Jōmyō-ji (Kamakura)
The Jōmyō-ji ( Japanese 浄 妙 寺 or 浄 明 寺 ) is a Buddhist temple in the Japanese city of Kamakura ( Kanagawa Prefecture ). He belongs to the Kenchō-ji branch of the Rinzai-shū and was part of the Gozan system.
history
The temple was built in 1188 by Ashikaga Yoshikane ( 足 利 義 兼 ; 1154? –1199), then lord of the Ashikaga clan. Initially he belonged to the Shingon-shu ; his name at that time was Gokuraku-ji ( 極 楽 寺 ; not to be confused with Gokuraku-ji , which was founded in Kamakura in 1259 and first belonged to Jōdo-shū , then later to Shingon-Risshū ). The first head of the temple was the monk Taikō Gyōyū ( 退耕 行 勇 ; 1163-1241), a student of Myōan Eisai (1141-1215).
Only under the rule of Ashikaga Yoshiuji (足 利 義 氏; 1189–1254) and the headship of the monk Geppō Ryōnen ( 月 峯 了然 / 月 峰 了然 ), a student of the Chinese Chan monk Lanxi Daolong ( Chinese 蘭溪 道 隆 , pinyin Lánxī Dàolóng , W.-G. Lan-hsi Tao-long ; Japanese 蘭 渓 道 隆 , Rankei Dōryū ; 1213–1278), the temple officially converted to Rinzai Zen around 1258 . Between 1257 and 1259 the temple was also renamed Jōmyō-ji , in honor of Ashikaga Sadauji ( 足 利 貞 氏 ; 1273-1331), father of Ashikaga Takauji , who supported the temple financially at that time and whose Buddhist name was Jōmyō. Sadauji's tomb still stands on the site of the temple today, marked by a stone Hōkyōin-tō ( 宝 篋 印 塔 ; a kind of pagoda ) made in 1392 .
The Jōmyō-ji quickly rose to great power in the Muromachi period , but lost it again just as quickly through military conflicts and natural disasters that destroyed its extensive buildings to a large extent.
Important monks working at the temple were u. a. who is also a poet known Yakuo Both tokens ( 約翁徳倹 ; 1244-1320), Koho Kennichi ( 高峰顯日 / 高峰顕日 ; 1241-1316), Zhuxian Fanxian ( Chinese 竺仙梵僊 , Pinyin Zhuxian Fanxian ;. Japanese 仙竺梵僊 , Jikusen Bonsen ; 1292? –1348?) And Tengan Ekō ( 天 岸 慧 広 ).
architecture
In the main hall, the most recent construction of which dates from 1756, there are several statues, including the temple's Go- Honzon , a statue of Shaka Nyorai from the 14th century. Other significant sculptures in the hall are a Taikō statue from the late Kamakura period, a Kannon statue and a Sambō-Kōjin statue ( 三宝 荒 神 ; a Japanese Buddhist kitchen deity) from the Muromachi period. From the Edo period come statues of Fujiwara no Kamatari , Awashima Myōjin ( 淡 島 明 神 ; a Shintō deity for safe births and the healing of gynecological diseases), Garanjin ( 伽藍 神 ) and Daruma (the latter two date from 1731).
Another statue owned by the temple and currently on loan from the Kamakura Museum is a 14th century statue of Amida Nyorai .
Web links
- Information on A Guide to Kamakura - English
- Information on Kamakura Citizens Net - English
- Photo gallery - Japanese
- Information on Kamakura City website - English
Coordinates: 35 ° 19 ′ 22.2 " N , 139 ° 34 ′ 16.7" E
