Iyo Kokubunji Temple 59 Shikoku Pilgrimage

 

After visiting Senyuji, temple 58 of the pilgrimage, the route comes back down from the mountains towards the sea and temple 59, Kokubunji, among the rice paddies outside Imabari City.

It is one of the "Nation Protecting" temples established in every province in the early 8th century usually adjacent to the government administrative centres established under the new Ritsuryo system.

The other three Kokubunji on Shikoku are also part of the pilgrimage, number 15, Awa Kokubunji, number 29, Tosa Kokubunji, and number 80, Sanuki Kokubunji.

It was officially established in 741, and it was certainly built by 756. Founded by Gyoki, as so many of the pilgrimage temples are, the honzon is a Yakushi, Medicine Buddha, said to have been carved by Gyoki himself.

Worth looking for when visiting is the lovely "topless" Benzaiten statue in the Benten Shrine. Also noticeable is the Hand-Shaking Daishi statue below.

The temple was destroyed by war on numerous occasions, in 939 during a rebellion by Fujiwara Sumitomo, in 1184 during the Genpei War, in 1364 during the Northern Court-Southern Court warfare, and like so many of the pilgrimage temples, by Chosokabe Motochika in the late 16th century. A fire in 1689 once again destroyed most of the temple. It is said the hoinzon and other btresures survived each time.

The current main hall was rebuilt in 1789. Kobo Daishi is said to have spent some time here and donatede paintings pf the Five Wisdom Kings. It is a Shingon temple now.

The current site is believed to have been where the government offices were originally. The original site of the temple was about 150 meters  away. Immediately adjacent to the temple is a Kasuga Shrine which was part of the same complex until the sepeartion of Buddhas and Kami in 1868.

The previous temple was number 58, Senyuji.

Asaharasan Anyoji Temple

 

Anyoji Temple is located just below Asahara Pass in the mountains between Kurashiki and Soja.

It was a large and important temple complex in earlier times and is now a little off any of the main tourist routes.

Its origins lie in the late 8th century when it is said Kobo Daishi performed ceremonies here before he travelled to China. Many sources suggest the involvement of a legendary mink, Hoon Daishi, who is said to have founded 48 temples in what is now the Okayama area, including Kinzanji 

The honzon of Anyoji is Bishamonten, and many statues of him, at least 42 I believe.

In the 11th century, when the temple was very powerful, 100 life-size statues of Bishamonten were carved. Some of the surviving ones are on display in the Jogando.

One of the pair of Nio guardians in front of the temple bell. Weighing about 11 tons is said to be the biggest temple bell in the Chugoku and Shikoku region.

During the height of its power quite a few high-ranking monks served here.

In 1201 the temple converted from Tendai to Shingon.

Many treasures have been excavated from sutra mounds built behind the temple in the 11th century.

A castle stood on the mountain not far from the temple complex and in 1336 much of the huge temple complex was destroyed in a battle between the Northern and Southern Courts.

The temple was rebuilt and continued to be an important centre.

In 1667 the temples surrounding Anyoji were closed down by the anti-Buddhist policy of the ruling Ikeda Clan. Perhaps Anyoji was spared because of its syncretic nature?

There is a lot to see at Anyoji. In previous posts I have covered the 

"floating" Dragon Kannon Hall

The Seven Lucky Gods

The Pagoda

The Teahouse.

More recently,

 the Tie-Cutting Fudo Myoo 

and Bishamonten statues nd other Treasures

In Japan Bishamnten has become associated with the Tiger because of a legend about Shotoku Taishi.

The main hall has a shimenawa and there are multiple Torii in the grounds, indicating this is a syncretic site where distinctions between Buddhism nd Shinto are blurred. In the Daishido, photo below, is a statue of Zao Gongen, protector of the mountain, and the main deity of the syncretic Shugendo.

The new Daishi-do was under construction when I visited but opened in 2018.

Inside the main hall.

Possibly this is a small sculpture of Fukurokuju, one of the Seven Lucky Gods.

The photo below is of what is now called Susano Shrine, though earlier it was known as Gion-sha and Gozu Tenno-sha. It was established here in the late 9th century.

The Seven Lucky Gods at Anyoji Temple

 

A giant statue of Bishamonten sits atop the gate into Anyoji Temple near Kurashiki where Bishamonten is the honzon of the temple.

Bishamonten is also one of the Shichifukujin, or Seven Lucky Gods of Japan and so Anyoji has statues of all seven in the grounds as a popular attraction.

Bishamonten is one of three of the 7 Lucky Gods with origins in Hinduism. Benzaiten, photo 5 left, and Daikokuten, photo 4 right, being the other two.

Three of the others have their origins in Taoism, Jurojin and Fukurokuju, photo 3, and Hotei, photos 6, 7, and 8.

The only "native" god is Ebisu, photo 4 left.

The exact origin of this grouping of 7 is murky, though by the Edo period they were a very popular group and a visit to shrines for the Shichifukujin at new year is the origin of the Hatsumode tradition nowadays.

Anyoji was part of a major Shinto-Buddhist complex in ancient times, and there is a lot to see here. The previous post in the series was on the Ryujindo in front of the main entrance.

Sennyoji Daihioin Temple 82 Kyushu Pilgrimage

 

Sennyoji Daihioin Temple is located high up on Mount Raizan, a 955 meter high mountain in the Sefuri Range that straddle the Fukuoka-Saga border.

It claims to have been founded in the year 148 by an Indian monk who has been given the Japanese name of Seiga Shonin.

This is about 400 years before the official introduction of Buddhism into Japan.

During the Kamakura Period it was an important prayer temple against the Mongol invasions.

At its peak it is believed at least 300 monks lived here.

It was located a little higher up the mountain and was part of a shrine-temple complex with Raizan Shrine.

After the Kamakura Period it fell into decline with only the main temple building remaining.

In 1753 the daimyo of Fukuoka, Kuroda Tsugutaka built Daihioin Temple at the current location.

In early Meiji when the edict separating Buddhas and Kami came into force all the statues and documents from Sennyoji were moved to Daihioin and Sennyoji was demolished.

In this post I will just look at the buildings and artwork on the lower level of the temple. The Kannon Hall and Founders Hall are higher up and will get their own post later.

There was a small waterfall for practising purification by water, and several smaller Fudo Myo statues were around it.

Dosojin were in earlier times phallic stones that later became carvings of a male-female couple, usually "cute". This one combined both ideas.

To view the pond garden you enter the Reception Hall and it had numerous artworks on display incuding a picture of Raijin, (final photo) the God of thunder and lightning after whom the mountain is named.

There was also a nice painting of Enma, the King of Hell ( second to last photo)

Like all the other 108 temples on this pilgrimage, Sennyoji Daihion is a Shingon Temple.

There will be a couple of other posts on this temple as there is plenty to see, so well worth the trip off the beaten track to visit.

There are infrequent buses up to Sennyoji so you need a car, or as I did, walk it.

The previous post was on the gardens at the temple, including one based around a 400 year old maple tree said to be planted by Kuroda Tsugutaka. The next post is the 500 rakan statues on the hillside., and the final post is on the Kannon and Founders Hall.