Maegami-ji

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The main hall of the temple
Plan of the temple (see text)

The Maegami-ji ( Japanese 前 神 寺 ) with the Go Ishizuchisan (石 鈇 山) and Konjikiin (金色 院) is a temple of the Shingon direction of Buddhism in the city of Saijō ( Ehime Prefecture ). In the traditional count it is the 64th temple on the Shikoku pilgrimage route .

history

The temple is located at the foot of the 1982 m high Ishizuchi Mountain and is the main temple of the 真言 宗 石 派. Priest Kūkai is said to have climbed it twice as a teenager. However, En no Gyōja is said to have been the first to climb the mountain in the 7th century and pray there that the Buddhist deities Shaka Nyorai and Amida Nyorai may help people. Then Ishizaō Gongen (石 蔵 王 権 現) appeared to him and promised help. En no Gyōja now carved a saint figure and created a place of prayer for her.

Later it was the sick Emperor Kammu who, around the year 800, had vowed to promote the temple after his healing. Healed, he did so, so that the temple could now be expanded into a Shichidō Garan (七 堂 伽藍), i.e. a complete complex with the seven associated buildings. - The temple was promoted by various emperors over the centuries. In the Edo period it was the Matsudaira branch that resided in Takamatsu and promoted the temple.

At the beginning of the Meiji period , the temple was dissolved as part of the separation of Buddhism and Shintoism and replaced by the Ishizuchi Shrine. However, in 1889 he was able to resume his activities. Today the temple has over 300,000 followers. Several tens of thousands come to the annual temple festival on July 1st, where the snail horns (法螺 貝, horagai ) can be heard, the sound of which is described as "nan-man-da".

The attachment

You enter the temple complex from the northwest, where you are greeted by a simple temple gate (山門, Sammon). You then have the cemetery (F in the plan) on your right, cross a stream on the left on the small "Paradise Bridge" (極 楽 橋, Gokurakubashi). The path continues past the abbot's quarters (A) to the hall dedicated to the temple founder, the Daishidō (大師 堂; 1).

You cross the stream once more on the "Bridge to the Promised Land" (浄土 橋, Jōdobashi), you pass a small waterfall on the right side, which pours over the sacred, flames-surrounded Fudō Myōō (不 動 明王). You climb up the valley to the main hall (Hondō; 2), which was expanded to include side wings after 2009. - The Yakushidō (薬 師 堂; 3) and the Gomadō (護 摩 堂; 3) and, as a specialty, the Shinto Gongen Hall (権 現 堂; 4), which was built for the worship of Ishizuchi, are also up on the site .

photos

  • In front of the temple gate

  • Bell tower

  • Main hall before the expansion

  • Daishidō

  • Gongendō

  • Fudō under the waterfall

literature

  • Ehime-ken kotogakko chireki komin bukai rekishi bukai (Ed.): Maegami-ji . In: Ehime-ken no rekishi sampo. Yamakawa Shuppan, 2008. ISBN 978-4-634-24638-6 . Page .
  • Oguri, Doei: Kukai. Shikoku hachijuhachi kosho no arukikata. Chukei no Bunko, 2011. ISBN 978-4-8061-4067-2 .

Web links

Commons : Maegami-ji  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 33 ° 53 '24.8 "  N , 133 ° 9' 38.4"  E

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