Virtual Old Awa 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #25 Mano-ji Temple

Mano-ji Temple was founded by Gyoki on the top of Mt. Takakura in 725.

     Its main deity, the Avalokitesvara statue, worked wonders seriously at first.  If you had anything little to feel guilty about, you were punished.  All the villagers became afraid of the wonders, and nobody visited the temple.  In 860, Ennin (794-864) visited the temple, heard of the story, saw the villagers having suffered a lot of calamities, felt pity for the people, and carved a mask to cover the face of the statue.  Since then, the Avalokitesvara statue became very merciful and lenient.   Although the statue is exhibited to the public annually on November 23, its face has never become open.

     During Ennin was making prayers in the temple day and night, Mahakala appeared from the cloud in the east on lunar-calendar January 6.  He carved a Mahakala statue promptly.  The temple still hold a festival for Mahakala on solar-calendar February 6.

     The temple burned down in 1206, and was rebuilt by Hojo Yoshitoki (1163-1224) in the present place.

Address: 587 Kubo, Minamiboso, Chiba 299-2524

Phone: 0470-46-2590