Izumi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage in My Order ---the Westernmost Leg---

      In the midst of the 7th wave of the COVID-19, I am in 2022 though, and under the 2nd heat wave of the year, I drove south-west through Route 26 to visit the westernmost temples of the Izumi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.  After driving about one and a half hours, I was in Hannon City, the westernmost city of Osaka Prefecture.  I drove astray into a narrow crooked track as often the case in visiting an old pilgrimage.  After driving over a railroad crossing without crossing gates, I found Kannon-ji Temple.

 

#32 Kannon-ji Temple

     Kannon-ji Temple was revived by Priest Kareki in 1497.

     The Meio Incident broke out in Kyoto in April, 1493, over the succession of the Shogun by Ahikaga Yoshitane (1466-1523) and Yoshizumi (1481-1511).  Many provincial guardian samurai joined in fights, changing their sides selfishly and freely. In Leap April, 1493, Hosokawa Masamoto (1466-1507) and Akamatsu Masanori (1455-1496) joined the conflict as they liked.  Masamoto forced Yoshitane into a corner in Kawachi Province.  An army from Kii Province was going to join the fight.  When they were passing by Sakai, which happened to be guarded by Masanori, who was rather neutral, the 2 sides made arguments about the passage of the army.  The repeated arguments changed into fighting.

     Presumably, the temple was burned down or damaged in related fights.  The temple also lost its documents about its history.

Address: 1391 Hakotsukuri, Hannan, Osaka 599-0232

Phone: 072-476-2037

     After driving about a quarter north-east, I was on another narrow crooked farm road.  This time, I found Choraku-ji Temple on the right hill, or accurately speaking, I found steps into the hill, which seemed to be the approach to the temple.  I climbed up the steps, to find countless Buddhist images on both sides of the approach.  No, I counted them.  I found 33 copies of the deities of the Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.  The locals must have greedily loved Avalokitesvara.  They not only had their local temple belong to the Izumi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage with its own Avalokitesvara statue but also prepared the 33 copies for the temple.

#30 Choraku-ji Temple

     Ishibashi Naoyuki compiled 6 volumes of Senshu-shi, the Topography of Izumi Province, in 1700.  He is from Shimoide Village, Hineno County, Izumi Province.  Choraku-ji Temple was mentioned in the topography.  Hirano-ji Temple was said to have been founded by Gyoki sometime between 729 and 749.  The temple was reduced to ashes when Toyotomi Hideyoshi invaded Kii Province in 1585.  Only its Kannon-do Hall and office building were rebuilt in the Edo Period, and they compose Chraku-ji Temple today.

Address: 725 Tottorinaka, Hannan, Osaka 599-0211

Phone: 072-472-1409

     I continued to drive north-east for less than half an hour.  I was in Sennan City.  Hannan’s Han indicates Osaka Prefecture and Sennan’s Sen implies Senshu, the southernmost part of Osaka Prefecture.  In both cases, Nan means South.  It’s a mystery why the South of Osaka Prefecture lies south to the South of the southernmost part of Osaka Prefecture.

At the end of the leg, I had to run through Route 26 a couple of minutes, and make a kind of detour. As often the case with old pilgrimages, the pilgrim route had been cut up by the highway.

#33 Gokurakumitsu-ji Temple

     Gyoki (668-749) is said to have founded 49 temples in his life.  On April 23rd, 717, an imperial order to suppress his missionary work was issued, saying, "Gyoki and his pupils talk about bad deeds and good deeds, and their retribution and rewards on streets without authorization.  They preach and lecture, visiting homes.  They maintain their false holy path, and tempt and seduce people."  In spite of the suppression, Gyoki attracted thousands of people at a time in 730.  In 740, the Imperial Court relaxed their suppression, and Gyoki cooperated the court in building the giant Buddha at Todai-ji Temple in Nara.

     Gokurakumitsu-ji Temple was founded by Gyoki sometime between 730 and 740, enshrining a Bhaisajyaguru statue.

     When Taira Shigehira (1157-1185) attacked Nara, he burned Todai-ji Temple, and the great Buddha burned down.  When Chogen (1120-1206) raised donations and contributions, he visited Gokurakumitsu-ji Temple, and was impressed with local people's strong faith in Bhaisajyaguru, and supported the temple too.

     When Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-1598) invaded Kii Province in 1585, the temple burned down.  In 1755, the Tokugawa Family in the province supported the revival of the temple.

     The Kannon-do Hall enshrines an Eleven-Faced Thousand-Armed Avalokitesvara statue, which is both Ekadasamukha and Sahasrabhuja.  The locals here were greelily religious too.

Address: 1 Chome-16-1 Baba, Sennan, Osaka 590-0525

Phone: 072-484-2468

     As I had expected, I saw nobody in any precincts.  Was it because of the 7th wave of the COVID-19 or due to the unpopularity of the pilgrimage?