Virtual Western Edo 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #17 Teirin-ji Temple

 

     Teirin-ji Temple was founded by Monk Jorin in 1611 where Hacchobori Trench was later opened.  When the trench was constructed, the temple was moved to its present place in Mita Village, Ebara County, Musashi Province, in 1635.  As many temples were moved there, the area came to be called Mita-Teramachi.  Teramachi means Temple Town.  After the Meiji Restoration, the area was registered as Kita-Mita-Teramachi and Minami-Mita-Teramachi, where Teirin-ji Temple was located.  Kita means North and Minami means South.  In 1872, Minami-Mita-Teramachi had 14 houses and a population of 68.

     In 1908, the town had 53 households and a population of 209.  Temples gradually became housing districts.  In 1980, Teirin-ji Temple was merged with Zuisho-ji Temple.

     There used to be a Kannon-do Hall in the precincts of Teirin-ji Temple, and it enshrined a Mr.-Ma’s-Wife Avalokitesvara statue.  Takamura Koun (1852-1934), a sculptor, carved a Holding-Fish-Cage Avalokitesvara when he was 32 years old, and presented it to the temple after 1926.

     Tosa Hidenobu (?-?) published Butsuzo-zui (Illustrated Compendium of Buddhist Images) in 1783.  In the compendium, he listed 33 popular subjects of Buddhism Avalokiteshvara drawings and paintings: #1 Holding-Willow-Spray Avalokitesvar, #2 Naga Avalokitesvar, #3 Holding-Buddhism-Scripture Avalokitesvar, #4 Halo Avalokitesvar, #5 Sitting-on-Cloud Avalokitesvar, #6 Pandara Vasini Avalokitesvara, #7 Sitting-on-Lotus-Leaf Avalokitesvar, #8 Looking-at-Cascade Avalokitesvar, #9 Listening-to-Stream Avalokitesvar, #10 Holding-Fish-Cage Avalokitesvar, #11 Brahman (Virtuous-Lord) Avalokitesvar, #12 Looking-at-Reflected-Moon Avalokiteshvara, #13 Sitting-on-Leaf Avalokitesvar, #14 Blue-Head Avalokitesvar, #15 Great-Commander Avalokitesvar, #16 Life-Prolonging Avalokitesvar, #17 Relief-from-Ruination Avalokitesvar, #18 In-Cave-with-Venom Avalokitesvara, #19 Wave-Reduction Avalokitesvar, #20 Anavatapta Avalokitesvar, #21 One-Knee-Drawn-Up Avalokitesvar, #22 Leaf-Robe Avalokitesvar, #23 Holding-Lapis-Lazuli-Censer Avalokitesvar, #24 Tara Avalokitesvar, #25 Sit-in-in-Clam Avalokitesvar, #26 Twenty-Four-Hour Avalokitesvar, #27 Universal-Benevolence Avalokitesvar, #28 Celestial Beauty Avalokitesvar, #29 Brahmani Avalokitesvar, who put palms together, #30 Controlling-Thunderbolt Avalokitesvar, #31 Peaceful-Vajrapani Avalokitesvar, #32 Holding-Lotus-Flower Avalokitesvar, and #33 Sprinkling-Purified-Water Avalokitesvara.  Some subjects came directly from Lotus Sutra Chapter XXV, some were based on folklore in China, and others were created in Japan.  He put stronger emphasis on the number 33, and might have ramified a couple of subjects to increase the number to 33.  He also might have considered the 33 subjects to be artistically more meaningful manifestations of Avalokitesvara than those from Lotus Sutra, at least in Japan.

     In Tang China, there lived a beautiful woman, who looked for a man who could recite Lotus Sutra well.  Many young men tried hard to recite the sutra to get married to her.  Finally, Mr. Ma successfully married her.  After her death, people came to believe that she was an incarnation of Avalokitesvara, who successfully led young men to recite Lotus Sutra.

     Mr.-Ma’s-Wife Avalokitesvara is a kind of the Goddess of Mercy Incarnate in China as #10 Holding-Fish-Cage Avalokitesvara is in Japan.  Teirin-ji Temple might have had a tradition of faith and belief in goddesses.  It isn’ clear what happened to the statues and the belief after the merge with Zuisho-ji Temple in 1980.

Address: 10 Banchi Mita-Minamiteramachi, Minato City, Tokyo

Zuisho-ji Temple

Address: 5 Chome-46-5 Higashikanamachi, Katsushika City, Tokyo 125-0041

Phone: 03-3627-3411