En no GyÅja
En no Gyoja (Japanese役 の 行者), ( * 634 in Yamato, † 700 ) is a legendary ascetic, healer and magician of Japanese antiquity. In his childhood he was called Asahimaru (Japanese朝日 丸), En no Ozunu later (Japanese役 小 角). The Buddhist-influenced name En no Ubasoku (Japanese役 の 優婆塞) was born after his death. In 1799 him the posthumous name Jinben Daibosatsu (Jap.神 変 大 菩萨) was awarded by the Tennō Kōkaku. The Japanese mountain ascetics ( Yamabushi ) regard him as the founding father of the Shugendō.
Curriculum vitae
The only sources that give the figure of En no Gyoja a certain historicity, Shoku Nihongi are the ( continuation of the Nihongi ) from the eighth century and the Nihon Ryōiki ( records of miracles in Japan) from the ninth century. All other texts give later classifications and stories again.
Youth
Nihon Ryōiki According to the En no Gyoja is in 634 in the village Kayahara ( Yamato, district Kazuragi Kami no kori, Japanese大 和 国 葛 木 上郡 茅 原 村) was born as the offspring of the Kamo no e no Kimi (Japanese加 茂 役 公) Family be. His family, who later set the priests of the Kamo shrine, had brought forth for generations herbalist and healer. He also continued this tradition.
Ascetic exercises in the mountains
When his father died, Asahimaru renamed in En no Ozunu and pleaded, according to tradition, at the sky, to give his mother another child, so that he could devote his religious exercises. After his brother Tsukiwakamaru birth (Japanese月 若 丸), he moved at the age of about 32 years in the Katsuragi Mountains. As a result, he is said to have climbed many peaks in his holy exercises. Shoku Nihongi According to the he threw two fierce demons (鬼神, Kijin ) who brought water for him and firewood gathering. After one of his students named Karakuni no Muraji Hirotari (Japanese韩国 连 広 足) accused him, with harmful magic to put the people in trouble, he was exiled to the province of Izu 699. The exile and her background in the Shoku Nihongi are registered. Perhaps the story goes back to a dispute over metal deposits in the mountain region used by him.
Although there is no historical evidence of this, but no En Gyoja regarded as the founder of the Shugendō, a world characterized by Shinto, Taoism, as well as from the Tendai and Shingon Buddhism syncretic religion. In terms of their ascetic practices in the mountains, the Yamabushi called followers of this school rely on the example and practices of En no Gyoja.