Nikken (日乾)

Nikken (1560 - December 6, 1635) was a Buddhist monk of Nichiren Sect in the Azuchi-momoyama period to the early Edo period. He hailed from Wakasa Province. His azana (another personal name) was Kyojun. His go (pen name) was Jakushoin.

In 1569, he became a Buddhist monk with Nikkin, a monk of Chogen-ji Temple in Wakasa Province, with his mentor and in 1571, two years later, he studied under Nichiju, a monk of Honman-ji Temple in Kyoto. In 1588, he succeeded the position of eighth chief priest of Honman-ji Temple from his mentor Nichiju. Although he took the position of Fuju-fuse (a school of Nichiren Sect which asserts that fuse (money etc. given to monks) must not be received or given from those who believe in other sutras than Hokke-kyo Sutra) during the era of Bunroku, he later changed his position to Ju-fuse (a school of Nichiren sect which asserts fuse can be received even from those who believe in other sutras than Hokke-kyo Sutra) and became in 1602 the 21st chief priest of Minobusan Kuon-ji Temple. He was embraced by Yorinobu TOKUGAWA, the lord of Kishu Domain in Kii Province, and reconstructed Renei-ji Temple in Suruga Province with Yorinobu. In response to the invitation of Koetsu HONAMI, he founded in 1627 Josho-ji Temple (Kyoto City) at Rakuhoku Takagamine as well as its danrin (a school annexed to a temple).

[Original Japanese]