Yoshishige no Yasutane (慶滋保胤)
YOSHISHIGE no Yasutane (about 931 - December 3, 1002) was a bunjin (educated person with an ability of good writing) and Confucian in the mid Heian period. His azana (alternative first name) was Mono. His karana (Chinese style name) was 定潭. His father was KAMO no Tadayuki and an expert of the Yin and Yang philosophy, but he gave up the Way of Yin and Yang as the family's succeeded academic area to study Kidendo (the study of the history), and replaced his family name of 賀茂 with 慶滋.
It is common to pronounce '慶滋' by 'yoshishige,' but Rohan KODA says in his book that it has to be read 'kamo.'
As mentioned by Rohan KODA, 賀茂 and 慶滋 are synonymous with each other, but of different characters, and considering that Yasutane's brothers were identifying themselves as 慶滋, the original pronunciation would probably be 'kamo.'
He studied with SUGAWARA no Fumitoki, Monjo hakase (professor of literature) and was promoted from monjosho (student of literary studies in the Imperial University) to Jugoinoge (Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade). He worked hard on the formation of 'Kangaku-e' (assembly to encourage learning) as Nenbutsu Kessha (a group of chanting Namu Amida Butsu (thank-you) in 964.
In 983, he prepared a draft of the imperial rescript at the time the name of the era was changed to 'Eikan.'
He became a priest in 986 and lived in Enryaku-ji Temple Yokawa on Mt. Hiei. Also, he is thought to have been involved in the formation of Nijugo zanmai-e (assembly of the twenty-five concentrations) as Nenbutsu Kessha in the same year. Initially, his Homyo (Dharma Name) was Shinkaku, but was changed to Jakushin in a later year. He was called Naiki Nyudo, and after visits to many states, he died at Nyoirin-ji Temple.
Chiteiki' (Record of a Pond Pavilion), one of his books develops a criticism about the society and the refined taste of writers and noble men at that time, and therefore, is thought to have been a foundation of literature in a secluded life. (there are a variety of old statements)
Also, he got heavily involved in Jodo shiko (the Pure Land faith) and authored 'Nihon Ojo Gokurakuki' (Japanese records of birth into the Pure Land). His Chinese poems were contained in Honcho Monzui (Anthology of waka poems and prose written in classical Chinese) and Wakan Roei Shu (Japanese and Chinese poems to sing), and his waka poems were contained in Shui Wakashu (Collection of Gleanings of Japanese Poems), all of which are still in existence.
One of his followers was Jakusho (OE no Sadamoto as his profane name).
It is partly believed to have been based on 'Hojo-ki' (An Account of My Hut or The Ten Foot Square Hut) which was authored by KAMO no Chomei.