Virtual Shimousa 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #33 Guzei-in Temple

 

     Guzei-in Temple’s tradition says that it was founded by Gyoki (668-749) in the 800’s.  Gyoki respectfully made 3 bows as he chisel once to carve a statue of Arya Avalokitesvara, who is the human-figure prototype of the other 6 metamorphoses, and enshrined it in the temple.  As you may clearly see, the first half of the information was impossible.  Interpreted favorably, Gyoki carved the statue when he was still alive, and someone else founded the temple more than half a century after his death, and enshrined the statue there.

     As the precincts have itabi dated 1328, 1339, 1472, and 1485, they must have been a holy place since early times.  It is unknown whose itabi they were, but they were built when the Chiba Family was declining and the Takagi and Soma Families were emerging in the northern part of Shimousa Province.

     Today’s Arya Avalokitesvara is supposed to have been carved in the latter half of the 13th century.  As the temple burned down once sometime between 1573 and 1592, the original one might have been reduced to ashes in the fire.

     In 1963, when they rebuilt the main hall, they found 30 pieces of printing woodblocks of the Lotus Sutra, which were supposed 500 years old.  It was recorded that Takagi Tanenori (1571-1603), Hara Tanesada (1507-1569), and Soma Tanemitsu contributed to the temple a lot in those days, the woodblocks and, accordingly, the printed sutra might have been presented by one of them.

     In 1970, when an elevated highway was built in Tokyo, they excavated a temple bell whose inscription included the phrase “Fukuman-ji Temple at Yanagi Ferry Port, Izumi Village, Minami-Soma County, Shimousa Province” and was dated “1467."  Fukuman-ji is a jigo of Guzzi-in Temple.

Address: 612 Yanado, Kashiwa, Chiba 270-1454

Phone: 04-7191-2268