Showing posts with label kobo daishi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kobo daishi. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Ohashi Kannon Temple 75 Kyushu Pilgrimage

 


The main building of Ohashi Kannonji is a modern, concrete affair, but because of its proportions it is quite elegant.


The main statue is a Kannon, but to the left is a lovely Fudo, and to the right is an Inari, or maybe a Dakiniten, which unusually has a coiled snake.


According to the temple legend the honzon, an eleven-faced Kannon was carved by Gyoki in the 7th century, so yet another temple in the area that claims a connection to Gyoki.


Nearby is an older hall and the priest's residence.


Among the many statues dotting the grounds is a triad consisting of a central Fudo flanked by a statue of Kannon and a Kobo Daishi.


As well as being on the Kyushu 88/108 pilgrimage, the temple is also on a couple of Kannon pilgrimages.


Ohashi means "Big bridge" and refers to a natural stone bridge in the cliff behind the temple. It deserves its own post which will be next.


The previous post in this series chronicling day 68 of my walk was on the small shrine down below the temple. The previous temple was Saifukuji, a few kilometers upstream and on the opposite side of the valley. It also had a natural bridge.


Friday, January 19, 2024

Fukuishi Kannon Seiganji Temple

 


Fukuishi Kannon is the popular name for Seiganji Temple in Sasebo, Nagasaki.


It's origin lies with a visit by Gyoki to the area in 710. While here he carved 3 statues from a sacred tree, one of which, a two metre tall 11-faced Kannon, he enshrined here.


It is classed as one of the Seven Famous Kannon statues in Kyushu.


When Kobo Daishi visited the area about a century later he established Seiganji Temple.


It is also said he placed 500 rakan statues in the cave behind the temple.


Rather than a cave, it is actually a wide, curved overhang in the cliff.


Over the centuries many of the statues disappeared but there still remains a collection of assorted statues, many not rakan, in the cave.


The current main hall was built by the local lord, Matsuura Seizan, in 1785,


He became Daimyo of the Hirado Domain when only 16 and later became a renowned swordsman.


It is a Shingon temple and the honzon is the Gyoki Kannon.


Held in August, the Sennichi Festival is one of the major festivals of Sasebo.


It is claimed that coming here and praying here for just one day during the festival is the equivalent to praying for 46,000 days, hence the name of the festival Shiman Rokusen Nichi, which means 46,000 days.


I visited on day 66 of my walk along the Kyushu Shingon pilgrimage, although the temple itself is not part of the pilgrimage. The previous post in the series was Jozenji Temple.


Tuesday, October 24, 2023

Kozanji Temple Tanabe

 


Kozanji is a popular temple complex with large cemetery and grounds in Tanabe, Wakayama.


It is said to have been founded by Kobo Daishi, though another source suggests it was founded much earlier during the time of Shotoku Taishi.


The Tahoto, Shingon-style pagoda, has become the symbol of the temple. It was built in 1816 and is dedicated to Prince Shotoku.


Other buildings include 2 Yakushi-do's, a Daishi-do, a Fudo-do, and a Kannon-do.


During the Warring States Period, in the late 17th century the temple was destroyed during Hideyoshi's invasion of the area, but was rebuilt later and in the Edo Period changed its name to Kozanji.


It was pouring with rain when I visited on my way out of Tanabe heading north along the Kumano Kodo towards Osaka on the 5th day of my walk along the Saigoku Pilgrimage.


Many people visit Kozanji to pay respect at the grave of Ueshiba Morihei (1883-1969), a locally-born  man who is known as the founder of the martial art called Aikido.


With millions of practitioners in more than 140 countries world-wide, some make the pilgrimage to his grave here.


Another of Tanabe's famous sons buried here is Munakata Kumagusu, an eccentric scientist who is gaining in notoriety and is sometimes referred to as the first environmentalist in Japan.


As well as being the site of his grave, the grounds of the temple were a place he spent a lot of time collecting specimens, and where it is believed his campaign against the government program of shrine closures took form.


The previous post in this series on the Saigoku Pilgrimage was the former residence of Minakata Kumagusu.


Friday, October 20, 2023

Temples 24 to 27 Shodoshima Pilgrimage

 


Early on my third day walking the Shodoshima Pilgrimage I visited a small group of temples in close proximity to each other. Temples 24 to 27 are just off the main road on the south coast,  adjacent to one of the most popular tourist attractions on the island, the Olive Park.


Temple 24,  Anyoji, has a Daisho-do, Jizo-do, and a bell tower as well as the main hall and the priests residence. The grounds have some nice Camelia trees.


The buildings are all fairly modern, circa 1990 with several nice kinds of onigawara tiles.


It is claimed that the temple was founded by Gyoki and later revived in the 17th century. The honzon is a Kannon.


A footpath leads up the hill to the next temple which has no vehicular access.


Temple 25, Seiganji-an, is a much smaller, more rustic establishment.


At the top of the hill, the honzon of Seiganji-an is a Yakushi Nyorai.


A little further along the trail is a well with a Jizo-do.


This is the okunoin of temple 26, Amidaji.  The well, called Omizu Daishi, is very popular and is one of countless water sources attributed to Kobo Daishi himself.


The Jizo is an Enmei Jizo, a "long life" Jizo.


Near the well the asphalt starts again and leads down to temple 27 before coming to 26. Sometimes the route for walking pilgrims differs from that for the more numerous car pilgrims.


Temple 27 is Sakuranoan, so named because of a famous cherry tree that stood here earlier. The honzon is an 11-faced Kannon.


Just a short distance away is temple 26, Amida-ji.  Like Anyoji, it also claims to have been founded by Gyoki and revived in the 17th century.


The previous post was on temples 22 and 23.