Keian Genju

For the Japanese era, see Keian (1648-1652).
Keian Genju
桂庵 玄樹
Keian Genju at Kagoshima
Born1427
Shimonoseki, Nagato Province, Japan
DiedJune 28, 1508(1508-06-28) (aged 80–81)
Kagoshima, Satsuma Province, Japan

Keian Genju (桂庵 玄樹, 1427 – June 28, 1508) was a Rinzai school Buddhist priest and Confucian scholar in late Muromachi period Japan, who is noted for forming the Satsunan school of Japanese Neo-Confucianism.[1][2] who studied classics under Ishō at Nanzen-ji.[3]

Biography

Keian was born in Akamagaseki, Nagato Province (present day Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi). When he was nine years old, he became a monk and went to study at Kyoto's Nanzen-ji. Afterwards, he went to Manju-ji Temple in Bungo Province for further study, and was invited by Ōuchi Yoshitaka to become the chief priest of Eifuku-ji in Nagato Province, his hometown. Keian accompanied the 1466 mission to the Ming court in China. In Beijing, he was favored by the Chenghua Emperor.[4] He studied in Suzhou and other places, where he developed an interest in Neo-Confucianism. Keian delayed his return to Japan until 1475.,[4] but took refuge in Iwami Province to escape the ravages of the Onin War. In 1478, he was invited by Shimazu Tadamasa to become chief priest of Shōkō-ji in Ōsumi Province and Ryūgen-ji in Hyūga Province. Furthermore, he was invited by Shimazu Tadayoshi to lecture on Neo-Confucianism at Keijū-in in Satsuma Province.[5]

In 1481, Keian published his translation of Zhu Xi's Collective Commentaries on the Great Learning, the first such translation of that work into Japanese.[6] This made him famous as the founder of the Satsunan school of Neo-Confucianism.[7] He later went on to become chief priest of Kennin-ji and Nanzen-ji in Kyoto. At the age of 76, he retired to Toki-an (the location of his grave) in Satsuma and died at the age of 82.[5]

Grave of Keian

Tomb of Keian Genju in Kagoshima

Keian's grave is located in the cemetery of Keijū-in in Ishikichō, neighborhood of Kagoshima City, at the foot of a mountain to the west of the city. The grave was constructed by his disciples on the 25th anniversary of his death, but a tombstone was not erected until 1722. It was designated as a National Historic Site in 1936.[8] Currently, the whole area is maintained as Keian Park.[5]

The grave is about 4.8 kilometers north of JR Kyushu Kagoshima-Chūō Station.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1962). Sovereign and Subject, p. 242-246.
  2. ^ Iwao, Seiichi et al. (2002). Dictionnaire historique du Japon (Vol. I), p. 1490.
  3. ^ Ponsonby-Fane, p. 243.
  4. ^ a b Ponsonby-Fane, p. 244.
  5. ^ a b c Isomura, Yukio; Sakai, Hideya (2012). (国指定史跡事典) National Historic Site Encyclopedia. 学生社. ISBN 4311750404.(in Japanese)
  6. ^ Xinzhong Yao. (2005). An Introduction to Confucianism, p. 127.
  7. ^ Iwao, Seiichi et al. (2002). Dictionnaire historique du Japon (Vol. II), p. 2376.
  8. ^ "桂菴墓" (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved 20 August 2021.

References