Anyo Temple (Face-Down Lotus Flower Temple)
This temple, which has a very long history, belongs to the Jodo sect Seizan Zenrinji faction of Buddhism. Its origins date to the year 1018, when Eshin, a Buddhist monk, built Rendai Temple in Taima, Nara. Anyo, a Buddhist nun, and Eshin’s sister changed the name of the temple to Anyo temple, when she took up residence in the temple. Around 1110, Ryusen relocated the temple to Kyoto. In the Kamakura period (1185-1333), Shobutsu brought great prosperity to the temple. Around 1580, Toyotomi Hideyoshi relocated the temple to its present location. The statue of a standing Amitabha Tathagata is the central icon of this temple. One of the major characteristics of this statue is that it stands on 8 faced-down lotus flowers. Due to this characteristic, this temple has been called Face-down Lotus Flower Temple. According to the legend, the creators of this statue were unable to complete a lotus stand for this statue since the stand kept falling apart. Consequently, they carved the lotus flowers of the stand face down. In so doing, they were successful in completing the statue. It is also said that they made the lotus flowers of the stand face down to save females who were too sinful to enter paradise, as the lotus flowers in their hearts were face down. Owing to this legend, this temple has many female worshippers.
Kyoto City
Vocab
安養寺 (あんようじ)Anyo Temple
倒蓮華寺 (さかれんげじ)Sakarenge Temple
浄土宗 (じょうどしゅう)Jodo/Pure Land sect (of Buddhism)
西山派 (せいざんぜんりんは)Seizan sec (of Pure Land Buddhism)
禅林 (ぜんりん)Zen temple
属する (ぞくする)to belong to, be affiliated with
由緒 (ゆいしょ)history, pedigree, lineage
極めて (きわめて)exceedingly, extremely
寛仁 (かんにん)Kanin era (4/23/1017-2.2.1021)
僧都 (そうず)Buddhist priest
當麻 (たいま)Taima
当寺 (とうじ)this temple
起こり (おこり)source, origin, beginning
次ぐ (つぐ)to follow, come after, come next
尼 (あま)Buddhist nun
居住 (きょじゅう)residence, abode, dwelling
改名 (かいめい)name change
天永 (てんえい)Ten’ei era (7/13/1110-7/13/1113)
隆暹 (りゅうせん)Ryusen
鎌倉時代 (かまくらじだい)Kamakura period
証仏 (しょうぶつ)enlightened buddha
大いに (おおいに)very much, considerably, a great deal
天正 (てんしょう) Tensho era (7.28.1573-12.8.1592)
豊臣秀吉 (とよとみひでよし) Toyotomi Hideyoshi
本尊 (ほんぞん) principal object of worship at a temple
阿弥陀如来 (あみだにょらい) Amitabha Tathagara
立像 (りつぞう) standing statue, image
枚 (まい) counter for flat things
蓮華 (れんげ) lotus flower
逆さ (さかさ) inverted, upside down, reversed
倒 means the same as above in this context
伝説 (でんせつ) legend, folklore
連座 (れんざ) lotus seat (under Buddhist statues)
壊れる (こわれる) to break, fall apart
無事 (ぶじ) safely, without incident
女人 (にょにん) woman
業 (ごう) karma, result of one's karma
極楽往生 (ごくらくおうじょう) rebirth in paradise, peaceful death
救済 (きゅうさい) (religious) salvation
わざと deliberately, intentionally
まつる to pray, worship
信仰 (しんこう) (religious) faith, belief
Zenkoji Temple, with a history dating back approximately 1400 years, enshrines the One Light Three Statues of Amida Buddha, considered Japan's oldest Buddhist statue. Known for its inclusive nature, welcoming people of all denominations, Zenkoji attracts visitors from both within and outside the country. Embarking on a pilgrimage to Zenkoji offers a profound experience of history and spirituality. Come and explore this revered site firsthand.
世界最大石灯籠製作 世界ギネス記録認定 念佛宗佛教之王堂 The Largest Stone Lanterns in the world The Buddhist Art of Nenbutsushu
念仏宗無量寿寺(念佛宗) 総本山 佛教之王堂
三国伝来の佛教美術 石灯籠
世界ギネス記録認定 概要 高さ:12m 幅:7.4m Height:12m Width:7.4m 本堂前 左右石灯籠 Stone Lantern The Guinness World Records ギネス世界記録認定 平成二十年四月二十八日 衆生の心を不断の光明で照らし、仏道へと導く。 世界最大の本堂につりあう灯籠を計画すると、灯篭も世界最大になった。
The Royal Grand Hall of Buddhism - Nenbutsushu Buddhist Sect of Japan The sacred place for all Buddhists in the world The Royal Grand Hall of Buddhism
仏教美術の宝箱 Buddhist Art / nenbutsushubuddhistart
念佛宗公式 Official / royalgrandhallofbuddhism https://muryojyu.com
Buddhism has its origin in IndiaBuddhist cultures of China, Korea, and Japan are represented hereat the Royal Grand Hall of Buddhism. It is the first construction of an authentic full-scale Buddhist temple since the erection of the main temple of Obakushu Buddhist Sect in 1661.A total of roughly 3.5 million people joined forces to construct the Royal Grand Hall of Buddhism and completed the entire temple in only seven years without even a single accident.The Royal Grand Hall of Buddhism, in its vast precincts of over 180 hectares, has the Front Gate, the North Gate, the South Gate, the Main Gate, the Washstand, the Ksitigarbha Hall, the Prince Shotoku Hall, the Five-story Pagoda, the North Bell Tower, the South Bell Tower, the Main Halls including the Amida Hall and the Sakyamuni Hall and the Avalokitesvara Hall, the Sutra Hall, the Merit-transference Hall, the Okunoin Hall, the International Buddhist Conference Hall, the Sangha Hall, and the Main Building. All the buildings are decorated with 10,524 sculptures and statues and more than 450,173 metal carvings.
Seishinin Temple
Seishinin Temple, which is formally called Kagakuzan Tabokuji Seishinin, belongs to the Sennyuji temple group of the Shingonshu sect. The first chief priest of the temple was Izumi Shikibu, who was known as a beautiful and intelligent woman poet representing the Heian period (794-1142). According to the legend of the temple, Fujiwara Michinaga as the chief adviser to the Emperor gave a hermitage to Izumi Shikibu, who served to his daughter Jotomonin Fujiwara Shoshi, and that was the origin of this temple. The temple was located in the east of the Kyoto Imperial Palace for the first time. Due to a flood of the Kamo River, however, the temple was relocated to Ichijo Ogawa in Kamigyo Ward. Furthermore, by the order of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the temple was reconstructed in this place between 1573 and 1591.
The main hall is called “Komido,” where the statue of Amitabha Tathagata as the principal image of the temple is kept besides the statues of Izumi Shikibu and Fujiwara Michinaga.
The Hokyoin Tower, which is said to be the grave of Izumi Shikibu, and her poem epitaph are located in the precincts of the temple. The plum tree nearby was planted later in memory of Shikibu who loved a plum tree under the eaves.
Kyoto City
(Chinese and Korean too blurry to read)
Vocab
華嶽山東北寺 (かがくさんとうほくじ) Kagakuzan Tabokuji
号する (ごうする) to name, take a second name/alias
泉涌寺 (せんにゅうじ) Sennyū-ji
才色兼備 (さいしょくけんび) (a woman) gifted with both intelligence and beauty
女流 (じょりゅう) woman (often before a job title)
歌人 (かじん) tanka poet
初代 (しょだい) first generation, founder
寺伝 (じでん) temple legend
関白 (かんぱく) chief advisor to the Emperor
藤原道長 (ふじわらの・みちなが) Fujiwara no Michinaga
上東門院 (じょうとうもんいん) Jōtōmon-in
藤原彰子 (ふじわらのしょうし) Fujiwara no Soushi/Empress Soushi
法成寺 (ほうじょうじ) Hōjō-ji
当寺 (とうじ) this temple
起こり (おこり) source, origin, cause
荒神口 (こうじんぐち) Koujinguchi
鴨川 (かもがわ) Kamo River
氾濫 (はんらん) flood, overflowing
一条小川 (いちじょうおがわ) Ichijo Ogawa
上京区 (かみぎょうく) Kamigyo Ward
移築 (いちく) dismantling a (historic) building and reconstructing it elsewhere
更に (さらに) furthermore
本堂 (ほんどう) main temple hall
小御堂 (こみどう) small enshrinement hall (of a Buddha)
本尊 (ほんぞん) principal object of worship
阿弥陀如来 (あみだにょらい) Amitabha Tathagata
安置 (あんち) enshrinement, installation (of an image)
宝筐印塔 (ほうきょういんとう) Hōkyōin pagoda, pagoda containing a Hōkyōin sutra
歌碑 (かひ) monument (stele, gravestone, etc.) engraved with a waka
傍ら (かたわら) side, edge, beside, nearby
生前 (せいぜん) during one's lifetime
軒端 (のきば) eaves, edge to the eaves
に因んで (にちなんで) named after, associated with
植える (うえる) to plant, grow, raise