Myōshin-ji (
Myōshin-ji | |
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Religion | |
Affiliation | Buddhism |
Website | |
http://www.myoshinji.or.jp/ |
History
editThe grounds of the temple were formerly a palace for the Emperor Hanazono. Hanazono abdicated in 1318 and took the tonsure (became a monk) in 1335, and in 1342 donated the palace to found the temple. The district and many places in the area are named "Hanazono" in his honor. The head temple was founded in 1342 by the Zen master Kanzan Egen (
As with most Zen temples in Japan, in addition to the name Myōshin-ji, the temple complex also has a "mountain name," harkening back to the period in China when most Zen temples were located in the mountains. Myōshin-ji's mountain name is Shōbōzan (
Nearly all of the buildings were destroyed in the Ōnin War in 1467. However, many of them have been rebuilt, initially under the leadership of Sekko-Soshin Zenji (1408–1486), the sixth patriarch. The present buildings were primarily built during the following 150 years (late 15th through early 17th century),[3] and today the gardens of Myōshin-ji are a nationally designated Place of Scenic Beauty and Historic Site.[4]
The temple's bell, known as Okikicho, is the oldest-known example of a Buddhist bonshō ("temple bell") in Japan, as well as being the oldest bell in the world still in use. It was cast in 698.[5]
School
editA difference between this and other schools of Rinzai Zen is that the Myōshin-ji school does not necessarily follow the set of established kōan for the sake of testing one's stage of enlightenment. Rather, the Myōshin-ji school allows the master to specifically tailor kōan to a student's needs and background. This method diverges from the traditionally accepted canon of kōan.[6]
Layout
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The complex is quite sprawling, and features a number of winding paths flanked by high walls, so it is easy to become disoriented when walking the grounds. As is usual in Japanese temple construction, the main buildings are located on the axis that extends north from the south gate, in the south-west quadrant of the complex. There is a main north–south path connecting the north gate and the south gate, which starts parallel to the main buildings, and then continues north, through a slight curve, and ends at the north gate. There is also an east–west path leading east from the main buildings (starting in the west at the sub-temple Tenju-in, passing between the hattō and butsuden, then ending in the east, after a curve, at the sub-temple Tōrin-in). In addition to the direct north–south path, there is a longer path that proceeds east from the north gate, winds past Keishun-in, and then terminates just south of Daishin-in. In addition to these main routes, there are a number of side paths which are all lined with sub-temples, generally each with a single entrance.
Buildings
edit- Important Cultural Property of Japan
- Chokushimon - Built in 1610.
- Sanmon - Built in 1599.
- Butsuden - Built in 1827.
- Hattō - Built in 1656.
- Dai-hōjō - Built in 1654.
- Kuri - Built in 1653.
- Sho-hōjō - Built in 1603.
- Yokushitsu - Built in 1656.
- Kyōzō - Built in 1673.
- Minamimon - Built in 1610.
- Kitamon - Built in 1610.
- Genkan - Built in 1654.
- Shindō - Built in 1656.
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Sanmon
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Butsuden and Hattō
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Dai-hōjō
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Yokushitsu
Directions
editThe complex is located between Ichijō Street (
A number of train stations are located nearby:
- Myōshin-ji Station and Ryōan-ji Station on the Randen line, near the North Gate
- Hanazono Station on the JR Sagano Line, near the South Gate
Sub-temples
editThere are more than 40 sub-temples (
- Within the grounds
- Open year-round
- Taizō-in (
退蔵 院 ) – most noted sub-temple, garden and ink paintings - Shunkō-in (
春光 院 ) – connections with Christianity and with Buddhist philosophy, meditation in English - Daishin-in (
大心院 ) – rock garden "aum garden" (阿吽 の庭 , aun no niwa), shukubo - Keishun-in (
桂 春 院 ) – tea garden (matcha tea served) - Reiun-in (
霊 雲 院 ) -- pocket rock garden
- Seasonal openings
- Tōrin-in – seasonal openings (parts of January, July, and October), year-round shukubo and shōjin-ryōri
- Daihō-in
大法 院 – spring and autumn openings (new leaves and autumn leaves: early April through early May, and November, respectively)
- Limited admission (conditions apply)
- Daiyū-in
大雄 院
- Closed to public
(Others)
- Off the grounds
- Open to the public
- Ryōan-ji – short walk away, world-famous rock garden, UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Limited admission
- Eshō-in
慧 照 院 – just south of main grounds, limited admission; seasonal opening for camellia garden in late April - Seigen-in
西 源 院 – just south of Ryōan-ji, limited admission
- Closed to the public
(Others)
Affiliated temples
editTemples in the Myōshin-ji school, but not sub-temples the main complex include:
School
editHanazono University, the Rinzai-School university, was established by Myōshin-ji in 1872, and is located some distance to the southeast of the temple complex. In the southeast corner of the square plot of the temple complex proper is the associated Hanazono High School, just across a small river.
Abbots
editAbbots have included:
- Kanzan Egen
關山 慧 玄 (1277–1360), founder and first abbot - ? ... ?
- Gudō Toshoku (1577–1661), thrice abbot
- ? ... ?
- Goto Zuigan (1879–1965)
See also
editReferences
edit- ^
李 ,賀 敏 (1999). "日本 臨濟宗 名 剎--妙心寺 ". Voice of Dharma (3). Fa Yin Bian Ji Bu: 28. ISSN 1004-2636. - ^ "Myoshin-ji Temple / History". Myoshin-ji Temple. 2008. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
- ^ "The Head Temples of Zen Buddhism". Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2012-06-23.
- ^ "
妙心寺 庭園 ". Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved 10 February 2012. - ^ Rossing, Thomas (2000). Science of Percussion Instruments. World Scientific. p. 179. ISBN 978-981-02-4158-2.
- ^ "Myoshin-ji | Japan Experience". Myoshin-ji. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
- ^
境内 のご案内 "Precincts guide" (in Japanese) - ^
妙心寺 塔頭 "Myōshin-ji sub-temples" (in Japanese)
Bibliography
edit- "Japanese Rinzai Zen Buddhism. Myoshinji, a living religion" Jørn Borup, Brill, ISBN 978-90-04-16557-1
- "Gardens For All: Myoshinji: Zen gardens wondrous to behold, and not", The Japan Times, March 28, 2002, by Gerard Taaffe
- Buswell, Robert Jr; Lopez, Donald S. Jr., eds. (2013). Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, p. 559. ISBN 9780691157863.
External links
edit- Myōshin-ji Official site (includes English section)
- Head Temples of Zen Buddhism