Virtual Ika 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #18 Annen-ji Temple

     Annen-ji Temple was founded by Priest Shogen, who is said to have been exiled to Kuroda Village by Fujiwara Fuhito (659-720).  He might have been an illegimate child of Fuhito’s.  The temple has, or had, handed down 17 Buddhist statues since then.

     On August 8, 1573, Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582) intruded into Northern Omi Province, deploying a troop of 30 thousand strong.  The Kuroda villagers hurriedly buried their statues in the rice fields.

     It was in the first half of the 19th century that the villagers finally dug the statues out of the rice fields.  It is unknown why it took about 2 and a half centuries for the villagers to make up their minds.

     The statues had lost their details, yet the villagers treasured, valued, and cherished the statues, calling them “Imo Kannon” (Potato Avalokitesvara).  Why potato?  I don’t know, but probably they dug the statues out like potatoes.

     The tide has become against the statues again.  7 out of 17 statues were stolen one after another between 2000 and 2003.

     Confucius once said, "Cruel politics is more ferocious than a tiger.”

Thieves today are greedier than war lords.  Will that serve them right?