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sōhei

A Dictionary of Buddhism | 2004 | | Copyright

sōhei (Jap.). During the period of the Tendai school's ascendancy from the 10th to the early 17th centuries, it had extensive landholdings and influence with the aristocratic classes. In order to protect these interests, the school's headquarters on Mt. Hiei maintained a corps of men who, while ostensibly ordained as clergy, actually formed a small private army. At times the sōhei formed the largest fighting force in the capital, and the Tendai school deployed them to intimidate potential rival schools and teachers. The sōhei threat was a factor in the lives, strategies, and fortunes of virtually all of the new schools of Buddhism that broke off from Tendai during the Kamakura period.

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DAMIEN KEOWN. "sōhei." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

DAMIEN KEOWN. "sōhei." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O108-shei.html

DAMIEN KEOWN. "sōhei." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O108-shei.html

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Sōhei

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions | 1997 | | Copyright

Sōhei (warrior-monks): see AKUSŌ.

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JOHN BOWKER. "Sōhei." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN BOWKER. "Sōhei." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Shei.html

JOHN BOWKER. "Sōhei." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Shei.html

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