Background
Dōshō was born in the province of Kawachi and in 653 went to China, at that time ruled by the T’ang dynasty.
Dōshō was born in the province of Kawachi and in 653 went to China, at that time ruled by the T’ang dynasty.
He studied in China under the eminent monk Hsiian-tsang (d. 664).
After returning to Japan, he built a cloister called Zen-in in the southeast corner of the grounds of Gango-ji, where he devoted himself to teaching and religious practice.
He also traveled about to various provinces devoting himself to works that would contribute to public welfare.
In accordance with his instructions, his body was cremated when he died,' the earliest known incidence of cremation in Japan.
The Hosso sect, which he introduced to Japan, was based upon the yuishiki or “consciousness- only” doctrines of the Indian Buddhist philosopher Vasubandhu (ca. fifth century), which were transmitted to China and put into final form by Hsiian- tsang and his disciple K’uei-chi (632-682). Kofuku-ji, one of the main temples of Nara, served as the chief center for the sect, which enjoyed great prominence during the Nara period.
Recent researches, however, suggest that the sect of Buddhism introduced by Dōshō may not in fact have been the Hosso, but a similar sect known as Shoron. The Shoron sect bases its teachings upon the Shodaijoron, a work by Asanga, the elder brother of Vasubandhu. It flourished in China somewhat earlier than the Hossō sect.