Eikan-dō Zenrin-ji (永観堂禅林寺) is the head temple for the Seizan branch of Japan's Jōdo-shū (Pure Land) Buddhist sect, located in Kyoto , Sakyō-ku . It was founded by Shinshō , a pupil of Kūkai , and is famous for its fall foliage and for its prominence in the past as a center of learning.
16-967: Zenrin-ji (禅林寺) is the name of a number of Japanese Buddhist temples. Eikan-dō Zenrin-ji , in Sakyō-ku, Kyoto Zenrin-ji (Ichinomiya), Ōbaku Zen temple in Ichinomiya, Aichi Prefecture Zenrin-ji (Fukui) , a Sōtō temple in Fukui , Fukui Prefecture Zenrin-ji (Gifu), in Gifu , Gifu Prefecture Zenrin-ji (Nagasaki), a Rinzai temple in Nagasaki Zenrin-ji (Kunisaki), in Kunisaki , Ōita Prefecture Zenrin-ji (Mitaka), in Mitaka, Tokyo where graves of Mori Ōgai and Osamu Dazai situated Zenrin-ji (Hamura),
32-569: A Rinzai temple in Hamura, Tokyo Zenrin-ji (Kainan), a Shingon temple in Kainan , Wakayama Prefecture Zenrin-ji (Taiwan), a Rinzai temple in Chiayi County , Taiwan Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Zenrin-ji . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to
48-667: A famous bridge to have his fortune told. At that time, a monk passed by chanting the Lotus Sutra , which convinced her that he should be a priest. It was then that Shōkū studied under Hōnen for 23 years. Later in life, he became a disciple of Jōhen , who had recently converted from the Shingon school to the Jōdo-shū school, subsequently converting the Eikan-dō as well. Later Shoku took over as head of this temple, and fully converted
64-530: Is called the Mikaeri Amida . According to tradition, at one point in 1082, when Yōkan was fifty, he and a number of monks were practicing a ritual, walking around the statue and reciting sutras when the statue of Amida came to life and stepped down from its dais. Yōkan halted the ritual in surprise; the Buddha looked over its shoulder at the monk, and said to him, "Yōkan you are slow". Ever since then, goes
80-575: Is designated an Important Cultural Property by the Japanese government, there are a great many cultural treasures stored in Zenrin-ji's Tahōtō . These primary consist of paintings of a variety of Buddhist subjects, including images of Amida, Shakyamuni , Yakushi Nyorai , and the Parinirvana of the Buddha. Paintings by Kanō Motonobu , Tosa Mitsunobu , and Hasegawa Tōhaku are also kept by
96-495: The nembutsu up to 60,000 times a day, in addition to other ascetic practices. Shōkū described his practice as shiraki no nembutsu ( 白木念仏 , "unvarnished nemmbutsu" ) , meaning that after studying the Buddhist sutras extensively, and engaging in other Buddhist practices, one should then recite the nembutsu with their whole heart. This echoes the words of Hōnen where one should study Buddhist teachings, but then return to
112-507: The head of a former Shingon Buddhist temple, Eikandō , established a separate branch of Jōdo-shū called the Seizan branch (after its namesake), and completed the transition of Eikandō from a Shingon temple into a Jōdo shū one. According to the temple's biography, Shōkū was born into a noble family, but by 14 years of age took an interest in Buddhism. In one legend, his mother stood before
128-608: The intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Zenrin-ji&oldid=830974093 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Eikan-d%C5%8D Zenrin-ji The temple is commonly referred to as either just "Eikan-dō" (永観堂, "View of Eternity Hall" or "Hall of Yōkan" ) or "Zenrin-ji" (禅林寺, "Temple of Forest of Zen "). However, it also has two other names. "Shōju-raigō-san" (聖衆来迎山) translates roughly to "Mountain where
144-520: The saints welcome you", while "Muryōsu-in" (無量寿院) means roughly "Temple of Immeasurable Life". The temple got its start when Kūkai's pupil, the monk Shinshō, aspired to found a temple for the worship of the Gochi Nyorai , or Five Wisdom Buddhas . In 853, he purchased the mansion of Fujiwara no Sekio for this purpose. The construction of temples was forbidden in Kyoto at the time, however, and so it
160-417: The story, the posture of this statue has remained in that position. Alternate versions of the story involve the Buddha joining the monks in a ritual dance. The twelfth head of the temple, Jōhen (1166-1224), originally a Shingon monk like the rest at Zenrin-ji, was a disciple of Hōnen , one of the founders of Jōdo-shū; Jōhen was thus the first head of Zenrin-ji to be a formal devotee of this emerging sect. He
176-498: The temple into a Jōdo shū temple, and began the Seizan branch. After Hōnen had died, Shōkū also studied Tendai and esoteric Shingon Buddhism extensively with a focus on Pure Land teachings and practices. He wrote an extensive commentary on the Taima Mandala at the invitation of the head priest of Taima-dera temple. The temple biography mentions that Shōkū was very intense in his study and practice, and would recite
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#1732797913097192-548: The temple. The wooden Amida statue is 77 cm in height, and though for a long time believed to date from the Kamakura period (1185-1333), is now thought to have been carved somewhat earlier in the 12th century ( Heian period , 794-1185). This change in dating came about with the comparison to Song dynasty (960-1279) sculptures in Sichuan Province which show strong similarities in style. Zenrin-ji's Amida statue
208-663: Was a passionate devotee of the Amida Buddha . In 1072, he established a Yakuō-in (薬王院) on the grounds, which organized giving to the needy and caring for the ill. He also introduced the practice of Nenbutsu , a Chinese practice which was quite new in Japan, into the temple, and cultivated its observance among the monks and devotees. Zenrin-ji has grown famous for its unusual statue of the Amida Buddha, which looks over its shoulder, rather than straight ahead. In Japanese this
224-500: Was formally named an Important Cultural Property in 1999. 35°0′52.29″N 135°47′43.05″E / 35.0145250°N 135.7952917°E / 35.0145250; 135.7952917 Sh%C5%8Dk%C5%AB Shōkū ( 証空 , November 30, 1177 – December 24, 1247) , sometimes called Seizan ( 西山 ) , was a disciple of Hōnen , founder of the Jōdo-shū Buddhist sect. Shōkū later succeeded Jōhen , another disciple of Hōnen, as
240-495: Was not until ten years later, when formal Imperial approval was granted by Emperor Seiwa , that the Zenrin-ji was formally founded. Though originally devoted to the Shingon sect, beginning in the time of Yōkan (永観, 1033-1111), the seventh head monk, the temple began to shift towards Jōdo-shū , a sect formally established roughly a century later in 1175. Yōkan had trained in a number of temples of different disciplines in Nara , and
256-409: Was succeeded as head monk by Shōkū (1177-1247), and it was under Shōkū's successor, Shōon (1201-1271), that the temple formally became devoted to Jōdo-shū . The Zenrin-ji compound is nestled in Kyoto's Eastern Mountain ( Higashiyama ), and its buildings, most of them connected by covered walkways and staircases, are scattered among a range of heights. In addition to the famous Amida statue, which
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