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Sanjūsangen-dō is a Kannon-dō (a hall dedicated to Kannon), which is properly called the Rengeô-in (Temple of the Lotus King). After the seventy-seventh emperor Goshirakawa (A.D.1126/1191) abdicated, he entered the Buddhist priesthood and became a fervent devotee of the Bodhisattva Kannon.
Goshirakawa ordered the construction of this building in order to facilitate worship of the 1001 images of the thousand-armed Kannon on the grounds of the Hôjûji where he was in residence.
He celebrated the completion of the building over eight hundred years ago in the second year of the Chôkan period (1164). The hall burnt down once, eighty-five years later, but restoration work began almost immediately and was finished in the third year of the Bunei period (1266).
A seated, joroku (double life-size), thousand-armed Kannon is used as the central image. Five hundred standing lifesize statues have been placed on either side, in columns fifty statues long and ten deep.
Since the entire arrangement is considered to he the "principle object of reverence", the main alter hall took the shape of an unusually long rectangle placed on a north-south axis. The entire length of the hall is 118 meters (390 feet).
The common name for the hall is the Sanjūsangen-dō (Hall of Thirty-three Bays), which refers to the thirty-three bays or spaces between the pillars in front of the main altar. The number thirty-three is derived from the belief that, in order to save man from danger and distress and bestow prosperity and happiness, the Bodhisattva Kannon can transform him/herself into one of thirty-three different forms, assuming whichever one is most appropriate for a particular time and place.
Behind the central image are four statues, and lined up along the length of the rear of the hall are an additional twenty-four sizes, which make up the Nijuhachibu-shu of Kannon (the twenty-eight attendant deities of Kannon). The 1001 statues of Kannon, along with all the attendants, were produced by the distinguished family of Buddhist sculptors headed by the masters Kokei, Unkei, and Tankei.
These 1032 carvings, along with the building,
are unique and priceless national treasures. Furthermore, on the grounds to the south of the building are the Great South Gate and the'raikb plastered wall, both of which are Important Cultural Properties. With the addition of the Great East Gate and corridor newly constructed by the Sanjūsangen-dō Hosankai, the temple precinct was brought to completion. Kindly pay your respects to Bodhisattva Kannon while contemplating the power of his virtue and universal compassion.
Of the one thousand life-size statues of the Thousand Armed Kannon, 124 statues are from the original temple, rescued from the fire of 1249, while the remaining 876 statues were constructed in the 13th century. The statues are made of Japanese cypress.
The 28 deities protect those who believe in Senju Kannon appear in the Tang period (7-9th centuries) in Chinese translations of texts devoted to Kannon. The list of the 28 varies. For example, the Gods of Wind and Thunder (Fūjin 風神 and Raijin 雷神) were added to the group in later years. Life-size statues of all 28 (dated to the mid-13th century) are housed at Sanjūsangen-dō where they guard the principal statue of the seated Senju Kannon (11-feet tall). The temple also features 1,000 standing statues of the Senju Kannon. The group is not worshipped as an independent object of devotion, but it does appear often in paintings.
The below list comes from the Sanjūsangen-dō :
- Naraenkengo-ou
- Misshaku-kongorikishi
- Touhou-ten
- Birurokusha-tennou
- Birubakusha-tennou
- Bishamonten
- Daibon-tennou
- Taishaku-ten
- Daibenkudoku-ten
- Mawara-ou - "The original Sanskrit name of this deity is "Mahā-bala," which can be translated as "mighty female General." The Japanese name, "Mawaranyo" is conceivably an abbreviation of "Sassh-mawara," which is mentioned in the "Senju Darani-kyō" Buddhist Sutra but the details are not known".
- Jinmo-ten
- Konpira-ou
- Manzensha-ou
- Hippakara-ou
- Gobujyogo-ten
- Konjikikujyaku-ou
- Sanshitai-sho
- Nandaryu-ou
- Sakararyu-ou
- Karura-ou
- Kondai-ou
- Mansen-ou
- Magoraka-ou
- Makeishura-ou
- Kendabba-ou
- Ashura-ou - Asuras are demigods, or semi-blessed beings. They are powerful, yet fierce and quarrelsome, and like humans, they are partly good and partly evil. In their earliest Hindu and Brahman manifestations, the Ashura are always fighting the Ten (Deva) for supremancy (often battling the deities commanded by Taishakuten, the Lord Indra of Hindu mythology).
- Kinnara-ou
- Basusennin - Buddhist hermit who continually goes on pilgrimage through the wilderness, saving beings who have lost their way.
Visits
Sanjūsangen-dō is a 15 to 20 minute walk or a short bus ride (lines 100, 206 or 208) from Kyoto Station.
Hours : 8:00/17:00 (9:00/16:00 from November 16 to March 31). Admission ends 30 minutes before closing time. No closing days.
Admission : 600 yen. |
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