Kukai was born in Sanuki (Kagawa Prefecture) in 774.
最先端の仏教を学び、真にこの神髄を習得するには当時誰もが唐（中国）に渡る必要がありました。
To study the most advanced Buddhism and to truly master its essence, one had to actually go to Tang (China) at the time.
日本国を代表して海外留学するのは極々僅かな者のみができる貴重な経験であり、空海もそのためには当時最難関のエリート官僚試験に合格しなければなりませんでした。
Since it was an extremely precious experience to study abroad as a Japan’s representative, he had to pass the elite bureaucrat exam, the toughest exam of all the exams at the time.
何度か不合格になりながらも最終的には合格し、唐へ804年に渡る機会を得ました。
He finally made it after failing a couple of times, and he got the chance to go to China in 804.
彼より試験合格がスムースで早かった者もいた中、唐での空海の学業成績は現地の修行僧をも含め断然群を抜いていました。
Although some others passed the exam much more smoothly and quickly, his academic performance in China was far beyond all others including the monks in China.
