Biography of Priest Kūkai 弘法大師御勘文こうぼうだいしごかんもん

Description

This work brings together a variety of source materials related to the life of Kūkai (774–835) that have been arranged chronologically to recount his achievements and episodes from various periods in his life. It is thought to have been compiled by a priest at Daigoji Temple during the Heian period (794–1185). This work is invaluable as one of the earliest Kūkai biographies; it represents the beginnings of his towering stature in Japanese culture and history.

These scrolls contain several records about Priest Kūkai which are chronologically ordered. The first volume begins with a brief chronicle of the period between 701 and 773, then the biography of Kūkai from his birth in 813 until the age of forty follows. In the second volume, records of Kūkai's life from 814 until his death at the age of 62 in 835 are included. Following the biography, the letter of condolence by the Emperor Junna sent after Kūkai's death, the miraculous legend about Kūkai told by Priest Kanken, and other records are included in this volume. Kana-type characters and Japanese pronunciation for Chinese characters are written in the texts in red ink. Although the origin of this biography is not known, it probably was written by some monk in Daigo-ji temple during the Heian period. It is an important record for studying the compilation of Kūkai's biography. Judging from the calligraphic style, it is conceivable that this copied record was made at the end of the Heian period.