Jikun (慈訓)

Jikun (or Jikin, 691-777) was a priest at Kofuku-ji Temple in Nara in the Nara period. His secular surname was Fune.
He was born in Kawachi Province

In 740, Shinjo held Kegon-kyo Sutra (Avatamska doctrine sutra) Hoe (Buddhist mass), Jikun acted as the vice lecturer, and he became the Imperial Court lecturer in 755. In the next year, in 756, Emperor Shomu became ill, and then Jikun, together with Roben and Ankan, acted as a Nursing-Dhyana-Priests and Lecturers on Kegon, which led him to be appointed Shosozu. In 760, together with Roben and others, Jikun proposed an amendment of the priest rank system to the Emperor. Later, when Dokyo came into power, he was deprived of his Sogo (priestly rank) in 763, but was returned to Shosozu (the third grade that can be held by one who has reached the second highest rank in the hierarchy of Buddhist priests) in 770.

[Original Japanese]