was a Japanese monk who rose to power through the favor of Empress Kà Âken (Empress Shà Âtoku) and became a Daijà Â-daijin Zenji, the rank set up for him, and later became a Hà Âà Â, the highest rank of the religious world.
He served Ryoben at Tà Âdai-ji. He was favored by retired empress Kà Âken for nursing her and healing her illness. After the Fujiwara no Nakamaro Rebellion, Kà Âken came to the throne again as Empress Shà Âtoku, and Dà Âkyà  became Daijà Â-daijin and then Hà Âà Â, and wielded great power. He also attempted to take advantage of the oracle of Usa Hachiman to assume the position of emperor, but was blocked by Wake no Kiyomaro. He lost his position after the death of Empress Shà Âtoku and was sent to Shimotsuke Yakushi-ji.
He has historical reputation as one of , a nickname which he shared with Ashikaga Takauji and Taira no Kiyomori; who also known with similar sobriquet as Japan's Three Great Villains by Confucian-minded history scholars due to their lack of loyalty to the throne.
Dà Âkyà  was born in Kawachi Province (modern eastern Osaka). His family, the Yuge no Muraji, were part of the provincial gentry. He was taught both by a Confucian teacher and by the Abbot Gien of the Eihei-ji. Under Gien he learned Sanskrit. Subsequently, Dà Âkyà  lived as an ascetic for several years in the Kongà  Range on Honshu, where he practiced meditation and sutras; both of these practices were concerned with the acquisition of magical powers. In 748 he is recorded as being at the Todai-ji under Rà Âben, and in 749 he participated in a sutra copying ceremony in Nara, and was called to Kà Âken's court three years later.
When Dà Âkyà  cured the illness of Kà Âken in 761, after she had abdicated in 758, he attained a secure and influential place in her court; she initially regarded him as her healer and spiritual adviser, before turning to him for political advice as well. According to some accounts, he also became her lover. When Emperor Junnin attempted to remonstrate her over this latter issue, she rebuffed him and granted Dà Âkyà  greater powers and authority. She appointed him shà Âsà Âzu (vice-rector) in 763. Fujiwara no Nakamaro, a favorite of the Junnin and Chancellor, was angered by this decision but failed in his attempt to oppose Dà Âkyà  - he was exiled. When Kà Âken returned to the throne as Empress Shà Âtoku following Fujiwara no Nakamaro's unsuccessful rebellion, Dà Âkyà  was made daijà Â-daijin within a year, giving him authority over both civil and religious affairs.
In 766, he was granted a new position, hà Â-à Â; in 767 this position was altered to include military authority. The next year, in 768, Dà Âkyà  persuaded an oracle from the Usa Shrine in Buzen Province to predict peace in Japan if Dà Âkyà  were named emperor. This angered the ruling class, including the powerful Fujiwara clan. Hence, a second oracle was brought to Kyoto by Wake no Kiyomaro. It stated: <blockquote>Since the establishment of our state, the distinction between lord and subject has been fixed. Never has there been an occasion when a subject was made lord. The throne of the Heavenly Sun Succession shall be given to one of the imperial lineage; wicked persons should immediately be swept away.</blockquote> In response to the second oracle, Dà Âkyà  had Wake no Kiyomaro sent into exile in à Âsumi Province.
During this period, the height of his political power and influence, Dà Âkyà  built a temple in Yao, Osaka. It was sponsored by Shà Âtoku. Its foundations were discovered by archaeologists in 2017. Additionally, existing temples received extravagant donations and ongoing building projects were accelerated and expanded. The Usa Shrine also received grants of land.
Dà Âkyà  also actively spread Buddhist principles and the religion itself. Laws were issued banning the raising of dogs and hawks for hunting, and meat and fish were disallowed from presentation to the emperor's table.
Moreover, the power of the great clans, such as the Fujiwara, was reduced and limited during this period.
When the empress died in 770, Dà Âkyà  was stripped of his titles and banished from Nara, sent to Shimotsuke Province; the Fujiwara clan reasserted its authority over both the monastic institutions and the broader political landscape.