Empress Kōmyō (光明皇后) (701 – 23 July 760), born Fujiwara Asukabehime (藤原 安宿媛), was the consort of Japanese Emperor Shōmu (701–756) during the Nara Period.[1]
A member of the Fujiwara clan, her father was Fujiwara no Fuhito[2] and her mother was Agata Inukai no Michiyo (県犬養三千代). During her life she was also known as Asukabehime (安宿媛), Kōmyōshi (光明子), and Tōsanjō (藤三娘), literally the third Fujiwara daughter.
In 716, Kōmyō married the future Emperor Shōmu when he was still the crown prince. Two years later, she gave birth to her daughter, Princess Abe, who would later rule as Empress Kōken and Empress Shōtoku. Her son was born in 727 and was soon named crown prince, but he died as an infant. Rumors circulated that Prince Nagaya cursed the infant prince using black magic, and Nagaya was forced to commit suicide in response.[3]
Kōmyō was named queens-consort or "kōgō" in 729, a position that prioritized her offspring as heir to the throne.[4] An extra-codal office was created for the queen-consort, the Kōgōgūshiki; this bureaucratic innovation continued into the Heian period.[5] She was an influential political figure in her own right and helped balance tensions between Fujiwara and non-Fujiwara factions at court.
She is buried in Nara Prefecture's Hōrenji-cho in the mausoleum Sahoyama no Higashi no Misasagi 佐保山東陵 near Emperor Shōmu in the southern mausoleum.
Buddhist Faith
Kōmyō grew up surrounded by Buddhist influence. Her father was a key figure in developing Kōfukuji. Her mother seems to have been a devout Buddhist and entered the Buddhist order in 721. Her uncle, Jōe, was a monk who traveled to China to study.[6]
Kōmyō's own faith appears in the historical record from 727, when she began copying sutras for the safe birth of her son. She was likely the most active patron of sutra copying in the eighth-century, operating a prolific scriptorium first tied to her household and then connected to Tōdaiji.[7] She was the chief proponent of the Kokubunji system, which called for pairs of monasteries and nunneries to be built in every province. She also sponsored charitable institutions such as medicinal dispensaries and shelters for the needy.[8] These charitable endeavors were inspired by Buddhist notions of compassion and bodhisattva conduct. She received the bodhisattva precepts with her husband in 754.
Legacy
Artifacts connected with Kōmyō and Shōmu are among the treasures housed at the Shōsōin. Four of her poems are included in the Man'yōshū imperial anthology. As a devout adherent of Buddhism, Kōmyō encouraged the construction and enrichment of temples, including Shinyakushi-ji (Nara), Hokke-ji (Nara), Kōfuku-ji (Nara), and Tōdai-ji (Nara).
In the medieval period, Kōmyō became an object of worship and numerous legends started to circulate about her. She was seen as a bodhisattva in human form and a protector of nuns. She was especially important at Hokkeji, where pilgrims traveled to see an image of Kannon said to be in her likeness.[9] A particularly famous story describes her bathing a leper, who turned out to be a buddha in disguise. She was also said to have founded numerous temples with a number claiming she was the child of a doe impregnated by drinking the urine of a mountain ascetic.[10] She remained a symbol of the ideal Buddhist woman in the modern period and continues to be venerated at Hokkeji today.
While most stories were positive, some medieval and early modern authors criticized her. Kokan Shiren thought the story of her bathing the leper was inappropriate conduct for a wife.[11] In another story, she is said to have broke the gates of Tōdaiji trying to enter as a woman and ended up in hell for doing so.[12][13]
Kōmyōike Station in southern Osaka Prefecture takes its name from a nearby artificial lake named after Empress Kōmyō. This toponym comes from a supposed association with the empress's birthplace in Izumi Province.
Genealogy
Asukabehime (安宿媛) was the daughter of Fujiwara no Fuhito and his fourth wife, Agatainukai-no-Tachimana no Michiyo. She had one younger sister born by the same mother and sixth half siblings among which one become Empress consort of Emperor Monmu, mother of Emperor Shōmu.
Lady Fujiwara married Crown Prince Obito and became one of his multiple wives. In 718 she gave birth Imperial Princess Abe (阿倍内親王). On 3 March 724, Crown Prince Obito ascended the throne and became emperor. Lady Fujiwara was awarded the rank of Madame (Fujin)(夫人). In 727 she gave birth to prince who died prematurely. On 10 August 729, she became Empress Consort (Kōgō).
Her Daughter, Imperial Princess Abe was the only woman named crown prince in the history of Japan. Princess Abe succeeded her father and became empress regnant.
^Ooms, Herman (2009). Imperial politics and symbolics in ancient Japan : the Tenmu dynasty, 650-800. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press. pp. 237–241. ISBN9780824832353.
^Lowe, Bryan D. (2017). Ritualized writing : Buddhist practice and scriptural cultures in ancient Japan. Honolulu. p. 124. ISBN9780824859435.
^Piggott, Joan R. (1997). The Emergence of Japanese Kingship, p. 308.
^Engendering faith : women and Buddhism in premodern Japan. Ann Arbor, Mich.: Center for Japanese Studies, University of Michigan. 2002. pp. 21–40. ISBN9781929280155.
^Lowe, Bryan D. (2017). Ritualized writing : Buddhist practice and scriptural cultures in ancient Japan. Honolulu. pp. 122–131. ISBN9780824859435.
^Engendering faith : women and Buddhism in premodern Japan. Ann Arbor, Mich.: Center for Japanese Studies, University of Michigan. 2002. pp. 21–40. ISBN9781929280155.
^Meeks, Lori Rachelle (2010). Hokkeji and the reemergence of female monastic orders in premodern Japan. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. pp. 36–47. ISBN9780824833947.
^Faure, Bernard (2003). The power of denial : Buddhism, purity, and gender. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press. p. 389. ISBN9781400825615.
^Faure, Bernard (2003). The power of denial : Buddhism, purity, and gender. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press. pp. 194–195. ISBN9781400825615.
^Engendering faith : women and Buddhism in premodern Japan. Ann Arbor, Mich.: Center for Japanese Studies, University of Michigan. 2002. p. 99. ISBN9781929280155.
^Faure, Bernard (2003). The power of denial : Buddhism, purity, and gender. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press. p. 194. ISBN9781400825615.
References
Brown, Delmer M. and Ichirō Ishida, eds. (1979). Gukanshō: The Future and the Past. Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN978-0-520-03460-0; OCLC 251325323
Faure, Bernard. (2003). The Power of Denial: Buddhism, Purity, and Gender, Princeton, NJ.: Princeton University Press.
Groner, Paul. (2002). “Vicissitudes in the Ordination of Japanese ‘Nuns’ during the Eighth through the Tenth Centuries.” In Engendering Faith: Women and Buddhism in Premodern Japan, edited by Barbara Ruch, 65–108. Ann Arbor: Center for Japanese Studies, University of Michigan, 2002.
Lowe, Bryan. (2017). Ritualized Writing: Buddhist Practice and Scriptural Cultures in Ancient Japan.Honolulu: University of Hawai‘i Press.
Lowe, Bryan and Monica Bethe. (2019). "Kōmyō." In Brill Encyclopedia of Buddhism, volume II: Lives, edited by Jonathan Silk, 1020–1024. Leiden: Brill.
Meeks, Lori. (2010). Hokkeji and the Reemergence of Female Monastic Orders in Premodern Japan, Honolulu: University of Hawai‘i Press.
Mikoshiba Daisuke “Empress Kōmyō’s Buddhist Faith: Her Role in the Founding of the State Temple and Convent System.” In Engendering Faith: Women and Buddhism in Premodern Japan, edited by Barbara Ruch, 21–40. Ann Arbor: Center for Japanese Studies, University of Michigan, 2002.
Ooms, Herman. (2009). Imperial Politics and Symbolics in Ancient Japan The Tenmu Dynasty, 650-800.'Honolulu: University of Hawai‘i Press.
Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). Nihon Odai Ichiran; ou, Annales des empereurs du Japon. Paris: Royal Asiatic Society, Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland. OCLC 5850691
Ury, Marian “Nuns and Other Female Devotees in Genkō shakusho (1322), Japan’s First History of Buddhism,” In Engendering Faith: Women and Buddhism in Premodern Japan, edited by Barbara Ruch, 189–207. Ann Arbor: Center for Japanese Studies, University of Michigan, 2002.
Varley, H. Paul. (1980). Jinnō Shōtōki: A Chronicle of Gods and Sovereigns. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN978-0-231-04940-5; OCLC 59145842
empress, kōmyō, 光明皇后, july, born, fujiwara, asukabehime, 藤原, 安宿媛, consort, japanese, emperor, shōmu, during, nara, period, 光明皇后empress, komyo, drawn, kanzan, shimomura, 1897, empress, consort, japanreign10, august, july, 749empress, dowager, japanbornfujiwara,. Empress Kōmyō 光明皇后 701 23 July 760 born Fujiwara Asukabehime 藤原 安宿媛 was the consort of Japanese Emperor Shōmu 701 756 during the Nara Period 1 Empress Kōmyō光明皇后Empress Komyo drawn by Kanzan Shimomura 1897 Empress Consort of JapanReign10 August 729 2 July 749Empress Dowager of JapanBornFujiwara Asukabehime藤原 安宿媛701JapanDied23 July 760JapanBurialSahoyama Tomb Nara City JapanSpouseEmperor ShōmuIssueEmpress KōkenPrince MotoiClanFujiwaraFatherFujiwara no FuhitoMotherAgatainukai no Tachimana no MichiyoEmpress Kōmyō depicted by Ryuryukyo Shinsai An example of Empress Kōmyō s calligraphy and her autograph signature Gakki ron c 756 Contents 1 Life 2 Buddhist Faith 3 Legacy 4 Genealogy 5 See also 6 Notes 7 References 8 External linksLife EditA member of the Fujiwara clan her father was Fujiwara no Fuhito 2 and her mother was Agata Inukai no Michiyo 県犬養三千代 During her life she was also known as Asukabehime 安宿媛 Kōmyōshi 光明子 and Tōsanjō 藤三娘 literally the third Fujiwara daughter In 716 Kōmyō married the future Emperor Shōmu when he was still the crown prince Two years later she gave birth to her daughter Princess Abe who would later rule as Empress Kōken and Empress Shōtoku Her son was born in 727 and was soon named crown prince but he died as an infant Rumors circulated that Prince Nagaya cursed the infant prince using black magic and Nagaya was forced to commit suicide in response 3 Kōmyō was named queens consort or kōgō in 729 a position that prioritized her offspring as heir to the throne 4 An extra codal office was created for the queen consort the Kōgōgushiki this bureaucratic innovation continued into the Heian period 5 She was an influential political figure in her own right and helped balance tensions between Fujiwara and non Fujiwara factions at court She is buried in Nara Prefecture s Hōrenji cho in the mausoleum Sahoyama no Higashi no Misasagi 佐保山東陵 near Emperor Shōmu in the southern mausoleum Buddhist Faith EditKōmyō grew up surrounded by Buddhist influence Her father was a key figure in developing Kōfukuji Her mother seems to have been a devout Buddhist and entered the Buddhist order in 721 Her uncle Jōe was a monk who traveled to China to study 6 Kōmyō s own faith appears in the historical record from 727 when she began copying sutras for the safe birth of her son She was likely the most active patron of sutra copying in the eighth century operating a prolific scriptorium first tied to her household and then connected to Tōdaiji 7 She was the chief proponent of the Kokubunji system which called for pairs of monasteries and nunneries to be built in every province She also sponsored charitable institutions such as medicinal dispensaries and shelters for the needy 8 These charitable endeavors were inspired by Buddhist notions of compassion and bodhisattva conduct She received the bodhisattva precepts with her husband in 754 Legacy EditArtifacts connected with Kōmyō and Shōmu are among the treasures housed at the Shōsōin Four of her poems are included in the Man yōshu imperial anthology As a devout adherent of Buddhism Kōmyō encouraged the construction and enrichment of temples including Shinyakushi ji Nara Hokke ji Nara Kōfuku ji Nara and Tōdai ji Nara In the medieval period Kōmyō became an object of worship and numerous legends started to circulate about her She was seen as a bodhisattva in human form and a protector of nuns She was especially important at Hokkeji where pilgrims traveled to see an image of Kannon said to be in her likeness 9 A particularly famous story describes her bathing a leper who turned out to be a buddha in disguise She was also said to have founded numerous temples with a number claiming she was the child of a doe impregnated by drinking the urine of a mountain ascetic 10 She remained a symbol of the ideal Buddhist woman in the modern period and continues to be venerated at Hokkeji today While most stories were positive some medieval and early modern authors criticized her Kokan Shiren thought the story of her bathing the leper was inappropriate conduct for a wife 11 In another story she is said to have broke the gates of Tōdaiji trying to enter as a woman and ended up in hell for doing so 12 13 Kōmyōike Station in southern Osaka Prefecture takes its name from a nearby artificial lake named after Empress Kōmyō This toponym comes from a supposed association with the empress s birthplace in Izumi Province Genealogy EditAsukabehime 安宿媛 was the daughter of Fujiwara no Fuhito and his fourth wife Agatainukai no Tachimana no Michiyo She had one younger sister born by the same mother and sixth half siblings among which one become Empress consort of Emperor Monmu mother of Emperor Shōmu Lady Fujiwara married Crown Prince Obito and became one of his multiple wives In 718 she gave birth Imperial Princess Abe 阿倍内親王 On 3 March 724 Crown Prince Obito ascended the throne and became emperor Lady Fujiwara was awarded the rank of Madame Fujin 夫人 In 727 she gave birth to prince who died prematurely On 10 August 729 she became Empress Consort Kōgō Her Daughter Imperial Princess Abe was the only woman named crown prince in the history of Japan Princess Abe succeeded her father and became empress regnant Empress Fujiwara became Empress Dowager See also EditJapanese empressesNotes Edit Ponsonby Fane Richard 1959 The Imperial House of Japan pp 57 58 Brown Delmer 1979 Gukanshō p 274 Ooms Herman 2009 Imperial politics and symbolics in ancient Japan the Tenmu dynasty 650 800 Honolulu University of Hawai i Press pp 237 241 ISBN 9780824832353 Lowe Bryan D 2017 Ritualized writing Buddhist practice and scriptural cultures in ancient Japan Honolulu p 124 ISBN 9780824859435 Piggott Joan R 1997 The Emergence of Japanese Kingship p 308 Engendering faith women and Buddhism in premodern Japan Ann Arbor Mich Center for Japanese Studies University of Michigan 2002 pp 21 40 ISBN 9781929280155 Lowe Bryan D 2017 Ritualized writing Buddhist practice and scriptural cultures in ancient Japan Honolulu pp 122 131 ISBN 9780824859435 Engendering faith women and Buddhism in premodern Japan Ann Arbor Mich Center for Japanese Studies University of Michigan 2002 pp 21 40 ISBN 9781929280155 Meeks Lori Rachelle 2010 Hokkeji and the reemergence of female monastic orders in premodern Japan Honolulu University of Hawaii Press pp 36 47 ISBN 9780824833947 Faure Bernard 2003 The power of denial Buddhism purity and gender Princeton N J Princeton University Press p 389 ISBN 9781400825615 Faure Bernard 2003 The power of denial Buddhism purity and gender Princeton N J Princeton University Press pp 194 195 ISBN 9781400825615 Engendering faith women and Buddhism in premodern Japan Ann Arbor Mich Center for Japanese Studies University of Michigan 2002 p 99 ISBN 9781929280155 Faure Bernard 2003 The power of denial Buddhism purity and gender Princeton N J Princeton University Press p 194 ISBN 9781400825615 References EditBrown Delmer M and Ichirō Ishida eds 1979 Gukanshō The Future and the Past Berkeley University of California Press ISBN 978 0 520 03460 0 OCLC 251325323 Faure Bernard 2003 The Power of Denial Buddhism Purity and Gender Princeton NJ Princeton University Press Groner Paul 2002 Vicissitudes in the Ordination of Japanese Nuns during the Eighth through the Tenth Centuries In Engendering Faith Women and Buddhism in Premodern Japan edited by Barbara Ruch 65 108 Ann Arbor Center for Japanese Studies University of Michigan 2002 Lowe Bryan 2017 Ritualized Writing Buddhist Practice and Scriptural Cultures in Ancient Japan Honolulu University of Hawai i Press Lowe Bryan and Monica Bethe 2019 Kōmyō In Brill Encyclopedia of Buddhism volume II Lives edited by Jonathan Silk 1020 1024 Leiden Brill Meeks Lori 2010 Hokkeji and the Reemergence of Female Monastic Orders in Premodern Japan Honolulu University of Hawai i Press Mikoshiba Daisuke Empress Kōmyō s Buddhist Faith Her Role in the Founding of the State Temple and Convent System In Engendering Faith Women and Buddhism in Premodern Japan edited by Barbara Ruch 21 40 Ann Arbor Center for Japanese Studies University of Michigan 2002 Ooms Herman 2009 Imperial Politics and Symbolics in Ancient Japan The Tenmu Dynasty 650 800 Honolulu University of Hawai i Press Piggott Joan R 19970 The Emergence of Japanese Kingship Stanford Stanford University Press ISBN 9780804728324 OCLC 247691704 Ponsonby Fane Richard Arthur Brabazon 1959 The Imperial House of Japan Kyoto Ponsonby Memorial Society OCLC 194887 Titsingh Isaac 1834 Nihon Odai Ichiran ou Annales des empereurs du Japon Paris Royal Asiatic Society Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland OCLC 5850691 Ury Marian Nuns and Other Female Devotees in Genkō shakusho 1322 Japan s First History of Buddhism In Engendering Faith Women and Buddhism in Premodern Japan edited by Barbara Ruch 189 207 Ann Arbor Center for Japanese Studies University of Michigan 2002 Varley H Paul 1980 Jinnō Shōtōki A Chronicle of Gods and Sovereigns New York Columbia University Press ISBN 978 0 231 04940 5 OCLC 59145842External links EditPhotographs of the mausolea of Empress Kōmyō and Emperor Shōmu Empress Kōmyō s poetry in JapaneseJapanese royaltyPreceded byPrincess Tōchi Empress consort of Japan730 749 Succeeded byPrincess Inoe Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Empress Kōmyō amp oldid 1132489932, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
