"I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move." RLS
In this two part review (this being part 1) I will introduce you to some of the main buildings and structures within the Danjo Garan Complex – the headquarters of Shingon Buddhism in Japan. If you have not read my introductory review on the complex and how it came to be where it is I recommend you do so prior to continuing. Continue reading “Danjo Garan Complex – Buildings Part 1”
Having selected, in 816, with the assistance of this trusty vajra (see below), Koyasan as the base for the establishment of Shingon Buddhism in Japan, the priest Kukai (posthumously Kobo Daishi) set about building temples, meeting rooms, and above all the training area necessary for this new religion. Continue reading “Danjo Garan Complex”
The first temple on this site, Daidenbo-in, was built in 1133 by the monk Kakubun, with the support of the then Emperor, Toba. Nothing of this temple remains today.
In 1593 shogun Toyotomi Hudeyoshi, best remembered by some as a despotic general and persecutor of Christian missionaries, requested the monk Ogo to build a new temple (Seigan-ji) here to commemorate the death of his mother. The good monk complied. Continue reading “Kongobu-ji – Head Temple of Shingon Buddhism”
The vast majority of the many temples in Koyasan are square or rectangular in shape, dark coloured (with the notable exception of the Konpon Daito Pagoda in the Danjo Garan) and have some form of courtyard. As such the brightly coloured octagonal Jufuku-in Pagoda Temple (Manihoto) by the side of the town’s main street really stood out as I made my way from Okunoin Cemetery towards the Garan. Continue reading “Jufuku-in Temple – Burma War Veterans Memorial”
Having made our way along the sacred path, lined with tombstones and stone lanterns (many moss covered) and tall cedar trees, for almost two kilometres from Ichinohashi Bridge through the Okunoin Cemetery we arrived at the Gobyonohashi Bridge.
Crossing this bridge brought us into the most sacred part of Okunoin, an area where photography, eating and drinking is prohibited – a very holy place for the Japanese. Continue reading “Okunoin – The Inner Sanctum”
As you cross the Tamagawa stream via the Gobyonohashi bridge to enter the most sacred part of Okunoin Cemetery which contains the mausoleum of the founder of Shingon Buddhism – Kukai (Kobo Daishi) – look, to your left, into the stream. Continue reading “Remembering The Children In Okunoin”
Prior to crossing the Gobyonohashi Bridge and entering into the most sacred part of Okunoin, where the mausoleum of Kobo Daishi, the founder of Shingon Buddhism, is located, you will come across a row of bronze statues, These mostly depict the Bodhisattva Jizo who looks after children, travellers, and the souls of the deceased, particularly those of deceased children. Continue reading “Mizumuke Jizo In Okunoin”
Regular readers of my reviews will know that I enjoy visiting old cemeteries for the fascinating insight they provide in terms of social history and, for the more famous cemeteries, the opportunity to visit the graves of well known people from history. Continue reading “Folklore within Okunoin”
One of the things that stood out when we visited the Okunoin Cemetery was the abundance of small, childlike statues/memorials dressed in mostly red hats, red bibs and other children’s clothing. Perhaps the blanket of white snow, in place when we visited, made them stand out more than they might otherwise have. Continue reading “Protector of Deceased Children – Okunoin”
Shingon Buddhism has been very closely tied to the State and supported by the aristocracy since its inception by Kobo Daishi in 816. The latter association giving rise to the term ‘Aristocratic Buddhism’. While many temples in the Danjo Garan (seperate reviews), and elsewhere in Koyasan, were built at the request of, or in memory of, former Japanese Emperors, high ranking military officials and the like, nowhere are these associations more evident than here in the Okunoin Cemetery. Continue reading “The State, Aristocracy, Big Business and Okunoin”
The Rambling Wombat 