Dōshō

▪ Japanese Buddhist priest

born 629, Kawachi province, Japan

died 700, Japan

      Japanese priest who helped introduce Buddhism into his country.

      Dōshō served as a temple priest at Gangō Temple, one of the great temples at Nara, until he left for China about 653. There he studied for eight years under the Buddhist monk Hsüan-tsang (Xuanzang) (Pinyin: Xuanzang), the founder of the Wei-shih (Ideation Only, or Consciousness Only) school, which was derived from the Indian Yogācāra (also called Vijñānaváda) philosophy and stressed the idea that the world is but a representation of the mind. Dōshō returned to Japan and introduced the doctrines of the Wei-shih (Fa-hsiang) school. It is generally believed he founded the school known as Hossō (Chinese: Fa-hsiang), which continues the Wei-shih philosophy.

      Dōshō established a centre on the grounds of the Gangō Temple where he instructed his disciples, and for 10 years he traveled around Japan to preach his doctrines. At his death, according to his wishes, his body was cremated, and he is the first person known to have been cremated in Japan.

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