Myoo-in Temple 9 Shikoku Fudo Myoo Pilgimage

 

Fudo has 36 young boy attendants, and is often depicted paired with two named Kongara and Seitaka.

At the 36 temples of the Shikoku Fudo Myoo Pilgrimage, each temple has one of the 36 usually, like here, as a small statue.

Myoo-in is located a few kilometers up the Kawata River from the Yoshino River, a little over halfway from Miyoshi to Tokushima City.

I can not find a lot of history or background information. 

The main hall is fairly new, replacing one from the last years of the Edo Period.

There is this group of new Six Jizo, and somewhere here is enshrined an older said to be carved by Kobo Daishi himself.

In the Daishi-do there was a small Aizen-Myoo in front of the Daishi statue.

Up the steps was this unusually two-storeyed structure.

It may be a kind of pagoda.

Built in 1574, some sources say it enshrined a Fudo Myoo and a Bishamonten.

Through a narrow slit I am guessing this is a Bishamonten

For me, the most interesting was in the Enma-do...

Great King Enma is the head of the 13 judges of hell who decide where you go after death, specifically which of the numerous "hells

Statues of the other 12 judges flank him here.

In Chinese Buddhism there are only a total of ten judges.

Enma derives from the Hindu deity Yama.

In Japan he is depicted in the dress of a Tang China government official.

I was here on Christmas Eve 2016, day 6 of my walk along the Shikoku Fudo Myoo Pilgrimage.

The previous post was on the nearby Kawada Hachiman Shrine.

Daishoin Temple 14 Chugoku Pilgrimage Part 2 Jizo, Kannon, Enma, Autumn Colours

 

This is the second part of my post on Daishoin Temple on Miyajima. The previous post is here.

Not sure exactly who this is but I suspect it is one of the Wisdom Kings.....

I believe this is a Kokuzo Bosatsu statue in what is called the Nyo Garden,,,,

The Hensho Kutsu is an artificial cave with an impressive ceiling of lanterns.

Here are 88 statues and a small amount of earth from each of the 88 temple on the Shikoku Pilgrimage.

There are many, many versions of Jizo here.....

The Amida-do enshrining an Amida trinity.

For more details on the history of Daishoin please check my previous post....

A tengu......

Some miniature Jizo....

Enma..... the Judge of "Hell"....

yet anither Fudo....

Theer are numerous Kannons here, including the one that was the main Buddha of Itsukushima Shrine until the separation of Buddhas and kami in 1868

The previous post was 28 photos of the first half of my visit to Daishoin.

Daishoin Temple 14 Chugoku Pilgrimage Part 1 Nio, Rakan, Fudo Myoo

 

Daisho-in is the main temple on Miyajima and was the temple that administered the Itsukushima Shrine for most of hstory.

It is a fairly large complex with mutliple halls, however most of the structures were destroyed or damaged in a big fire in 1887.

It is said that Kobo Daishi himself visited the island and practised on top of Mount Misen and then founded the temple.

However, this cannot be historically confirmed, although archeological evidence on Mount Misen suggest there was a Buddhist presence on the island as far back as the Nara Period.

There is a fine pair of Nio in the Niomon.

In the grounds are a set of Rakan,... not sure how many, but unusually they were wearing hats.

The honzon of the temple is Miki Daigongen, which I mentioned in an earlier post on Mitakidera.

I took so many photos at Daishoin that I have split them into two posts.

It was early November, so the Fall foliage had not yet reached its full splendour, but it was pretty enough...

In the treasure hall are numerous statues collected from around this temple,including this fine Fudo, said to be carved by Kobo Daishi.

Also a Nio from earlier times...

The Onarimon, "Imperial gate"

In front of the Chokgando Hall

In the Chokgando Hall is the main Namikiri Fudo Statue....

Surrounded by small statues of Hyakutai Fudo and Sentai Fudo...

The previous post was on the approach to Miyajima and to the temple...