空 海(くうかい)

くうかい

noun (proper)

Kūkai (774-835), founder of Shingon Buddhism

proper-noun person-name religion history

1. Kūkai, Buddhist monk

A Buddhist monk who studied in Tang China and founded the Shingon school on his return, with its center at 高野山(こうやさん). Known after his death as 弘法大師(こうぼうだいし), he is also revered as one of Japan's greatest calligraphers.

空海(くうかい)は真言宗(しんごんしゅう)を開(ひら)いた。

Kūkai founded the Shingon school.

空海(くうかい)は唐(とう)で密教(みっきょう)を学(まな)んだ。

Kūkai studied esoteric Buddhism in Tang China.

四国(しこく)遍路(へんろ)は、空海(くうかい)ゆかりの88の寺(てら)を歩(ある)いて回(まわ)る巡礼(じゅんれい)だ。

The Shikoku pilgrimage is a walk around 88 temples associated with Kūkai.

In everyday speech he is usually called お大師(だいし)さん or 弘法(こうぼう)さん.

Common expressions

弘法(こうぼう)も筆(ふで)の誤(あやま)り: even Kōbō makes a slip of the brush (even experts make mistakes)
弘法(こうぼう)筆(ふで)を選(えら)ばず: Kōbō does not choose his brush (a master does not blame his tools)
弘法大師(こうぼうだいし): his posthumous title
四国(しこく)遍路(へんろ): the pilgrimage to 88 temples in Shikoku linked with him

general

Added 2026.9.28 17:45 · Revised 2026.9.28 17:48

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