Hyechong

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Hyechong
Japanese name
Kanji 慧灌 or 惠聰
Hiragana えそう
Korean name
Hangul 혜총
Hanja 慧灌 or 惠聰

Hyechong or called Esō was a Korean priest who transmitted Buddhism came across the sea from Korean kingdom, Baekje to Japan in the Asuka period.[1]

He came to Japan in 595 (the 3rd year of Empress Suiko), and propagated the Buddhism. When Hōkō-ji (法興寺 Hōkō temple) that is current Ango-in (安居院) or Asuka-dera (飛鳥寺 Asuka temple) was completed in 596, the monk lived with priest Eji who came from Goguryeo, and together they were called "Sanpō no Tōryō" (三宝の棟梁 "The leaders of three treasures").[2]

References

  1. ↑ Kasahara, Kazuo; McCarthy, Paul. Sekimori, Gaynor. (2001). A History of Japanese religion. Kosei Pub. p. 57. ISBN 4-333-01917-6. As soon as the temple was completed, in 596, the priest Hyechong, who had arrived from Paekche the previous year, too up residence there. Thus Paekche's influence on Asuka Buddhism was immense; indeed, Asuka Buddhism can be regarded as a branch of Paekche Buddhism
  2. ↑ Nihon Shoki, volumes 22, Story of Suiko.