''This is an article on

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

rankings. For the artist, see Yamazaki Sōkan.'' ''Sōkan'' (僧官) is the

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

system of rankings for Buddhist

clergy Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

. There are three ranks, collectively known as Sōgō (僧綱), comprising ten categories or levels, followed by a series of titles known collectively as ''sōi'' (僧位). Each of the three ranks is known by an abridged form;

monks A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...

or priests are often referred to by their rank, rather than their specific title.

Ranks

The first rank, ''sōjo'', consists of three levels: *''Dai-sōjō'' (大僧正) *''Sōjō'' (僧正) *''Gon-sōjo'' (権僧正) The second rank, ''sōzu'', has four levels: *''Dai-sōzu'' (大僧都) *''Gon-dai-sōzu'' (権大僧都) *''Shō-sōzu'' (小僧都) *''Gon-shō-sōzu'' (権小僧都) The third rank, ''risshi'', contains three levels: *''Dai-risshi'' (大律師) *''Chū-risshi'' (中律師) *''Gon-risshi'' (権律師) Those monks could then earn the following titles, known as ''sōi'': *''Hōin'' (法印) - Seal of the Law for the sōjo rank *''Hōgen'' (法現) - Eye of the Law for the sōzu rank *''Hōkyō'' (法橋) - Bridge of the Law for the risshi rank

References

*Frederic, Louis (2002). "Japan Encyclopedia." Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. Buddhism in Japan Buddhism in Silla {{Japan-reli-stub