The monk-Imperial Prince Kakugyo (覚行法親王)

The monk-Imperial Prince Kakugyo Hosshino (April 1075 - December 26, 1105) was a member of the Imperial Family and a monk of the middle to the late Heian period. He is the second prince of the Emperor Shirakawa. His mother was FUJIWARA no Keishi (Tsuneko), a daughter of FUJIWARA no Tsunehira. He was also called Kakunen or Naka no Omuro. He was the third monseki (chief priest who is an Imperial Prince) of the Shingon sect of Buddhism, Ninna-ji Temple.

He entered the priesthood at Ninna-ji Temple in 1085 and received commandments under the priest-Imperial Prince Shoshin. He was posted to Jimu (the representative of general affairs of the temple) after the death of Shoshin, and received kanjo (a ceremony similar to baptism) by a bonze Kani, and became kengyo (a post of supervisor of the office work at temples and shrines) of Enso-ji Temple and Hossho-ji Temple in 1098. In the next year of 1099, he received a royal command to be Imperial Prince and became the first monk-Imperial Prince. He worked as a Doshi (a sort of high priest) at a ceremony to celebrate the completion of the Sonsho-ji Temple in 1102 and became the chori (the head priest) of the Sonsho-ji Temple. He died in 1105 at the age of 31. His grave is at the Shigiosan Kuhon-ji Temple in Sonobe-cho, Nantan City, Kyoto Prefecture.

[Original Japanese]