1/24/2013

Jizo in Kyoto

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Fudo Myo-O Gallery

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Jizo Statues in Kyoto

There are many famous Jizo statues in Kyoto,
Here I will introduce just a few of them.

The main introduction to this deity:

. Jizo Bosatsu (Kshitigarbha) 地蔵菩薩 .


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Yata Jizo Son 矢田地蔵尊
Temple Yatadera 矢田寺 Yataji, Yata-Ji

This statue is about 2 meters high and huge flames are standing before Jizo.
The statue was made by Saint Mankei 満慶(まんけい)
Manmai (満米(まんまい))上人
who had a vision of Jizo during his meditations.

The people also call it
Saijuku Jizo 代受苦地蔵 Jizo who takes on our sufferings and hardships.
The worship of this Jizo helps blind people find their way around and out of hell, hence the huge flames in front of the statue. Jizo looks almost like a Fudo Myo-O.
I could not find a photo of this Jizo yet.


CLICK for more photos !

quote
According to histories passed down within the temple itself, the temple was founded at Gojô-bômon in the early Heian period as a branch temple of the Yatadera still standing and active in Yamato province (Nara). Temple lands changed, and in 1579 the temple was moved to its current location.

The statue of the bodhisattva Jizô enshrined in the main hall as the chief object of worship is a two-meter tall standing figure, and is said to have been carved from the dark earth of the underworld by Mankei (aka Manmai), the founder of the temple, who met the true Jizô there, and copied his likeness or form. Worshippers gather to pray to this statue as the Jizô who saves those who have died and are in hell.

The temple's bell, in contrast to the "Welcoming Bell 迎え鐘" of the temple Rokudô-chin-ô-ji 六道珍皇寺, is called the "Sending Bell 送り鐘," and is rung to help send the spirits of the departed to the afterlife without them getting lost on the path.
source : wiki.samurai-archives.com



source : paul_cotie



Small cuddely Jizo dolls (nuigurumi ぬいぐるみ) as amulets.

CLICK for more photos !


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kunuki Jizo, ku nuki Jizo くぬき地蔵 - 苦抜地蔵
Jizo to take away your hardships


this is a pun with
kuginuki, kugi nuki 釘抜(くぎぬき)地蔵 
Jizo to pull out nails, kugi nuki

at Shakuzooji 石像寺 temple Shakujo-Ji, Nishijin


Many people offer votive tablets with a nail and nail puller.
There are maybe more than 1000 in the precincts now.

In the Muromachi period there was a merchant who suffered from severe pain in his hands and made a vow to come to this Jizo for 7 days and pray that his pain KU might be taken away NUKI.
In the night of the 7th day, Jizo appeared in his dream and told him:

"In one of your former lives you have been cursing people by sticking nails into a straw doll, hammering them into a tree at midnight.
Now you have to feel the pain of these hails in your own hands."
And Jizo showed the man two large nails.

When the man woke up, his pain was gone. He hurried to the temple and saw the two bloody nails in front of the statue of Jizo.
Greatful for the help, the man made another vow of 100 visits to the temple (o-rei mairi お礼参り) .



Since then, the Jizo got his name and people come with prayers to get rid of all kinds of KU, pains and hardships in their body and mind.

source : kyoto.wakasa.jp


There are other statues with this name in Japan.


Kunuki Jizo in Kawageo, Kita-In 川越大師 喜多院
source : www.kawagoe.com/kitain


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meyami Jizoo めやみ地蔵 Jizo to heal eye diseases 
目疫(めやみ)地蔵



Chuugenji 仲源寺 temple Chugen-Ji

"Ameyami Jizo"
雨やみ地蔵 - Jizo to stop the rain and flooding
(guardian deity of Rain Stopping) turned to "Meyami Jizo" (a guardian deity of the eye disease), after a couple prayed for healing to the "Rain Stopping Jizo" and the wife got healed.

quote   
This temple belongs to the Jodo sect of Buddhism.
It is also known as the Meyami Jizo.

In 1022, the buddhist monk-sculptor Jocho worshipped a guardian deity in the northeast of the "Shijobashi Bridge" and this is the beginning of this temple.

When "Kamogawa-river" was flooded in 1228 Nakahara Tamekane was able to hold back a flood thanks to the guardian deity.
Nakahara Tamekane who had deeply expressed gratitude enshrined the guardian deity here.
And the guardian deity was called as Ameyami Jizo(guardian deity of Rain Stopping).

Later, the word “Ameyami Jizo” turned to “Meyami Jizo"(a guardian deity of the eye disease).
Today, “Meyami Jizo" is believed in as a guardian deity of the eye disease recovery.
source : www.kyotokanko.co.jp

. Jizo to heal eye diseases .


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nurikobe Jizo ぬりこべじぞう "rub your pain on Jizo's head" 




The statue in the small hall is only 1 meter high.

There are two theories about its naming.
One claims he was once located in a temple hall and when repairwork was done, a bit of the wall plaster (nuri) fell on its head. 塗り込め

The other theory claims that it is a pun with
to keep illness inside (the statue of Jizo) 病気を封じ込める.



Since the Edo period it is expecially useful for toothache.
Near Fushimi Inari Shrine 伏見稲荷大社

source : kyoto.wakasa.jp



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sentai Jizo  千体地蔵 1000 Jizo Statues
at Hoo-onji 報恩寺 temple Hoon-Ji

zushi iri sentai Jizo 厨子(ずし)入(いり)千体地蔵尊
in a little shrine
(重要文化財 - Important Cultural Property)


source : www.kyoto-np.co.jp

This statue is very small and was ment to be carried while traveling, hence the small shrine to protect it.
Around the center statue there are almost 1000 little one's, at the sides, at the back and all around.
The main statue is 3,3 cm.
This statue is only shown very seldom. It had been given to the temple by emperor
後柏原天皇 GoKashiwabara Tenno in 1501.

I saw this little marvel on TV in January 2013,
it is very impressive in its concentrated power.

There are other statues with this name in Japan.


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***** . Amulets and Talismans from Japan . 


O-Fudo Sama Gallery

Daruma Pilgrims in Japan


. Kyoto  京都 Hana no Miyako .


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