Hyeja (

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 ...

: ) was the first priest who came across the sea from

Goguryeo Goguryeo (37 BC – 668 AD) (; ; Old Korean: Guryeo) also later known as Goryeo (; ; Middle Korean: 고ᇢ롕〮, ''kwòwlyéy''), was a Korean kingdom which was located on the northern and central parts of the Korea, Korean Peninsula an ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

in the

Asuka period The was a period in the history of Japan lasting from 538 to 710, although its beginning could be said to overlap with the preceding Kofun period. The Yamato period, Yamato polity evolved greatly during the Asuka period, which is named after the ...

, 595. He was a tutor of Buddhism to

Shōtoku Taishi Shōtoku may refer to: * Prince Shōtoku , also known as or , was a semi-legendary regent and a politician of the Asuka period in Japan who served under Empress Suiko. He was the son of Emperor Yōmei and his consort, Princess Anahobe no Has ...

. He propagated Buddhism in Japan. He lived at Hōkō-ji (法興寺 Hōkō temple), currently Ango-in (安居院) or Asuka-dera (飛鳥寺 Asuka temple), with priest Esō who came from

Baekje Baekje or Paekche (; ) was a Korean kingdom located in southwestern Korea from 18 BCE to 660 CE. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla. While the three kingdoms were in separate existence, Baekje had the h ...

. They were called "Sanpō no Tōryō" (三宝の棟梁 The leader of three treasures). In 615, he went back to the home country,

, with an annotated book of the Buddhist scriptures, which was written by Shōtoku Taishi.Hyeja - Naver Encyclopedia
/ref> He heard the news that Shōtoku Taishi died on February 22, 622. He grieved very much and took an oath of meeting Shōtoku Taishi again in the

Pure Land Pure Land is a Mahayana, Mahayana Buddhist concept referring to a transcendent realm emanated by a buddhahood, buddha or bodhisattva which has been purified by their activity and Other power, sustaining power. Pure lands are said to be places ...

(浄土 celestial realm) on the same day of next year. He achieved an oath.''

Nihon Shoki The or , sometimes translated as ''The Chronicles of Japan'', is the second-oldest book of classical Japanese history. It is more elaborate and detailed than the , the oldest, and has proven to be an important tool for historians and archaeol ...

'', volumes 22, Story of Suiko.

References

Korean Buddhist missionaries Goguryeo Buddhist monks Year of birth unknown 623 deaths Buddhist clergy of the Asuka period {{Korea-reli-bio-stub