Biographies CLIV: Rebellious Subjects, Part I: Kibi-no-Tasa, Fujiwara-no-Nakamaro, Yuge-no-Dōkyō

Kibi-no-Tasa

¶The Book of Changes, in the hexagram Shigō (Shi He), says: "Thunder and lightning bite through; the former kings, following this, made clear the punishments and fixed the laws." The Sage, explaining the meaning of its top line, said: "When evil piles up until it can no longer be hidden, and guilt grows great until it can no longer be loosed, the wearing of the cangue that destroys the ears is an ill omen." The realm is vast and its people many, yet it is gathered into one, rightly governed, and cannot be shaken by anyone, because the distinctions between high and low are clearly fixed and the bond between ruler and subject is firmly settled. Once a rift opens and men turn their backs, the small are chastised and the great are put to death. Only by rooting them out and bringing order back to a single whole can the government of the realm be established.

¶Long ago the Heavenly Ancestor ordered the two deities Futsunushi-no-kami and Takemikazuchi-no-kami to sweep away the baleful and wicked and to pacify the Central Land of the Reed Plains. Afterwards the Imperial Grandson left the heavenly rock-seat and descended to the peak of Takachiho. From then on, Emperor Jinmu marched east and destroyed Nagasunehiko, and Emperor Keikō campaigned in the west and subdued the Kumaso chieftain, the Takeru. Reverently upholding the majesty of Heaven, they carried on the deeds of those before them. All of them bore bow and arrow themselves and exposed themselves to wind and rain, to unite the realm and bring it into harmony; none acted otherwise than by this Way.

¶In the middle ages, however, incidents multiplied, the discipline of the imperial house slackened, and treacherous ministers and harmful brigands grew rampant and wild. Some relied on favor, some took advantage of violent power, some trusted in the ruggedness of mountains and rivers, some boasted of martial merit won in campaigns of conquest. Time and again there appeared men who held provinces and districts as their own and made the court tremble. Though the traces of their rebellions differ, they come to the same end: they were put to death and destroyed.

¶In the manner of the Spring and Autumn Annals, the names of the three rebels Qi, Bao, and Dao are recorded just as they were. Hence it is said: "There are those who seek a name and do not obtain it, and those who try to hide and instead have their names made plain. This is to punish unrighteousness." Even for men such as Shuqi and Moyi, the condemnation of the brush was severe. How much more so for those whose crimes filled the heavens and who threw the capital into turmoil. As for Ashikaga Takauji, Hōjō Yoshitoki, Hōjō Takatoki and the like, who raised troops and defied the court, the fact that they are now placed among the shoguns and retainers is to show how the times had changed. Therefore the "Biographies of Rebellious Subjects" is made here.

Fujiwara-no-Nakamaro

¶Kibi-no-Kamitsumichi-no-Tasa was a descendant of Prince Wakatakehiko. (Note: the Sendai Kuji Hongi states that Ta-sa, a son of Prince Nakahiko, was the first Kuni-no-miyatsuko of Kamitsumichi. Ta-sa and Tasa share the same sounds and readings. But for the view that Tasa was a son of Nakahiko, no other supporting material is to be found. The Nihon Shoki, on the other hand, makes Nakahiko, a second son of Mitomowake, the ancestor of the Kamitsumichi-no-omi. According to the Shinsen Shōjiroku, Mitomowake was a grandson of Prince Wakatakehiko. Therefore Tasa is here fixed as a descendant of Prince Wakatakehiko.)

¶Tasa's wife Wakahime had a beauty without equal in the whole province. Two sons were born to them, Ekimi and Otokimi. Tasa once boasted to a friend at court: "Of all the fair women under Heaven, none can match my wife. Without cosmetics to adorn her, without scented oil, her beauty is rare in the world and the finest of the age." Emperor Yūryaku heard this and wished to have her for himself. He appointed Tasa as Governor of Mimana and, in his absence, took Wakahime into the palace as a consort. Tasa heard of it and nursed a grudge; he raised a rebellion, holding Mimana, and himself went to Silla to seek aid.

¶At this time Silla had long neglected to send tribute, and so the emperor ordered Otokimi and Kibi-no-Amabe-no-Akao to campaign against Silla. It happened that Kan'inchiri, a skilled craftsman of the Western Fumi (Kawachi-no-Aya), was in attendance at the emperor's side, and he submitted: "There are many men of skill in the land of Kara. I beg that you summon them." And so Otokimi and his party were ordered to take him along. They passed through Paekche and, by imperial command, sought tribute and craftsmen. After arriving in Paekche and finishing their business, Otokimi's party entered Silla. A deity then appeared, taking the form of an old woman. When Otokimi asked the distance to the capital, the old woman answered: "Go on for about one more month and you will reach it." Otokimi, disliking the length of the road, did not attack Silla but turned back. He gathered the craftsmen presented by Paekche on the island of Ōshima, and, saying he was waiting for a fair wind, stayed there for several months.

¶Tasa heard of this and rejoiced; he secretly sent a messenger to say to Otokimi: "Is the bone of your neck so stiff? Why do you go to attack others? I hear that the emperor has favored your mother and even had a child by her. Misfortune will surely come upon you in time. You must hold to Paekche and not communicate with Japan. I too shall hold to Mimana and never return." But Otokimi's wife Kusuhime was deeply loyal to the state, and when she learned of this rebellious scheme she secretly poisoned Otokimi. The emperor sent Hitaka-no-Katashiwa-no-Koanisen to meet the party, and Akao and the others returned home with him.

¶Wakahime, having won the emperor's favor, bore Prince Hoshikawa. When the emperor died, the prince rose in rebellion but failed and died. Tasa heard of the disturbance and meant to help the prince; he hurried to the scene with a fleet of forty ships, but on the way learned of the prince's death and turned back. (Note: following the Nihon Shoki. One account says that on his return from Paekche Otokimi presented the Aya-no-tehito-be, the Kinunui-be, and the Shishihito-be.) Nothing is handed down of Tasa's fate afterwards.

Yuge-no-Dōkyō

¶Fujiwara-no-Nakamaro was the second son of Muchimaro, Minister of the Left. By nature he was intelligent and quick, and he had some acquaintance with books. He studied arithmetic under Abe-no-Sukunamaro, Dainagon, and became thoroughly versed in it. After serving as Uchi-toneri and as Daigaku Shō-jō, he rose step by step to Junior Fourth Rank Lower and became Minbu-kyō, Minister of Popular Affairs. When Kawachi and Settsu provinces quarreled over the management of a river embankment, Nakamaro was ordered by imperial command to investigate it. When the emperor made a progress to the Shigaraki palace, Nakamaro was left in charge of the capital, Heijō-kyō. In the fifteenth year of Tenpyō (743) he was appointed Sangi, Counsellor, and concurrently Sakyō-daibu, Governor of the Left Capital. When the emperor went to Naniwa, he was again left in charge of the capital. Soon afterwards he also became Governor of Ōmi. In the eighteenth year of Tenpyō (746) he became Shikibu-kyō, Minister of Ceremonial, was made Tōsandō Chinbushi, Pacification Commissioner of the Tōsandō, and advanced to Junior Third Rank. In the first year of Tenpyō Shōhō (749) he was appointed Dainagon, Major Counsellor, was made concurrently Shibi-rei, Director of the Palace Secretariat, and Chūei Taishō, Great General of the Palace Guards, and was advanced to Junior Second Rank.

¶Nakamaro was greatly favored by Empress Kōken and constantly attended close beside her. In the fourth year of Tenpyō Shōhō (752), when the empress went in procession to the Tōdai-ji to celebrate the eye-opening of the Rushana Buddha, on her return she stopped at Nakamaro's Tamura mansion. From then on there were frequent visits, and in the end the mansion came to be treated as a detached palace. In the first year of Tenpyō Hōji (757) the Crown Prince was deposed and Prince Ōi was installed as Crown Prince. Before this, Nakamaro's son Mayori had died, and his wife, Awata-no-Moroane, had been left a widow. Nakamaro had made Prince Ōi live at the Tamura mansion and take Moroane as his wife. Now, when Prince Ōi became Crown Prince, the post of Shibi-naishō, Inner Minister of the Palace Secretariat, was soon created, and Nakamaro took it.

¶Nakamaro, having already won the empress's favor, held the government in his hands as he pleased. The Sangi Tachibana-no-Naramaro plotted to remove Nakamaro but was himself destroyed, and those implicated numbered very many. Nakamaro's elder brother Toyonari, Minister of the Right, was also demoted and made Dazai-no-in'gai-no-sochi, Supernumerary Governor-General of Dazaifu. From then on Nakamaro's power spread far within and without, and the hundred officials all feared him so much that they averted their eyes.

¶Nakamaro memorialized as follows: "I have heard that to praise merit for all time is the constant way of a state, and to continue to fulfil filial duty is the great task of one who inherits a house. Looking into the records of the past, Emperor Tenji, who ruled the realm from the Ōmi Ōtsu palace, was a sage ruler born of Heaven, a wise and eminent sovereign, who put the institutions in order and began the regulations. At that time he granted to my great-grandfather, the Naidaijin Fujiwara (Kamatari), merit-fields of one hundred chō, in praise of his service in uniting the realm. This grant has been handed down through the generations without interruption, to this day. Since then my family has had men of capped rank standing gate by gate, and ministers of state have appeared generation after generation.

¶"Yet I privately fear that wealth and honor are hard to keep for long and that splendor wilts easily. Therefore even in security I have not forgotten danger, and even at evening I have held a solemn mind. Nevertheless, unexpectedly, wicked men plotted rebellion and very nearly overturned the imperial house and destroyed my clan. Before I had repaid the favor of my ancestors, the fortunes of my family had almost run out. I therefore wish to cultivate blessings for the other world and pray for lasting prosperity.

¶"Now at the Yamashina-dera (Kōfuku-ji) there is a Buddhist assembly called the Yuima-e, which was begun by the Naidaijin Fujiwara-no-Kamatari. But there was no one to carry it on and make it flourish, and for thirty years the assembly was suspended. In the reign of the Fujiwara court, his son the Dajō-daijin Fujiwara-no-Fuhito grieved that the hall was about to collapse and was troubled that the construction of the temple was unfinished; he made a fresh vow and took up the aim of his predecessor. He ordained that the assembly be held every year on the tenth day of the tenth month. That the lectures end on the anniversary of the Naidaijin's death is in order to protect the imperial house, uphold the Buddhist Law, guide the departed spirit, and encourage the scholar-monks.

¶"I humbly beg that these merit-fields be given to this temple for all time, to aid the Yuima-e and make it flourish ever more. Then the great achievements of the Naidaijin will be handed down as long as Heaven and Earth, and the fair renown of the Empress Dowager (Empress Kōmyō) will shine as long as the sun and moon." The emperor answered with an edict: "I have read your memorial in detail. Your wish to repay virtue is deeply sincere. To serve as a bridge for encouraging learning and to honor the masters of the Buddhist Law is something I too wish to plant, together with you, as a cause. Tell the office concerned to carry it out quickly."

¶In the second year of Tenpyō Hōji (758) the Deposed Emperor (Emperor Junnin) took the throne. The emperor issued an edict saying: "The Naishō's (Nakamaro's) meritorious service to the state is already high. Yet full reward has not yet been given, and no title has been added. Order the Sangi and the ministers and doctors of the Eight Ministries to submit a formal deliberation in accordance with ancient precedent. They must not offer groundless empty words and sully our hearing." He then appointed Nakamaro Taiho (equivalent to Minister of the Right) and issued the following edict.

¶"To praise good and chastise evil is the maxim of a sage ruler. To repay achievement and reward labor is the constant law of an enlightened sovereign. Fujiwara-no-Ason Nakamaro has, morning and evening, been untiring, has been careful in his duties and kept his post, has served his lord with loyalty, and in carrying out government has had no private motive. The foolish and clumsy he has set aside regardless of how close they were, and the wise and good he has promoted even at the cost of incurring resentment. He destroyed the rebels (Tachibana-no-Naramaro and his band) before they could fight, and the people gained peace. By fortifying the foundations against danger before anything had happened, he has ensured that the imperial line will continue for ages. That the state is free of disorder is largely owing to this man. Weighing his labors, they are truly worthy of praise.

¶"Now Yi Yin was a mere attendant minister of the house of Youshen, yet once he had helped Cheng Tang he gained the title of Ah-heng. Lü Shang (Taigong Wang) was an old man by the banks of the Wei, yet by assisting King Wen he gained the fief of Yingqiu. How much more is this so of Fujiwara-no-Ason Nakamaro, who since his ancestor the Naidaijin Kamatari has, generation after generation, aided the imperial house with bright virtue; he has served ten sovereigns over nearly a hundred years, in which the court has been free of incident and the realm clearly governed. Considering this, he has no equal even by ancient example, and there is no more beautiful instance of widely diffused benefit than this.

¶"From now on, add the two characters 'Emi' to his surname. Because he forbade violence and overcame the strong, and stopped war and quelled disorder, his name shall be 'Oshikatsu.' Furthermore, you, who are my maternal uncle, are truly fine in character. Therefore your style-name shall be called 'Shōkyū.' In addition we grant a merit fief of three thousand households and merit-fields of one hundred chō, to be handed down to your descendants for all time, to display your exceptional merit. Furthermore, as a special favor, you are permitted to mint coins, to make loans of rice (ko), and to use the seal of the Emi house." (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi. The record of Wake-no-Kiyomaro's mission to Usa, contained in the Usa Takusenshū, and the Mizukagami state: "When the emperor saw Nakamaro he smiled, and so he was called Emi." Considering this now, 'emi' (smile) and 'Emi' (the name) have the same reading in Japanese; probably what these two books record is the fact, and the text of the edict is a fine dressing of those words.)

¶On this day Oshikatsu, by imperial order, together with Ishikawa-no-Toshitari, Chūnagon, and Fun'ya-no-Chinu, Sangi, changed the names of offices. When an envoy came from Bohai, Oshikatsu gave a banquet to entertain them at his own residence. He was granted a women's music troupe and ten thousand tun of floss silk. When a great wind blew in the capital and wrecked Oshikatsu's mansion, a quantity of coarse silk and floss was bestowed on him. Soon afterwards twenty tachihaki shinin, sword-bearing attendants, were added, making forty together with those he had before.

¶In the first month of the fourth year of Tenpyō Hōji (760), the emperor visited his mansion, and to those of the Fifth Rank and above and to attendants of the rank of Sakan and above he gave, according to rank, coarse silk and floss from the Ministry of Fiscal Management. A few days later the Retired Empress (Retired Empress Kōken) and the emperor appeared in the Uchi-no-Anden and conferred Junior First Rank on Oshikatsu. The Retired Empress declared by spoken edict: "The Taiho shall be made the minister of the Kensei-kan, and the post of Taiho shall be the Taishi." She gave him a zuishin-kei, a tally for attendants. On the following day the emperor again visited the mansion.

¶In the fifth year of Tenpyō Hōji (761) the Heijō palace was repaired, and it was decided that the court would go to live at the Hora palace in Ōmi; Oshikatsu was granted one million bundles of rice. Soon there was a progress to the Hora palace, a banquet was held at his mansion, and he was soon advanced to Senior First Rank. He was granted one iron-slag mine each in Asai and Takashima districts of Ōmi province, and sixty sword-bearing attendants were added, making one hundred together with those he had before. His summer and winter clothing was supplied by the government. When an envoy came from Bohai, a banquet was held at his mansion again, and thirty chests of lined garments of mixed colors were bestowed.

¶Oshikatsu's house was already wealthy, but as favor and stipend increased day by day, in this period he built a mansion to the south of the Yamamomo palace, with towers east and west, so high that they looked down on the palace precincts, and even set up an arrow tower at the south gate. His sons Masaki, Kusumaro, and Asakari advanced to Sangi, and Oyumaro, Fujio, Karakachi, and Torikaji were all appointed to the guards and as provincial governors. His other in-laws also held important posts.

¶Oshikatsu feared that the resentment of the people had accumulated and that trouble would arise, and his suspicion and vigilance grew ever stronger. At that time the monk Dōkyō constantly attended the Retired Empress, and since her favor toward Oshikatsu was gradually declining, Oshikatsu secretly planned to remove Dōkyō. In the eighth year of Tenpyō Hōji (764), Oshikatsu approached the Retired Empress and memorialized: "I request to be made Totoku, Commissioner in charge of military affairs of the four home provinces, the three barriers, and the provinces of Ōmi, Tanba, Harima and others; that twenty soldiers from each province within the jurisdiction be assembled in rotation every five days at the Totoku's guard post so that their martial skills can be inspected, following the method of examining the troops of the provinces." This was permitted. Oshikatsu secretly doubled the number and issued orders using the seal of the Kensei-kan.

¶Takaoka-no-Hiramaro, Daigeki, Senior Secretary, fearing that disaster would reach him, secretly reported the matter. Oshikatsu summoned Ōtsu-no-Ōura, Onmyō-no-kami, Director of the Bureau of Yin and Yang, to divine good or ill fortune, but Ōura perceived Oshikatsu's intention and reported this to the Retired Empress as well. The Retired Empress sent Yamamura-no-Ō, Shōnagon, to recover the bell-and-seal of the Chūgū. Oshikatsu ordered Kusumaro to seize it. Mononobe-no-Isonami of the Konoe ran to give the Retired Empress urgent word, and the empress sent Sakanoue-no-Karitamaro, Jutō Shōjō, and Oshika-no-Shimatari, Shōsō, to shoot Kusumaro dead. Oshikatsu then sent Yatabe-no-Oyu, Chūei Shōgen, to seize it, but Ki-no-Funamori of the Jutō shot him dead.

¶Then an edict was issued: "Fujiwara-no-Emi-no-Ason Oshikatsu, Taishi of Senior First Rank, has raised troops and plotted rebellion. Therefore his office and rank are to be stripped, and the Fujiwara surname and personal name are likewise to be removed. All his duties and merit fiefs are to be confiscated." Envoys were then sent to guard the three barriers.

¶That night Nakamaro gathered his followers and fled from Uji toward Ōmi. Fujiwara-no-Kurajimaro, of Junior Fifth Rank Lower, led troops and attacked him. The Retired Empress issued an edict saying: "I hear that the rebel minister Emi-no-Nakamaro has stolen the official seals and fled. Though a subject, he enjoyed to the full a generous measure of favor; at the very point where favor was at its height and fortune was full, he has chosen to bring a heavy punishment on himself. He intimidates and subjugates foolish people in order to achieve a hope beyond his station. If there is a brave man who overturns this treasonous plan and quickly destroys him, he will surely be richly rewarded. Moreover, the provinces of the Hokurikudō need not use the seal of the Kensei-kan."

¶Kusakabe-no-Komaro, Governor of Yamashiro, and Saeki-no-Itachi, Shōjō of the Gate Guards, and others took the Tawara road straight and reached Ōmi first, and burned down the Seta bridge. When Nakamaro saw this, he lost color, fled to Takashima district, stayed at the house of Sumi-no-Ietari, former Shōryō, and meant to flee to Echizen. That night a star the size of a jar fell onto the roof above Nakamaro's sleeping place.

¶Itachi and his men galloped as far as Echizen and killed Karakachi, Governor of Echizen. Nakamaro, not knowing this, was setting up Hikami-no-Shioyaki to be made emperor. Masaki, Asakari and others, styling themselves of the Third Rank, sent several tens of picked troops and tried to enter the Arachi barrier, but Mononobe-no-Hironari of the Jutō drove them back.

¶Nakamaro, at the end of his resources, boarded a boat to cross at Shiotsu in Asai district, but a contrary wind nearly capsized the boat. He therefore took the mountain road and headed straight for the Arachi barrier, but Itachi and his men shot several of his party dead. Nakamaro turned back and reached Mio-no-saki in Takashima district, where he fought Saeki-no-Mino, Ōno-no-Mamoto and others. They fought from noon until the hour of the Monkey (about four in the afternoon), and the government troops were exhausted. When the army of Kurajimaro arrived, Masaki led his troops in retreat. Mino and the others pursued, pressing their advantage, and the killed and wounded were very many.

¶Nakamaro, seeing the defeat of his side from afar, boarded a boat and fled. The government army attacked from water and land together, and Nakamaro was blocked at Oni-e in Kachino; he fought with all his picked men, but his army broke and scattered. Nakamaro, floating on the inlet with three or four of his wife and children, was seized by the soldier Iwarei-no-Iwatate and beheaded, and his head was sent to the capital. He was fifty-nine. His wife and children and thirty-four followers were all beheaded. Also his partisan Muraguni-no-Shimanushi, Shōjō of Mino, was put to death.

¶By imperial order, all the names of offices that Nakamaro had changed were restored to the original. An edict said: "The rebel Emi-no-Nakamaro was by nature wicked and lawless, and for long he exercised power and favor as he pleased. Even so, we dealt with him leniently and hoped he would reform himself. But as favor reached its peak and his power grew, he finally plotted a great treason. On the eleventh of this month he raised troops, seized the bell-and-seal, and secretly set up Hikami-no-Shioyaki. He forged documents of the Kensei-kan, dispatched troops to the three barriers and the provinces, fled to and took a stand in Ōmi province, and escaped into Echizen province. The government army, in full force, divided its roads and pursued him. On the eighteenth Nakamaro and his sons and grandsons were beheaded. The same applies to those who joined in his evil deeds: Minakami-no-Shioyaki, Emi-no-Kosemaro, Naka-no-Iwatomo, Ishikawa-no-Ujihito, Ōtomo-no-Kosatsu, Abe-no-Oji, and others. That the rebels have been cut down is a cause for rejoicing for both Heaven and men. Proclaim this far and near, and let all know of it." Another edict said: "Toyonari's office and rank are restored." His sons were Mayori, Masaki (Note: saki is also written 'mitsu'), Kusumaro, Asakari, Oyumaro, Yoshio, Satsuo, Karakachi, and Torikaji.

¶Mayori, in the early years of Tenpyō Shōhō (749), was granted Junior Fifth Rank Lower, but died before his father. Masaki, in the Tenpyō Hōji period (757-765), became Chinkoku-e Gyōki Shōgun, and was concurrently Azechi, Inspector, of Mino, Hida, and Shinano; he rose to Sangi of Senior Fourth Rank Upper and was concurrently Dazai-no-sochi, Governor-General of Dazaifu. Kusumaro served at the Chūgū-in, conveying imperial edicts, rose to Sangi, and was concurrently Governor of Tanba.

¶Asakari, in the early years of Tenpyō Hōji (757), became Governor of Mutsu, and soon became Azechi and concurrently Chinju Shōgun, General Pacifier. By imperial order Momonoo castle was built in Mutsu province and Ogachi castle in Dewa province. An edict said: "To give one's life in service to one's lord is the utmost fidelity of a loyal subject. To give rewards according to toil is the maxim of a sage ruler. Formerly the late emperor repeatedly issued bright edicts to have Ogachi castle built, but the work was hard to accomplish and the former commander was in difficulty. Now, however, Fujiwara-no-Emi-no-Ason Asakari, of Senior Fifth Rank Lower, Azechi of Mutsu province and concurrently Chinju Shōgun, together with his men, has instructed and led the wild Emishi, made them familiar with and obedient to the court's teaching, and completed the castle without a single battle. Moreover in Oshika district of Mutsu province he crossed rivers and surmounted ridges to build the Momonoo stockade, displaying a might that robbed the rebels of their courage. Considering his merit, he ought naturally to be rewarded and promoted. He is specially granted Junior Fourth Rank Lower."

¶In the autumn of the fourth year of Tenpyō Hōji (760), the Silla envoy Kim Chŏng-gwŏn came to present tribute, but because the envoy's bearing lacked the proper propriety, Asakari was ordered to question him. This matter appears in the "Biography of Silla." Soon afterwards he became Nimbu-kyō, and, remaining Azechi, he further became Tōkaidō Setsudoshi, Military Commissioner of the Tōkaidō, rose to Junior Fourth Rank Upper, and became Hyōbu-kyō, Minister of War. In the sixth year of Tenpyō Hōji (762) he was appointed Sangi. (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi.) Now in the Jinki period (724-729) Ōno-no-Azumahito, Azechi, built Taga castle in Mutsu province, and Asakari, during his tenure, erected a stele recording the distances of the roads. (Note: following the Taga castle stele.)

¶Oyumaro held Junior Fifth Rank Upper. Satsuo was Ukohon no Sotsu. Karakachi was Sakohon no Kami and Governor of Echizen. Torikaji held Junior Fifth Rank Lower and was Governor of Mino. All shared their father's fate.

¶Yoshio, in the third year of Tenpyō Shōhō (751), became a student sent to Tang and was granted Junior Fifth Rank Lower. In the fourth year (752), he went to Tang following the ambassador Fujiwara-no-Kiyokawa. When his father was put to death, he escaped the death penalty because he had long practiced Zen discipline, and was exiled to Oki. Later he was recalled, and in the Hōki period (770-781) he recovered his original rank and surname and became Governor of Tajima. Soon he advanced to Junior Fifth Rank Upper and successively served as Gyōbu Daihanji, Chief Judge of the Ministry of Justice, Taifu, and Governor of Kazusa. In the Enryaku period (782-806) he successively served as Daigaku, Udaitoneri, and Onmyō-no-kami. (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi.)

¶Yuge-no-Dōkyō was a man of Kawachi province. (Note: the Kōin Jōunroku says he was a son of Prince Shiki, but this is not found in the Kugyō Bunin or other books and is probably an error. Therefore this view is not adopted here.) He became a monk in his youth and was known for his Zen discipline. Summoned by Empress Kōken, he entered the Naidōjō, the inner Buddhist chapel, and became a Zenji, Zen master. (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi.) Dōkyō studied under Gien, Sōjō, and practiced the Nyoirin rite and the Sukuyō rite, with efficacious results, and was shown favor on this account. (Note: following the Rekidai Kōki.)

¶In the Tenpyō Hōji period (757-765), when the Retired Empress Kōken went to the Hora palace she fell ill, and Dōkyō constantly attended at her side. When the emperor (Emperor Junnin) reproached this, the Retired Empress was displeased and returned to the capital. Soon she sent an envoy to the Yamashina-dera, proclaimed an edict dismissing Jikun, Shō Sōzu, Junior Prelate, and appointed Dōkyō to that post. Before this, Fujiwara-no-Nakamaro had won the favor of the sovereign and monopolized power, but when Dōkyō gained favor, Nakamaro gradually came to be neglected and kept at a distance, and in the end he rebelled and was put to death.

¶The Retired Empress issued an edict saying: "When I look at the Zenji (Dōkyō), his conduct is utterly pure; he carries on and makes flourish the Buddhist Law and guards the throne. Now, although I have shaved my head and put on the kesa, I cannot refrain from looking after the government of the court. A Buddhist scripture says: 'When a king is on the throne, he upholds the pure precepts of a bodhisattva.' From this it is known that the garb of a renunciant is no hindrance to government. From this I reason that a sovereign who has left the household life must have ministers who have left it as well. Therefore he is to be given rank as Daijin Zenji, Minister Zen Master, and his duties and fief households are to be equal to those of a minister." Dōkyō submitted a memorial declining this. The Retired Empress answered: "Having seen the memorial of the Daijin Zenji, I understand well what you mean by it. You hold only to modesty and firmly express your wish to withdraw, but in raising Buddhism, without high rank men cannot be brought to submit in their hearts, and in encouraging the monks, without high honor it is hard to urge them to swift diligence. Now that we confer this rank, how could it be to trouble the Zenji with worldly business? Understand this intention well and withdraw your memorial."

¶After the emperor (Emperor Junnin) was deposed, Dōkyō, relying on favor, behaved ever more as he pleased. In the first year of Tenpyō Jingo (765), Dōkyō became Dajō-daijin Zenji, Chancellor Zen Master, and had the civil and military officials offer him congratulations. (Note: according to the record of Wake-no-Kiyomaro's mission to Usa contained in the Usa Takusenshū, Dōkyō said: "Even though I am made a sōzu, I am held lightly by laymen. I beg you to make me Dajō-daijin so that I may assist in the government of the court," and this was permitted. It states that Dōkyō, wearing a sword and holding a shaku, still in his kesa, appointed and dismissed officials at will. That book gives very detailed accounts of Dōkyō's doings, but it places Nakamaro's rebellion after Dōkyō became Hōō, Dharma King, which does not agree with the account in this book, and so its text is only selected from and added here.)

¶Kishin, a monk of the Yamashina-dera, under the pretense of magic bound a boy and made him reveal other people's secrets, made an image of Bishamonten, set a few small jewels before it, and claimed that Buddha's relics had appeared. Dōkyō wished to delude people and use this as an auspicious sign for himself, and he moved the emperor to proclaim an amnesty throughout the realm and to grant everyone one rank. The emperor was greatly pleased, received the relics with ceremony, chose two hundred men of fine appearance from the various clans, dressed them in gold, silver, vermilion and purple garments, and had them carry banners and canopies and line up in front and behind. Of the hundred officials, those of Sakan rank and above worshiped them. Because Dōkyō had taught the monks well and obtained the relics, he was by edict granted the rank of Hōō, Dharma King. At the same time Kishin was given Hō-sangi (Dharma Counsellor), Dai-risshi, Senior Vinaya Master, and Senior Fourth Rank Upper, was granted the surname Mononobe-no-Jōshi-no-Ason, and was given eight soldiers as escort. The monk Engō received the rank of Hōshin, Dharma Minister. Engō was Kishin's teacher. The Dharma King's monthly stipend was made equal to the emperor's table provisions (kugo), the Dharma Minister's to a Dainagon's, and the Dharma Counsellor's to a Sangi's.

¶Thus Dōkyō rode in the imperial carriage (ranyo), and his clothing and food were made equal to the emperor's. In government, large and small, there was nothing that was not decided by Dōkyō. His younger brother Kiyohito rose from no rank and no office and within eight years reached Junior Second Rank and Dainagon. Of the men and women of his clan, ten were granted Fifth Rank. (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi.)

¶In the first year of Jingo Keiun (767) the Hōō Kū-shiki, Office of the Dharma King's Household, was established, with Koma-no-Fukushin, Zōgū-kyō, Minister of Palace Construction, as Daibu, Takaoka-no-Hiramaro, Daigeki, as Suke, and Kachii-no-Michiyori, Chokushi Daijō, as Daijō, together with one Shōjō, one Daisakan, and two Shōsakan. Kishin behaved wildly and violently, not fearing even those of high station, and people on the road feared him like a tiger. Soon, for the crime of insulting Engō, he was banished to Hida.

¶In the first month of the third year of Jingo Keiun (769), Dōkyō received the congratulations of the ministers and below in the front hall of the Western Palace. A few days later the emperor held a banquet at his mansion, and Dōkyō gave each person of Fifth Rank and above one suri-ginu, printed robe. Nakatomi-no-Sugeki-no-Asomaro, Dazai-no-kannushi, Chief Priest of Dazaifu, falsely claimed an oracle of the Usa Hachiman deity and announced: "If Dōkyō is placed on the throne of the Son of Heaven, the realm will be at peace." Dōkyō heard this and gradually came to harbor hopes of the throne. The emperor was misled by it and sent Wake-no-Kiyomaro to receive the oracle. Kiyomaro returned and reported that the deity would not permit it. Dōkyō was enraged and demoted Kiyomaro and sent him into exile.

¶In the first year of Hōki (770) the emperor made a progress to the Yuge palace (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi) and gave himself to pleasure with Dōkyō, their intimacy exceeding all bounds. Dōkyō, wishing to please the emperor still more, presented lewd implements. From this the emperor fell ill, returned to Heijō-kyō, and died. (Note: following the Mizukagami.) Dōkyō thought that "authority and fortune are mine to command, and the people should look up to me," but when the rites at the mausoleum (sanryō) were over, he was kept on, still in mourning. The ministers set up Prince Shirakabe and had him take the throne. This was Emperor Kōnin.

¶Sakanoue-no-Karitamaro reported Dōkyō's crimes. An order was therefore issued: "We hear that the priest Dōkyō has long nursed a shameless ambition. That his treacherous plan was discovered before the earth of the late emperor's mausoleum was even dry is owing to the protection of the gods and the aid of the altars of state. Yet considering the late emperor's deep favor, we cannot bear to inflict punishment on him. Reducing the death penalty, send him as Zō, Superintendent, to be Betto of the Shimotsuke Yakushi-ji, and have him depart on this very day." Sugeki-no-Asomaro was also demoted and made Governor of Tane island. Since Tenpyō Jingo (765) the ordination certificates (dochō) of monks and nuns had used Dōkyō's seal, but at this time they were changed to the seal of the Ministry of Civil Administration (Jibu-shō). In the third year of Hōki (772) Dōkyō died at his place of demotion and was buried with the rites for a commoner. (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi.)