Jianzhen
Jianzhen | |
|---|---|
鑒真 | |
Japanese sculpture of Jianzhen in Tōshōdai-ji temple. Nara period, 8th century AD. | |
| Personal life | |
| Born | Chunyu (first name unknown) 688 |
| Died | 763 (aged 74–75) Tōshōdai-ji, Nara Prefecture, Japan |
| Nationality | Chinese |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Buddhism |
| Temple | Daming Temple Tōshōdai-ji |
| School | Risshū |
| Lineage | 3rd generation |
| Dharma names | Jianzhen |
| Senior posting | |
| Teacher | Zhiman (智滿) Dao'an (道岸) |
Students
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| Jianzhen | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Chinese name | |||||||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 鑒真 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 鉴真 | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Ganjin | |||||
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| Japanese name | |||||
| Kanji | 鑑真 | ||||
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Jianzhen (688–763), also known by his Japanese name Ganjin (Japanese pronunciation: [ɡaꜜɲ.dʑiɴ],), was a Tang Chinese monk who helped to propagate Buddhism in Japan. In the eleven years from 743 to 754, Jianzhen attempted to visit Japan some six times, arriving in the year 753 and founding Tōshōdai-ji in Nara. When he finally succeeded on his sixth attempt, he had lost his eyesight as a result of an infection acquired during his journeys. Jianzhen's life story and voyage are described in the scroll, "The Sea Journey to the East of a Great Bonze from the Tang Dynasty."