Gembo
Gembo
玄昉 (d. 746)
A priest of the Dharma Characteristics (Hosso) school in Japan. He is numbered among the seven superior disciples of Gien, a Dharma Characteristics scholar, the other six being Gyoki, Senkyo, Ryobin, Gyotatsu, Ryuson, and Roben. After entering the priesthood, he studied the Consciousness-Only doctrine and then went to China in 716 or 717 where he studied the Dharma Characteristics teachings. He returned to Japan in 735, bringing with him images of the Buddha as well as sutras, treatises, and commentaries totaling more than five thousand volumes. In 737 he was appointed administrator of priests by the imperial court. He won the favor of the imperial court and served as court priest to Emperor Shomu. Because of political intrigue, however, he was banished to Kanzeon-ji temple in Chikuzen Province in 745, and died there the following year.
