Yakushi legends 02 Aichi

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. Yakushipedia - ABC-Index 薬師如来 .
. Yakushi Nyorai - Legends from the provinces .
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Yakushi Nyorai 薬師如来 and legends from Aichi 愛知県

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jooruji gozen 浄瑠璃御前 Lady Joruri - 浄瑠璃姫 Princess Joruri

歌川国貞 Utagawa Kunisada

In the village of 矢作村　Yahagi in the province of 東三河 Eastern Mikawa, the courtesan 兼高長者 Kanetaka Choja gave birth to a beautiful girl named Joruri Gozen after praying to Yakushi Nyorai at the temple 鳳来寺 Horai-Ji. Yakushi came down in the form of a white deer. (Other versions tell of an old man with white hair who came to deliver the child of a white deer.)
Joruri Gozen was very beautiful, but she had only two toes on her feet, so she had to hide them with a cloth all the time.
The young samurai Yoshitsune, still under his boyhood name of Ushiwakamaru was traveling with a gold merchant from Kyoto, Kaneuri Kichiji 金売吉次, to Hiraizumi in the Tohoku region (former みちのく　Michinoku ). They spent the night at Choja's house and Joruri Gozen fell in love with Ushiwakamaru at first sight.
Both exchanged poems, as it was customary, and then spent the night together.
But come next morning Ushiwakamaru had to continue his journey.

. Jorurihime　浄瑠璃姫 Pricness Joruri - Introduction .

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知多郡 Chita district 南知多町 Minami-Chita

薬師様と狛犬 The Origin of Yakushi Nyorai and Komainu "Korean Dog" statues
The go-shintai 御神体 object of worship at the shrine 八王寺社 Hachiojisha is a shishigashira 獅子頭 lion head. It is made of strong paper and has a diameter of about 2 meters.
If someone sees the priest wear it and walking around even dogs begin to bark in astonishment and try to stop the ritual.
But to be true, there was no dog in the village at all. Then one day someone new moved to the village and brought his dog. Many people died shortly after that and the man with his dog was made responsible and was banned from the village.
This is said to be the origin of Yakushi and the Komainu.

唐獅子童子 Child carrying a karajishi lion dog head
about 30 cm high, made by 禰宜田佐太郎 Negita san
碧南大浜土人形 Hekinan Ohama Clay Doll

. komainu 狛犬 Korean Dog - Introduction .

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- - - - - - Temple 妙音寺 Myo-On Ji
愛知県知多郡南知多町内海馬場51

The main statue is senju Kannon 千手観音 Kannon with 1000 arms.
In 1573, Yakushi Nyorai appeared in a dream of the priest 宗音公和尚 and asked him to built a temple. The Kannon statue is said to be made by 行基 Gyoki, who was walking all around Japan at this time.
On the sacred day of Yakushi, especially the two big festivals in the 10th lunar month, there is a large market and shows.

One show featured a kuma musume 熊娘 "young woman like a bear".
She looked like a normal woman but on her back there was black hair growing in abundance, like a bear skin.

source and more photos : minami-chita33.jp/jiin

. Gyooki Bosatsu 行基菩薩 Gyoki Bosatsu .
(668 - 749)

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- - - Iooji いおうじ / 医王寺 Temple Io-Ji
Chita-gun, Minamichita-chō, Ōi, Mamuki−38 / 南知多町大井真向38

Gyoki made three statues of Yakushi when he was at the temple, and this is one of them.
Once a thief came to the temple to steal the statue and other temple treasures. But one of the priests stood up in front of the thieves and threw them out, so that not one could enter the temple hall. It is said that Yakushi himself took the form of a priest to protect the statue. The wound of a sword cut on his arm is still to be seen to our day.

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- - - Toohooji 東方寺 Temple Toho-Ji
The temple Toho-Ji at 小佐 Kosa was abolished and to be merged with the temple 光明寺 Komyo-Ji at 須佐 Susa.
A few years later, the farmer 作右ェ門 Sakuemon from Kosa went fishing and had a huge catch. But there were stones in his net called 「すくいだま」 sukuidama, so he threw the net away. Next time he threw his net in, again, only stones. The third time when he found the stones, he realized it was the statue of Yakushi Nyorai and took them home.
The villagers were overjoyed and prayed to Yakushi with all their heart.
. sukui-ami 掬い網 Sukuiami, scoop net .

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刈谷市 Kariya

Temple 医王寺 Io-Ji
刈谷市高津波町２－９４ / Takatsunamichō, Kariya-shi, Aichi

The priest of this temple was a rather handsome man. The woman from the village who came to care for him was rather plain looking. To attract the attention of the priest, she stole some oil from the lamp of Yakushi Nyorai and combed it into her hair. But the priest saw her do this, scolded her severely and expulsed her from the temple.
She was out of her wits from pain and died soon after. At her grave there danced a bluish-white light, like burning oil, making strange sounds and moving up and down. The flame seemed to say: "I am really, really frustrated!"

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北設楽郡 Kita-Shitara district 本郷町 Hongo

kamikakushi, kami kakushi 神かくし spirited away
A boy born with 生来痴鈍 an intelligence defect left home for a walk when he was about 15 or 16 years and did not come back in the evening.
Next morning when he came home, he said he had been in the mountains and played with Yakushi Nyorai and some Tengu.

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名古屋市 Nagoya 熱田区 Atsuta

. 高蔵不動院 Takakura Fudo-In .

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常滑市 Tokoname 大野町 Ono

海音寺 Temple Kaion-Ji
This temple dedicated to Yakushi Nyorai near the beach offers hot baths in the tide to heal all kinds of diseases.
This is due to the benevolence of Yakushi Nyorai,

source : owarioono.blog62.fc2.com...

A print from 1844. Naked men and women on the beach try to get some healing from the water . . . and maybe fun more later?

尾張大野潮湯治の図 Owari Ono Shio Toji
尾張名所図会 Owari Meisho Zue

The beach of Ono is one of the oldest swimming beaches in the world.
世界最古の大野海水浴場

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豊田市 Toyota

kenbonashi no ki けんぼなしの木 Kenponashi, Hovenia dulcis
Once the temple 薬師寺 Yakushi-Ji burned down. The hanshoo 半鐘 fire bell survived the flames and was burried in the ground. On this spot a Kenponashi tree was planted.
This tree grew very large and soon became a nuisance to the nearby farmers. So one cut some of its branches. but he became very ill after that.

. kenbonashi 枳梖 (けんぽなし) Hovenia dulcis .
..... genbonashi 玄圃梨（げんぽなし） /// ..... tenboonashi (てんぽうなし)
Hovenia dulcis. Japanischer Rosinenbaum
Its fruit is used in Chinese medicine.
- kigo for autumn -

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- reference : Nichibun Yokai Database -

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2018/01/26

Yakushi legends 02 Aichi

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