Chonen
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Chonen
j然 (d. 1016)
A priest of Todai-ji temple in Nara, Japan. A native of Kyoto, he studied at Todai-ji temple where he learned the doctrine of the Three Treatises (Sanron) school from Kanri, and the doctrine of the True Word (Shingon) school from Gengo. In 983 Chonen journeyed to China where he was welcomed by the emperor and made pilgrimages to Mount Wu-t'ai and elsewhere. He also had an image of Shakyamuni Buddha sculpted after the Buddha image enshrined at K'ai-yüan-ssu temple. In China, it was believed that the K'ai-yüan-ssu image had been sculpted in Shakyamuni's time by order of King Udayana of Kaushambiin India. In 987 Chonen returned to Japan with his reproduction of this Buddha image and numerous Buddhist scriptures. In 989 he became the superintendent of Todai-ji temple. After his death, the Buddha image he brought from China was enshrined at Seiryo-ji temple in Kyoto, where worship of it became popular because it was believed to be the image transmitted directly from India to China, and then to Japan.