How To Chant Shukra Mantra
Of interest is the shrine enshrining 10,000 images of Kannon. Also of interest is the thousand-year-old Keyaki tree and the large statue in front of the main gate of Ushi-oni . Legend states that in the 16th century, a devil animal with an ox head and a body like a fox appeared frequently on this plateau and scared the local people. A brave samurai named Kurando Yamada, an archery expert, shot the devil, cut off its head, and brought it to the temple in memory of the dead devil. The people called the animal Ushi-oni and believed that it had the power to purge an evil force.
One of the daughters of Fujiwara Kamatari went to China to become a concubine of the T'ang emperor Tai-tsung. Once there, she sent back three tiny but precious jewels for her brother's use in work on Nara's KÅfukuji. Unfortunately the boat sank near Shido Bay and the three jewels were stolen by the Dragon King.
He also carved an image of KokÅ«zÅ Bosatsu and dedicated it in the Okunoin. Originally called Sesaka-dera, this was built in 596 and was the ancestral temple of the Saeki clan, into which KÅbÅ Daishi was born. When he returned from China, he dedicated the KongÅkai and TaizÅkai mandalas signifying the worlds of the cosmic Buddha and enshrined the Dainichi Nyorai as the honzon. KÅbÅ Daishi modeled the temple after Ch'ing-lung-si Temple in China and it took three years to build. There are more than 1500 carvings of Amida Buddha and his attendants in the rock wall behind the temple. Also carved in the wall are images of stupas and the words Namu Amida Butsu.
She carries an umbrella or parasol as a symbol of his sovereignty. She is also sometimes displayed with a mongoose, often shown ejecting jewels from its mouth. The mongoose is the enemy of the snake, a symbol of greed or hatred; the ejection of jewels represents generosity.
He is often shown holding the sun, moon, bow 毘沙門天 and arrows, a mirror, and has two hands in the Anjali mudra. The king of hunger, an ogre in perpetual anger, the king of quarrels. Of the three heads , the central head has a suffering expression, and the others appear angry.
Bishamonten is the scourge of evil doers, the black warrior, and one of Japan’s Seven Lucky Gods. This may have been the 88th temple, but it is not the end of the journey. What will you bring back and share with those awaiting your return?
The temple was founded by GyÅgi Bosatsu and originally called DÅjÅji. It was later rebuilt by KÅbÅ Daishi and yet again by St. Ippen in the 13th century. When St. Ippen rebuilt it, he also converted it to the JishÅ« sect of Pure Land Buddhism and changed the name to its present name.
KÅbÅ Daishi is said to have come here frequently from the time he was seven until he was thirteen, at which time he started to wander farther from home. There is a cave above the hondÅ called the Shishi no Gankutsu (Lion's Cave) where he came to meditate. Be sure to look down on Ariake beach from the lookout on the road above the temple and see the coin-shaped circle made of sand and originally built in 1633 in imitation of a coin of the Kanei period.
Nearly always dressed in armor (yoroi 鎧), looking ferocious (funnusŠ忿怒相), and carrying weapons or objects (jimotsu æŒç‰©) said to eliminate evil influences and suppress the enemies of Buddhism. Also typically shown standing atop evil spirits , symbolizing the power to repel and defeat evil. This legend has been made famous the Noh drama called Ama. This temple was built by the son and by GyÅgi Bosatsu in the 694 as a memorial to her and remains dedicated to the spirits of the dead . However, the original temple dates from much earlier and the honzon dates from the time of Empress Suiko in the 6th century.