Buttetsu (仏哲)
Buttetsu (year of birth and death are unkown) was a priest from a foreign country in the Nara period.
Buttetsu (仏哲) was also written as '仏徹.'
He was from Fue, Kingdom of Champa.
He entered India and studied under Bodai Senna, he excelled in the secret dharani (occult art). During the Kaiyuan era (713-741) of the Tang Dynasty, he entered Tang with Bodai Senna. By the invitation of Japanese including a priest Rikyo, in 726 he came to Japan with his master Bodai Senna and a priest from Tang Dosen (Daoxuan). After visiting Dazai-fu (local government office in Kyushu region), they entered the capital and stayed at Daian-ji Temple of Nara. Buttetsu taught some dance performances including 'Bosatsu' and 'Bato,' and 'Rinyugaku' (Indian music for dance later developed as a gagaku [Japanese court dance and music]). It has been said that Buttetsu brought a lot of scriptures of Esoteric Buddhism. At Daian-ji Temple, he taught Rinyugaku to musicians and in 752 at the ceremony of Kaigan-kuyo (consecrating a newly made Buddhist statue or image by inserting the eyes) of Daibutsu (statue of Buddha) of Todai-ji Temple, he taught some dance to performers.