Chogen

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Chōgen (copy)

Chōgen ( Japanese 重 源 , also Shunjōbō Chōgen ( 俊 乗 房 重 源 ); born 1121 in Kyōto ; died July 12, 1206 ), actually Urabe Shigesada ( 刑部 重 定 ) or Ki no Shigesada ( 紀 重 定 ), was a Japanese monk and organizer of numerous temple buildings from the late Heian and early Kamakura periods .

life and work

Chōgen was born in Kyoto as the son of Ki no Sueshige ( 紀 季 重 ), who in turn was a descendant of Ki no Haseo . At the age of 13 he became a monk and joined the Daigo-ji brotherhood . After completing a Buddhist education on Mount Ōmine and Mount Kōya , he became a student of Hōnen and joined the Jōdo direction of Buddhism. He began raising funds for the construction of temples and religious complexes across the country. Chōgen visited the China of the Song period and visited the monasteries on Mount Wuta and Tientai and brought many examples of Chinese painting and sculpture to Japan.

When the Tōdai-ji were set on fire and lost during the armed conflict in 1180 , the imperial court immediately planned to rebuild it. However, the enormous resources that were needed for this were lacking. It was therefore decided to carry out a large collection and chose Chogen as head of the action. He took on the cause with great energy, not only collecting money, but also overseeing the reconstruction. It was not only about the restoration of the large Buddha statue and the large Buddha hall ( Daibutsu-den ) including the corridors in front, but also the middle gate ( Chūmon ) and the large south gate ( Nandaimon ) and other buildings. In restoring the great Buddha he was supported by the Chinese Chen Heqing ( Chinese  陳 和 卿 , Japanese Chin Nakei). He commissioned Kaikei with new sculptures .

The style for these new buildings was markedly different from the style of the Nara period or Heian period . It is called the Tenjiku style ( 天竺 様 ) or Daibutsu style ( 大 仏 様 ), based on a modified contemporary Chinese style that Chōgen learned about in China. Since the great Buddha hall was destroyed in armed conflict in 1180 by the troops of Taira no Shigehira , this style is only preserved in the large south gate and in the main hall Jōdo-dō des Jōdo-ji in Ono .

A chapel of the Tōdai-ji, the Shunjō-dō ( 俊 乗 堂 ), which bears his name, has a statue of him that is very realistically designed.

Remarks

  1. ↑ On display in the Sayamaike Museum in Osaka Prefecture ( 大阪 府 立 狭 山 池 博物館 ).
  2. ↑ Tenjiku ( 天竺 ) actually stands for ancient India, meaning southern China.

literature

  • Tazawa, Yutaka: Chōgen . In: Biographical Dictionary of Japanese Art . Kodansha International, 1981, ISBN 0-87011-488-3 .
  • Chogen . In: Dictionnaire historique du Japon , volume 3. 1975.

Web links

Commons : Chōgen  - collection of images, videos and audio files
personal data
SURNAME Chogen
ALTERNATIVE NAMES 重 源 (Japanese, religious name); Urabe Shigesada (real name); 刑部 重 定 (real name, Japanese)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION japanese monk
DATE OF BIRTH 1121
PLACE OF BIRTH Kyoto
DATE OF DEATH July 12, 1206