ABSTRACT
Near the end of the Nara period, the monk DOkyo made an abortive attempt to usurp the throne. It was symptomatic of the corruption of Buddhism and of its political power, and the lesson was not lost to the later rulers of Japan. Emperor Kammu moved the capital from Nara first to Nagaoka (784) and then to Heian (the present-day Kyoto) in 794. He did so, at least in part, to escape the corrosive influence of the six Buddhist sects of Nara. In addition, he closely scrutinized commendation to or purchase of lands by the temples. On a more positive side, he permitted and even encouraged monks to study in mountains and forests, away from established Buddhist centers.
