Dokyo

Dōkyō (道鏡; 700 - 72) was a Japanese monk of Nara Period, belonging to Dharma character school. As he was born in the family of Yuge, the lineage of Mononobe clan, Dokyo was also known as Yuge no Dokyo. Yuge no Kiyoto was his brother.

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Born in Kawachi Province (today Osaka Prefecture), in his youth Dokyo became the disciple of monk Gien and learned Sanskrit from Rōben. In addition, it was said that Dokyo acquired the mysterious spells of Esoteric Buddhism while training in a mountain in Yamato Province.

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After serving as a nursing monk, in 761, he cured the illness of the then Empress K?ken (later Empress Shotoku); this earned him a respect. He was appointed Shosozu in 763 and Daijodaijin zenji in 765. In the next year he was promoted to Houou, advancing the political measures based on the philosophy of Buddhism. Although he managed to receive a divine message stating that Dokyo is to be the next emperor from Usa shrine in Buzen Province, his coronation plan failed after Fujiwara no Momokawa sent Wake no Kiyomaro to get the second divine message that rejected the first one. After Empress Shotoku died In 770, Dokyo fell from power, sent to Shimotsuke Province (today Tochigi Prefecture) and died there. On April 7, 772, a report of his death came to the capital.

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In a temple in Minamikawachi, Tochigi there is a tomb that is believed to be the grave of Dokyo.

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72: Centuries: 1st century BC - 1st century - 2nd century...

Nara Period: The Nara period (Japanese: 奈良時代, Nara-jidai) of the History of Japan covers the years from about AD 710 to 794. Empress Genmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō (present-day Nara), where it remained the capital of Japanese civilization until Emperor Kanmu est...

Dharma character school: Dharma-character school (Chinese: 法相宗 pinyin fa xiang zong) is the pejorative name for a stream of thought that represented the Indian Yogācāra system of thought in East Asia. Its proponents preferred the title Consciousness-only school (Chinese 唯識, piny...