Gyōgan-ji (Isumi)

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Temple gate
Plan of the temple (see text)

The Gyōgan-ji ( Japanese 行 元 寺 ) with the mountain name Higashi-Mitsumuriyama ( 東 頭 山 ) and the sub-temple name Muryōju-in ( 無量 寿 院 ) is an old temple that belongs to the Tendai direction of Buddhism. It is located in Isumi in Chiba Prefecture , Japan.

history

According to tradition, the temple was founded in 849 by priest Ennin ( 円 仁 ), who gave it the name Muryōju-in ( 無量 寿 院 ), which is now a temple in Ōtakichō-Itō ( 大多 喜 町 伊 東 ). But Ennin then gave up the temple. In 1180 the temple was rebuilt by Hagiwara Chadanoyatsu ( 萩 原 茶 田 之 谷 ) at the request of Dainagon Reizei Yukimoto ( 大 納 言 冷泉 行 元 ) . He was given the current name "Gyōgan". Eventually the temple was moved to its current location in 1586.

From the Middle Ages, the Bōsō area was a focus of the Tendai direction of Buddhism. And so from 1369 onwards there are a few dozen collections of religious writings under the title Gyōgan Bunsho ( 行 元 文書 ). During the Edo period, monks came from Kan'ei-ji in the Edo district of Ueno to work here. So it happened that this temple with 96 branch temples ( 末 寺 Matsuji ) in the provinces of Kazusa and Awa became an important temple ( 檀 林 Danrin ; 学問 寺 Gakumon-ji ), a "Bitt temple" ( 祈願 寺 Iganji ), developed.

The attachment

If one climbs the way to the temple, the Sandō ( 参 道 ), one arrives at the big temple gate ( 山門 Sammon ; in plan 1) from the year 1735, which is executed as a tower gate ( 楼門 Rōmon ). The main hall ( 本 堂 Hondō ; 2) is one of the large temple buildings on Bōsō. The railings inside are decorated with carvings. From inscriptions we know that these are works from 1706 by the woodcarver Nami no Ihachi.

The "former abbot residence" ( 旧 書院 Kyū shoin ; A) is also remarkable . It dates from 1800 and is divided into six rooms inside. The back three have carvings of the Nami no Ihachi over the surrounding upper beam, depicting high waves, as they are typical for him. - Below the temple is the cemetery (F).

Temple treasures

One of the temple treasures is the standing Amida Buddha ( 木造 阿 弥陀 如 来 立 像 Mokuzō Amida-nyorai ritsuzō ) made from a block of wood . It comes from the late Heian period and is executed in the Jōchō ( 定 朝 用 式 ) style. Then there is a bronze Amida Buddha ( 銅 造 阿 弥陀 如 来 立 像 ) with two companions. All three sculptures are gilded, they are likely from the Kamakura period . A bell made of gold-plated copper ( 金銅 龍 文 五 鈷 鈴 Kondō ryūmon gokorei ), 23.5 cm high, from the late Kamakura period is one of the treasures.

An object that indicates the esoteric orientation of Tendai Buddhism is a representation that shows the two mandala types ( 絹本 着色 両 界 曼荼羅 図 Kempon chakushoku ryōkai mandara-zu ) on silk .

All objects mentioned are registered as cultural property of the prefecture.

Remarks

  1. ↑ Nami no Ihachi ( 波 の 伊 八 ), literally "wave Ihachi", actually Takeshi Ihachirō Nobuyoshi ( 武志 伊 八郎 信 由 ; 1751-1824), was a wood carver who mainly dealt with wave representations. He was also a sculptor at Edo Castle.

literature

  • Chiba-ken kotogakko Kyoiku kenkyukai rekishi bukai (Ed.): Gyogan-ji . In: Chiba-ken no rekishi sampo. Yamakawa Shuppan, 2006. ISBN 978-4-634-24612-6 . Pp. 260, 261.

Web links

Coordinates: 35 ° 18 ′ 44.3 "  N , 140 ° 17 ′ 21.9"  E