Showing posts with label aizen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label aizen. Show all posts
Monday, April 24, 2023
Around Gokurakuojoin at Nomiyama Kannonji
Labels:
aizen,
enma,
Fudo Myojin,
jizo,
kannon,
mizuko jizo,
sasaguri
Thursday, October 21, 2021
Yet More Deities at Myo-on-ji Temple
Thgis final photo is another deity I cannot immediately identify. though for some reason I seem to think it might actually be a Bato kannon......
From Myo-on-ji the pilgrimage route heads up into the mountains and the temples ar further apart, but some are much bigger than any yet visited...
Wednesday, May 20, 2020
Aizendo Shomanin Temple
This rather colorful Fudo Myo is at Aizendo Shomanin Temple near Shitennoji in Osaka. I had left Shitennoji, the first temple on the Kinki Fudo Myo Pilgrimage, and was heading to a couple of others nearby. This area has quite a few old temples including Aizendo which dates back to the late 6th Century and is credited to Shotoku Taishi, who is also credited with founding nearby Shitennoji.
Seemingly unknown to tourists, Aizendo is very popular with locals and as well as the Fudo has shrines and statues to several different Kannon, several different Jizo, Inari, the 7 lucky Gods, and several other deities all specializing in genze riyaku, usually translated as "this-worldly benefits", or possibly "divine favors". Such things as wealth, health, success, safe-birth, finding a spouse, etc etc.
The main deity is Aizen Myo, housed in the main hall which dates back to the early 17th Century when it was rebuilt by Hidetada, the second Tokugawa Shogun, after the temple had been destroyed by Oda Nobunaga. Like other Wisdom Kings, Aizen was originally a Hindu deity and he usually appears with a lion in his hair and having multiple arms. Associated with turning lust into enlightenment, he is often seen as a god of love in Japan.
The pagoda is said to be the oldest wooden building in all of Osaka. It was rebuilt by Hideyoshi in 1597. The interior walls of the pagoda have some fine murals. All in all a fascinating temple in a fascinating area for any who want to avoid tourists but get to see some ancient history.
Labels:
aizen,
Fudo Myojin,
genze ryaku,
kinkifudo,
Osaka,
pagoda
Monday, February 27, 2012
Shikoku 88 Temple 7 Jurakuji
Only one kilometer from temple 6, Jurakuji is the eighth temple on the Shikoku Pilgrimage. The name means "temple of ten Joys" and refers to the 10 joys awaiting believers after death.
There were many Mizuko Jizo in the grounds, the small Jizo statues erected for the souls of aborted children.
This wonderful statue is of Aizen Myo-o, one of the wrathful, fierce-looking deities originally Hindu but now seen as emanations of the 5 Wisdom Kings. Aizen, known as the King of Sexual Passion, converts lust into spiritual awakening and saves people from the sufferings associated with love.
Jurakuji was, according to legend, founded by Kukai who also carved the statue of the main deity Amida Nyorai.
The temple complex used to be much larger but was burned down in the late 17th Century and rebuilt later, though the current main hall only dates from the Meiji era.
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