. Japan - Shrines and Temples - Index .
. Buddhist Temples and their Legends .
. Ise Saigoku 33 Kannon 伊勢西国三十三所観音巡礼 Pilgrimage .
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Yatooji 野登寺 Yato-Ji, Asakayama
鶏足山 Keizokuzan 野登寺 Yatōji / Nonobori
The Kannon statue is 千手観音 Senju Kannon.
- Chant of the temple
野をのぼる寺こそ是よ鶏の 朝の声は法の言の葉
Climbing through the fields to a temple on the top of the hill,
a place where the rooster’s morning craw blends with the sound of the morning prayer.
- quote
The history of Yatō-ji temple started 1100 years ago.
One night 醍醐天皇 Emperor Daigo (885-930) had a vision in his dream, in which Goddess Kannon told him:
I live at Mount Keisoku in Ise province and I pray for peace among people.
Right now this land is in chaos, the fields are failing and people are deeply troubled.
I would like to ask for your help in getting rid of these calamities.
After saying this Goddess disappeared and the Emperor woke up.
He found it really strange, so he called his messenger and sent him to Mount Keisoku right away.
The messenger traveled all the way to the Ise province
but lost his way just at the bottom of the mountain he was heading towards.
Suddenly a rooster with three legs appeared, grabbed the messenger’s cuff in his beak
and pulled leading him to the top of the mountain.
When the messenger reached the top of the mountain he saw a clear stream gushing from the ground,
which was surrounded by old cedars.
He was overwhelmed with the mysterious profundity of the place.
Suddenly an old monk appeared out of nowhere and said:
Thank you for coming all the way to this Mount Keisoku. Let me show you the way.
He took the messenger to the Hall, invited inside and opened the door of the altar
where a 2.2m (7ft2.6in) high dazzlingly beautiful statue of Senju Kannon (Thousand-Armed Kannon) was worshiped.
The old monk got his hands together as a sign of respect and said:
This statue of Goddess Kannon was personally carved by Goddess Amaterasu.
For many years two priests sent by her used to serve here but recently it became a job of 鵠（カササギ） two magpies.
Goddess Kannon is a very merciful Bodhisattva that answers peoples’ prayers and comes to them in different forms.
When finished the old monk suddenly disappeared.
When the messenger came to his senses
he understood that the old monk was actually one of the forms of the Goddess Kannon,
so he kneeled and prayed wholeheartedly.
He climbed down the mountain and headed back to the capital.
The Emperor was surprised to learn that his divine dream was true.
He called a famous monk 仙朝上人 Senchō and sent him to Ise to start a temple at Mount Keisoku.
The Emperor gathered the best wood from all over Japan, sent it to Mount Keisoku
and ordered the construction of the temple complex.
Monk Senchō gladly obeyed the order, gathered the best carpenters and masons,
took them to the site and started the works.
The construction started in 907.
On April 7th 910 the temple was completed and the ceremonial prayers were finished.
For the next 680 years Yatō-ji was a home to more than 100 monks.
It was flourishing and every morning and evening the sound of sutra chanting
could be heard all over the nearby mountains.
Unfortunately in 1583 troops of Toyotomi Hideyoshi (regarded as the second “Great Unifier” of Japan)
burned the temple during the assault on 亀山城 Kameyama Castle.
The land which belonged to Yatō-ji was also confiscated.
Yatō-ji temple used to be a praying place for the Lords of Kameyama Castle.
That is why in 1601 thanks to the donations from 関長門守一政 the Lord Seki Kazumasa (1564-1625),
the temple’s 28th abbot Seiei was able to rebuild the Main Hall,
abbot’s living quarters and the bell tower.
Later the Lord of Tsu Castle Tōdō Takatsugu (1602-1676) also chose Yatō-ji
to be his praying place and since then all the future Lords of that castle also protected and supported this temple.
The current Main Hall of the temple on the mountain was rebuilt in 1701
by 板倉重冬 Itakura Shigefuyu (1672-1709) – the Lord of Kameyama Castle.
The temple at the bottom of the mountain was constructed in March of 1717,
at the time of the 32nd abbot 傲栄 Gōei.
The next Lord of Kameyama Castle – Itakura Shigeharu (1697-1724)
donated Goma Hall (Goma/Homa fire ritual hall), monk’s quarters,
the Main Gate and the main statue of Senju Kannon. Also he made this temple his praying place.
The miraculous power of Senju Kannon is well known and even now
many worshipers still come to pray at Yatō-ji temple.
- source : isekannon.jp/otera_list/yatouji ...
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- - - - - Homepage of the temple
- source : yatoji.o.oo7 ...
- reference source : isekannon.jp/english ... -
- reference source : nippon-reijo.jimdofree ... -
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This temple is Nr. 23 of the pilgrimage
. Ise Saigoku 33 Kannon 伊勢西国三十三所観音巡礼 Pilgrimage .
. Kannon Bosatsu 観音菩薩 Avalokiteshvara .
. Juichimen Kannon 十一面観音 Senju Kannon 千手観音 Kannon with 11 faces and 1000 arms .
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. Temples with legends .
. Japanese Legends - 伝説 民話 昔話 – ABC-List .
. Japan - Shrines and Temples - Index .
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