Oreki Temple 7 Kyushu Fudo Myo Pilgrimage

 

Oreki-ji is a small, Tendai temple in the mountains of the Kunisaki Peninsula, and is temple number 7 on the Kyushu Fudo Myo Pilgrimage.

It is less than 3 kilometers from Mudo-ji, temple number 6, that I had visited a little earlier.

Like Mudo-ji, Oreki-ji is one of the Rokugo Manzan temples of the Kunisaki Peninsula that developed its own unique form of syncretic mountain religion more than a millenia earlier, and that makes the area so intriguing to visit nowadays.

Just inside the gate, next to a large Wishing Jizo statue, is a small hall with a second set of stone Nio guardians. Inside are 33 Kannon statues.

Like all 28 Rokugo Manzan temples, Oreki-ji is said to have been founded by the monk Ninmon in 718, though many historians consider him to be more a legendary figure.

It was moved to its current location in 1625. The temple declined during the Edo Period and eventually became abandoned by the mid 19th century, but was revived by monks from Futago-ji.

The hinzon is a Thousand-armed Kannon, originally held in the okunoin further up the mountainside, but moved here after a fire. The Okunoin is now a Rokusho Shrine, but I did not make the climb up to it.

There is also a fine, Heian Period statue of Fudo Myo. Originally located in its own building on the other side of the river, it is carved out of a single piece of cypress and is registered as a Prefectural Important Cultural Property.

There are many other statues inside the main hall, including an En no Gyoja flanked by  2 demon servants ( photo 5 )

Since I first started exploring the Kunisaki area many years ago it has become more popular but still most visitors only visit a half dozen major sites, but it is well worth spending more time here and exploring more deeply as it is filled with sights to see. The Kunisaki Hanto Minemichi Long Trail is a walking route with minimal support infrastructure, but it roughly follows the old Shugendo  pilgrimage route. This was the second day of my walk along it.

The previous post in this series was on the nearby Misosogi Shrine.

Fukusaiji Temple

 

Shaped like a turtle with a great aluminum head protruding out and topped with a giant statue of Kannon, Fukusaiji Temple in Nagasaki is sure to be the strangest-looking zen temple you will ever see.

In its current form, it was built in 1979, however, it was originally founded as the second of the Chinese temples in 1628, just 5 years after Kofukuji.

The modern, Chinese-style gate is topped with a curious geometric sculpture that hints at what can be found within, a Foucault Pendulum, a scientific device used to show the rotation of the earth, the second biggest in the world when it was built.

Fukusaiji grew to become the biggest of the four Chinese temples and in 1910 the main hall was registered as a National Treasure.

Fukusaiji was completely destroyed in the atomic bombing.

The temple bell rings at 11.02am every day, the time of the bomb exploding.

As well as being a mausoleum, the basement also has displays of surviving remnants and photos from the original temple as well as uniforms and stuff from WWII Japanese soldiers.

Not too far from Nagasaki Station, Fukusaiji certainly has enough unusual sights to be worth a detour.

The circle in the ceiling and the metal fence around the circle in the floor are part of a Foucault Pendulum that starts inside the top of the 18-meter Kannon statue and ends in a metal sphere swinging over the remains of more than 16,000 Japanese war dead in the mausoleum in the temple basement.

The previous post was on the nearby  Shofukuji Temple, another of the Chinese Zen temples of Nagasaki, but which survived the war intact.

Kannondo Shrine Tojin Yashiki

 

The Kannondo was constructed in 1737 although it was repaired and rebuilt several times with the current building dating to 1917.

The arched stone gate is believed to be older and to date back to before the Tojin Yashiki compound was dismantled in the late 19th century

Kannon is the Japanese name for Guanyin, the bodhisattva that is commonly referred to as the Goddess of Mercy. Originally an Indian deity, Guanyin was believed to be originally male in form but in China and East Asia is now usually depicted as female.

Guanyin also became a popular deity among various branches of Chinese folk religions. Enshrined alongside Guanyin here is also Guanyu,  a popular deity associated with business prosperity and also enshrined in the nearby Tenkodo Shrine.

The only Japanese allowed to enter Tojin Yashiki were prostitutes from the Maruyama district as no Chinese women were allowed to reside within the walls. Unlike at the Dutch compound of Dejima, these courtesans were not allowed to stay overnight.

Worldly Benefits at Tsubakido Temple

 

There is a cluster of three related temples called Tsubakido in a small side valley in the mountains of the Kunisaki Peninsula, and they are very popular for the practice of a fundamental aspect of Japanese religious activity called genze riyaku, which translates as praying for benefits in this world rather than for any future world, paradise, heaven etc.

Benefits would include all kinds of success, in health, business, school, sports, love, childbirth, etc etc, as well as protection from disasters and misfortune like disease, traffic safety, fire, angry ghosts and demons, etc.

Many temples, and shrines, specialize in particular benefits, and some have a wide range of deities, altars, statues, etc dedicated to many different benefits. Tsubakido is one such temple.

According to the temple's origin story, Kobo Daishi himself visited this spot after returning from China. He struck the ground inside the small cave that now constitutes the okunoin of the temple, with his staff made of camelia wood and the sacred spring burst forth.

The water is considered healing water and bottles of it can be purchased and taken away. Piles of canes, casts, splints, braces, etc. attest to the miraculous healings that have taken place. Most curious are collections of black hair, said to be more than a thousand, that have been left by people healed by the waters.

There are numerous Kannons enshrined here, including a cancer-cutting Kannon, a Kannon for "mercy to all creatures", pictured at the bottom of this post, a kind of Japanese-Buddhist St, Francis, as well as Kannons for matchmaking, safe childbirth, and so on.

Outside, next to the bell tower is a newer Kannon, one that slows down the effects of senility..... a Kannon that is becoming more widespread as Japan ages rapidly.

As well as Kannon, the other very, very popular bodhisattva in Japan is Jizo, of which Tsubakido has many examples including the modern Mizuko Jizo, and an Osasuri Jizo that you rub on the part of the statues that you desire healing for your own body.

There is a branch of Fushimi Inari Shrine which is for prayers for business success. There are a couple of historical examples of onigawara roof tiles that are used to protect the temple buildings from evil.

Shamoji, the flat wooden spoons or rice scoops are used, like ema, to write prayers upon. This seems to have derived from an early 20th-century practice of praying for military victory.

The temple (s) are part of several pilgrimages, though not part of the Kyushu Fudo Myo Pilgrimage that I was on my second day of. I was also following the Minemichi Long Trail which roughly follows the old yamabushi pilgrimage route around the peninsula.

Worldly benefits temples like Tsubakido are usually very festive and colourful and often offer a staggering number of statues to experience. I suspect they are not hard up for money.

The previous post in the series on my walk around Kyushu on the Kyushu Fudo Myo Pilgrimage was devoted to the many statues of Fudo Myo found here at Tsubakido.

Sairinji Temple 48 Shikoku Ohenro Pilgrimage

 

If you are walking the Ohenro pilgrimage in a clockwise direction, like most, then before you reach temple 48, Sairinji, you pass by the okunoin of the temple built in a nearby pond. Okunoin, or "inner shrine" are very often located in more remote, harder-to-access places, often the original location of the temple before a more accessible structure is built lower down the mountain. In this case, the okunoin marks the spot where Kobo Daishi struck the ground with his staff to create a spring, something said to have happened on countless occasions.

Jonofuchi park surrounds the pond and is a popular spot. The pond has very clear water and many large koi can be seen. Sairinji Temple is about 300 meters to the NE.

Originally founded by Gyoki in 741, at that time it was located some distance away in the mountains to the northeast of the current location. When Kobo Daishi visited he arranged to have it moved to its current location.

The temple burned down in the late 17th century and rebuilding began in 1700. The temple received support from the ruling Matsuyama Clan with more major rebuilding in the late Edo Period. The current Daishido was rebuilt in 2008.

The honzon, said to be carved by Gyoki, is an 11-faced kannon. It is never shown to the public but is said to be placed backwards so some people go to the rear of the hall to offer prayers.

It is not a large temple but has a small garden and also a small koi pond. The temple's full name is Seiryuzan Anyoin Sairinji, and it belongs to the Buzan school of Shingon.

The previous temple was Monjuin, an "extra" temple. Temple 47 was Yasakiji.