Kūkai

(noun)

(774–835) A Japanese monk, civil servant, scholar, poet, and artist; founder of the Shingon or "True Word" school of Buddhism.

Related Terms

Examples of Kūkai in the following topics:

  • Art of Esoteric Buddhism

    • The Late Nara period saw the introduction of Esoteric Buddhism to Japan from China, by Kūkai and Saichō, who founded the Shingon and Tendai schools.
    • Kūkai impressed the emperors who succeeded Emperor Kammu, and also generations of Japanese, not only with his holiness but also with his poetry, calligraphy, painting, and sculpture.

  • Influence of Buddhism in the Heian Period

    • The Late Nara period saw the introduction of Esoteric Buddhism to Japan from China by Kūkai and Saichō, who founded the Shingon and Tendai schools.
    • Kūkai impressed the emperors who succeeded Emperor Kammu, and also generations of Japanese, not only with his religious practices but also with his poetry, calligraphy, painting, and sculpture.