Gakyo (雅慶)

Gakyo (date birth is not known - February 8, 1013) was a Buddhist monk of Shingon Sect in the mid-Heian period. His father was Imperial Prince Atsumi, a prince of the Emperor Uda. He was also called Nagisa no Sojo. There are several views on his year of birth like 924, 926 or 932.

He entered into priesthood under Priest Kancho Sojo, received Kanjo (a ceremony to be the successor) from Priest Kancho Sojo and became the chief priest of Kanshu-ji Temple. Thereafter, he received Kanjo from Genko and learned the doctrine of both Hirosawa school and Ono school of Shingon Sect from him. He became the head priest of Ninna-ji Temple in 986, the head priest of To-ji Temple and the head priest of Mt. Koya in 998 and the head priest of Todai-ji Temple in 999, the following year. He was conferred the title of Sojo (a title of high-ranking priest next to Daisojo) in 1002 and when he was conferred the title of Daisojo (a title of the highest-ranking priest) in 1011, he held Daizo-kyo Sutra Kuyo (a Buddhist ceremony commemorating Daizokyo Sutra's importation into Japan) at Ichijo-in Temple and founded Homan-in Temple.

[Original Japanese]