Sankakuji Temple 65 Shikoku Ohenro Pilgrimage

 

Sankakuji Temple, the 65th on the Ohenro Pilgrimage is the last temple in Ehime, before entering the final prefecture, Kagawa.

It is on a mountain at 360 meters above sea level, and there are some fine views on the way up and down.

In earler days it was classed as a difficult-to-reach temple, but nowadays the climb is easier.

This is one of the many temples on the pilgrimage founded by Gyoki.in the early to mid 8th century.

In 815 Kobo Daishi visited and carved the honzon, an eleven-faced Kannon. It is a secret Buddha only opened to the public every 60 years.

Within the grounds is a triangular pond with a triangular island. This is now a Benzaiten shrine, but according to legend the triangular "island" was used as a goma altar by Kobo Daishi. The pond is the origin of the temples name.

The temple is known for its very old cherry trees, but when I visited in winter, they were not at all imoressive.

In the early 9th Century, Emperor Saga donated a lot of land to the temple and it prospered and at one time was a large complex.

The whole temple, excluding the honzon, was destroyed by Chosokabe.

The current main hall dates to 1849.

The Yakushi in the Yakushi-do is said to cure warts and corns.

The 7 meter tall standing Jizo was made in 1977

The previous temple on the pilgrimage was number 64, Maegamiji.

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Maegamiji Temple 64 Shikoku Ohenro Pilgrimage

 

Temple 64, Maegamiji, was originally located high up on Mount Ishizuchi, the 1,982 meter high sacred mountain, highest mountain in West Japan, and a major Shugendo centre.

When En no Gyoja, the legendary founder of Shugendo was climbing the mountain in the late 7th century he encountered a man at the point he gave up trying to reach the summit. The mans words convinved him to keep going and on his way down after reaching the top and having a vision he established the temple.

Emperor Kanmu established 7 halls at the temple in the late 7th century.

Kobo Daishi is known to have visited twice.

All of this occurred at about 1,400 meters on the mountain, roughly where the modern ropeway ends.

In the Edo Period a small branch temple called Satozenjinji was built at the base of the mountain for people who could not make the tough climb up. This was where the huge Ishizuchi Shrine now stands, a little west of the current Maegami Temple.

The original temple on the mountain became known as the Okunoin.

In 1868 with the Shinbutsubunri declaration, the Buddhist sites connected to Ishizuchi either became shrines, or closed down.

After petitioning by local parishioners the current Maegami Temple was built at its current site.

In 1972 the main hall and its honzon, an Amida, were destroyed by fire and rebuilt with a new honzon which has always been a "secret Buddha."

The precincts contain a Gongen hall, a Daishi hall, a Goma hall, and a Konpira hall.

There is a waterfall for austerities with a Fudo Myoo. There are also an Inari Shrine and a Benzaiten Shrine.

The previous post in the series was on Temples 62 & 63.

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Tenyozan Kannonin Houjuji Temple 62 Shikoku Ohenro Pilgrimage

 

Houjuji, temple 62 of the Ohenro, is only one and a half kilometers from the previous temple, number 61 Ko-onji. It is in a cluster of pilgrimage temples close together in Saijo, Ehime.

I arrived here early in the morning on 17th February, 2012, day 38 of my walk along the pilgrimage.

It is a Shingon temple and the honzon is an eleven-faced Kannon.

Photo taken in 2012 of the previous main hall. It still stands but is now blocked off by a big modern building housing the temple office.

The temple was founded in the mid-8th century when Emperor Shomu had a shrine built about one kilometer north of the current location.

Enshrining Okuninushi, Oyamatsumi, and Kotoshironushi, it was the Ichinomiya of the province.

The shrine is the okunoin of the temple and is now located just across the road (final photo)

A small temple was built next to the shrine and named Kongoho-ji.

Later, when Kobo Daishi visited, he carved the Kannon statue and renamed the temple Houjuji.

The temple suffered repeatedly from the Nakayama River flooding.

The temple was destroyed during Hideyoshi's invasion in 1585

In 1636 the temple was relocated to its current location.

Pilgrims would pray first at the shrine and then chant sutras at the temple, so in 1679 the lord demanded the shrine be relocated to its current location closer to the temple.

In 1868 the shrine and temple were officially separated and the temple abandoned.

It was rebuilt in 1877.

At the same time a small Inari shrine was established in the grounds ( photo 6 )

For some years the temple was in dispute with the official pilgrimage association, but I believe that has been resolved.

The previous temple was number 61, Ko-onji.

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