Zen-In Kyoto

[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Zen-In, Sekizan Zen-In 赤山禅院

京都府京都市左京区修学院開根坊町18
18 Kaikonbo-cho, Shugakuin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto



- quote
History of Sekizan Zen-in Temple
Sekizan Zen-in was founded in 888 AD following the will of the high priest Jikaku Daishi Ennin as one of the affliated temples of Hieizan Enryakuji Temple, the Headquarters of Tendai sect Buddhism. Situated in a quiet neighborhood near Kyoto Shugakuin Imperial Villa, it is a famous site for the red tinged autumnal leaves.

The high priest Jikaku Daishi Ennin (794~864) went to China (then under the Tang dynasty) and, enduring a lot of hardships over there, at last mastered Tendai teachings. He thanked Sekizan Daimyojin (泰山府君- 赤山大明神） for its protecting him during his travel to and stay in China, and it is said that he made a vow to build Sekizan Zen-in when back home. Ennin, after returning to Japan, established the basis of Tendai sect of Buddhism, but could not fulfill his vow to build Sekizan Zen-in. Following his will, Anne, the fourth Head Priest of Tendai sect, is thus said to have founded Sekizan Zen-in.

The principal deity, Sekizan Daimyojin, is a brought-back avatar or a double image of Taizanfukun 泰山府君 (Taizan Fukun) in Mt. Sekizan in China (a world heritage site in China) which has been regarded as the head of China’s Five Great Mountains ; Taizanfukun became the founding father of the yin-yan philosophy in Japan. Located at Kyoto’s northeast corner , where the front spirit gate called Omote Kimon 表鬼門 used by demons is believed to stand, Sekizan Zen-in has been worshipped as the temple to protect the citzen from bad luck coming through that gate.

Revered since by the imperial family, Sekizan Zen-in was visited by the retired Emperor Gomizunoo (1596~1680), who is known as the building owner of the Shugakuin Imperial Villa; he, then, ordered repair of the temple buildings and presented a calligraphy of the phrase Sekizan Daimyojin (赤山大明神) done by himself. Holding the sacred pendant paper strips and a cluster of bells for charm performance, a carved monkey is placed on the top of the oratory roof thereby serving a talisman against demons; as such, Sekizan Zen-in has been widely venerated up to this day as the guardian temple against the evil spirits.




- Sekizan Zen-in is also known as :

●Temple of “Sekizan Kugyo (Penance)” :  it is up from here and down to here that the ascetics of Sennichi Kaiho Practice 千日回峰行 (One Thousand-Day Practice, which is the hardest of all Tendai sect Buddhism ascetic practices), repeat climbing up and down, to and from the top of Mt. Hiei.

●Temple where incantations and prayers such as for “Healing Asthma with the incantatory sponged gourd" ぜんそく封じ・へちま加持,
“Mass Service for Rosary” 珠数供養 (正念珠) and “Taizanfukun Festivity” are practiced.




●Where Pilgrimage of the Miyako Shichifukujin (Pilgrimage of Kyoto’s Seven Deities of Good Luck) is said to have originated as the temple of Fukurokuju (Deity of Wealth and Longevity). 赤山禅院 福禄寿

●Temple for commercial prosperity where “Custom of Payment on the 5th and 10th days” originated.


kimon yoke no shin-en 鬼門除けの神猿 Monkey protector on the roof



ema 絵馬 votive tablet of 泰山府君 Taizan Fukun


- Homepage of the temple
Sekizan Zen-in, with its fostered history of over 1100 years, has since amassed various ways and forms of faith.
- source : www.sekizanzenin.com






source :　kyotoiiki.exblog.jp

八千枚大護摩供 Fire ritual burning 8000 goma sheets

.......................................................................





enmusubi 「縁結びの相生明神絵馬」
source : http://tencoo.fc2web.com/jinja


::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


. Fudō Myō-ō, Fudoo Myoo-Oo 不動明王 Fudo Myo-O
Acala Vidyârâja - Vidyaraja .






source : Richard Newton - facebook -


::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::




Sekizan Daimyojin ( 赤山大明神）

- quote -
Sekisan Myōjin
Literally, "Red-Mountain Shining-Deity," one of the "protectors of the dharma" (gohō;) in the Tendai sect of Buddhism. While studying Buddhism in China, the Japanese monk Ennin underwent practice at the Shandong temple Sekizan Hokke-in (Ch. Chishan Fahua Yuan) for the purpose of receiving a personal tutelary deity, and in return vowed to build a meditation hall upon his return to Japan. The hall was in fact constructed by his disciples in 864, and later moved to Nishi-Sakamoto (in northeast Kyoto) in 888, the date representing the first worship of Sekizan Myōjin in Japan.

This event, however, is not recounted in the standard "Ennin's Journey to the West," and since a "red mountain" deity did not exist in China at that time, it seems likely that the new deity was created against the background of conflict between the Tendai sect's two branches, the "mountain" branch (with headquarters at Mt. Hiei's Enryakuji) and the "temple" branch (headquartered at Miidera [Onjōji]). Namely, since Onjōji already had its own tutelary deity Shinra Myōjin, Mt. Hiei's temple Enryakuji responded by adopting the tutelary Sekizan Myōjin .

According to current research, the existence of the temple Sekizan Zen'in can be dated from the latter half of the tenth century. Most images of Sekizan Myōjin depict him as attired in red Chinese costume or cloak, with three-peaked crown and holding bow and arrow. From the medieval period on, the deity's Buddhist counterpart or "essence" (honji; see honji suijaku) was identified as the boddhisattva Jizō (Sk. Kstigarbha), and a process of assimilation occurred whereby he became identified as well with the deities Taizan Fukun (a Chinese tutelary of human destiny), Mutō Tenjin (a deity of pestilence identified with Susanoo), and Gozu Tennō. In contrast to the shrine Hiyoshi Taisha which guarded Mt. Hiei's eastern flank, Sekizan Myōjin was worshiped as a guardian of the mountain's western flank. Sekizan Myōjin was also venerated as tutelary of Injō Nembutsu (a school of nenbutsu "singing"), and was also later adopted as one of the cult of sanjūbanshin ("thirty guardian kami"). At present, Sekizan Myōjin is enshrined at the Sekizan Zen'in within the grounds of the Shūgakuin Detached Palace in Kyoto.
source : Kadoya Atsushi - Kokugakuin 2005





赤山ハ支那ニ太山府君ト称ス今叡山ノ西ノ麓ニアリ
本地地蔵




Taizan-ō, 泰山王 King of Hell, Judge in the 7th week, 49th day 七七日49日


- quote
Taizan Fukun - たいざん‐ふくん【泰山府君】 / 泰山王 Taizanoo
Taizan Fukun wird oft zusammen mit Emma als Paar neben einem Jizo Bosatsu dargestellt. In der wallenden Tracht eines chinesischen Richters der Sung-Zeit.
Meist sitzende Statuen mit furchterregendem Gesichtsausdruck. Er hält in der Hand ein Holzszepter mit zwei Köpfen auf einem Lotusblatt (jintoojoo, nintoojoo).

. 10 Höllenkönige (Jûô, juuoo, juo 十王) .
Gabi Greve


. Abe no Seimei 阿倍晴明 .
and 陰陽道 Onmyodo - The Way of Yin and Yang


. Matarajin, Matara-Shin 摩多羅神 and 新羅明神 Shinra Myojin .
Matarajin is a deity that was introduced to Japan from China by Ennin , Jikaku Daishi Ennin 慈覚大師仁円 as a protector deity of the Amida Sutra (Amida kyoo 阿弥陀経). Some say he is also the secretary of Emma, the main deity of the Buddhist Hell.
The Korean Connection - Shinra, the Japanese version of Silla, the Korean Kingdom.



- quote
Shinra Myōjin
One of the "protectors of the dharma" (gohō;) in the Tendai sect of Buddhism, and tutelary of the famous temple Onjōji (Miidera) in Ōmi, Shiga Prefecture. According to legend, during the return of Enchin (Chishō Daishi) from China, a deity called Shinra Myōjin appeared onboard the ship in the form of an old man and vowed to protect the Buddha Dharma. After Enchin returned to Japan, the deity appeared again and led Enchin to Onjōji. Thereafter, leadership of the temple passed to Enchin from the earlier intendant priest Kyōtai. Enchin then had a shrine built to the north of the temple, where he enshrined Shinra Myōjin.

This tradition is first recounted in the Onjōji ryūge-e engi, a legendary history compiled in 1062, but the deity had already been given an official rank (shinkai) in 971, making it evident that veneration of the deity preceded that date.

The deity is most frequently portrayed iconographically as an old man wearing Chinese robes and headpiece, and holding a sutra scroll and scepter. The wooden, seated image of Shinra Myōjin possessed by Onjōji (classified as a national treasure) is a masterpiece of Japanese combinatory religious art. The Mii Mandala, called "three treasures of the original essence" portrays Shinra Myōjin together with the other three deities Mio Myōjin, Sannō Gongen, and Kifudō surrounding the bodhisattva Maitreya (Miroku); this mandala was used in important Buddhist rites at the temple Onjōji.

From the medieval period, the honji (original essence; see honji suijaku) of Shinra Myōjin was identified variously as Monju Bosatsu (Skt. Bodhisattva Manjushri) or Fudō Myōō (Skt. Acala Vidyaraja), and he was frequently merged with other deities like Susano no mikoto, Gozu Tennō, and the "dragon king" Sagara Ryūō.
Shinra Myōjin is still enshrined at the Shinra Zenjindō north of Onjōji.
- source : Kadoya Atsushi, Kokugakuin 2005

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


Sanjuubanshin 三十番神 30 personal protector deities
25 山城　赤山　　　赤山大明神（せきざん） Sekizan

- 三十番神 30 personal protector deities -





::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

- - - - - H A I K U - - - - -

禅院の子も菓子貰ふ冬至かな
Zen-In no kodomo kashi morau tooji kana

the children at Zen-In
all get some sweets
at the winter solstice . . .

Kuroyanagi Shooha 黒柳召波 Kuroyanagi Shoha （1727-1771)


. Winter solstice, tooji 冬至 .


禅院のかた餅さげし廊下かな
会津八一

禅院のあつけらかんと冬支度
中川宋淵

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

. juzu 数珠, nenju 念珠 rosary legends - Rosenkranz .

. Pilgrimages to Fudo Temples 不動明王巡礼
Fudo Myo-O Junrei - Fudo Pilgrims - INTRODUCTION .


. Japan - Shrines and Temples - ABC .


[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　. TOP . ]
[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::