gelehrter und Künstler der frühen Heian Zeit Japans. Er ist der Begründer… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Kukai — (izg. kukài) (774 835) DEFINICIJA japanski budistički učitelj koji je pokušao pomiriti budizam i šintoizam …   Hrvatski jezični portal

  • kukai — kukaĩ refr.: Bobutė išmaitino riebį oželį, antai kukaĩ vitingen bulvingen, riebį oželį (d.) Šts …   Dictionary of the Lithuanian Language

  • Kūkai — Kūkai,   mit postumem Ehrennamen Kōbō Daishi [ ʃi], japanischer Mönch und Gelehrter, * in der Provinz Somuki (heute Präfektur Kagawa) 27. 7. 774, ✝ Kōyasan 22. 4. 835; begründete 816 in Japan die buddhistische Shingon Schule (»Schule des wahren… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Kūkai — Retrato de Kūkai. Kūkai (空海, Kūkai …   Wikipedia Español

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