imperial protector monk
Historical Buddhist term for a monk who performed rituals for the wellbeing of the imperial household.
The imperial protector monk performed rituals to pray for the emperor's health.
Standard kanji spelling for this historical Buddhist term.
Variant kanji spelling; less common than 護持僧.
Compound of 護持 (goji, 'protection, safeguard') and 僧 (sō, 'monk'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the term refers to a specific role in the imperial court.