Virtual Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #17 Mangan-ji Temple

 

     Mangan-ji Temple was founded by Monk Shodo (735-817) in 765.

     Shodo was Born on April 21st, 735, in Haga County, Shimotsuke Province.  He practiced mountain asceticism from his childhood.  He studied under Nyoi Sozu of Yakushi-ji Temple in Shimotsuke in 762.  It isn't clear what Shodo's Buddhism was like.  In the Kanto Region at the time, some priests belonged to Tiantai Sect, some others were affiliated with Ganjin (688-763), and some people from Korea were moved to the region with the Huayan or Flower Garland teachings.

     In early April of 767, he attempted his first ascent of Mt. Nikko, but failed.  In early April, 781, he attempted to climb again, but failed.  In March, 782, after chanting sutras for 17 days at the foot of the mountain, and after vowing to offer the three treasures to the summit, to worship the divine spirits of Mt. Nikko, and to reach the state of Bodhi at the top of the mountain, he finally succeeded in reaching the summit.  Shodo worshiped the divine spirit of Mt. Nikko for 37 days at the top of it, just as he had vowed.

     The temple's sango is Izuru-san.

     The Izurusan Incident broke out at the end of the Edo Period (1603-1867).  On October 14th, 1867, Tokugawa Yoshinobu (1837-1913), the 15th Shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate, proclaimed that the shogunate would return the national governance to the Imperial Court.  The peaceful transfer of the governance was inconvenient for Saigo Takamori (1827-1877) of the Satsuma Domain, who insisted on overthrowing the shogunate by force.  He planned to provoke the shogunate and lead it to war.  He dispatched Imuda Shohei (1832-1869), Masumitsu Kyonosuke (1841-1868), and Sagara Sozo (1839-1868) to Shimazu Clan's residence in Edo.  They gathered about 500 people, including masterless samurai and young family members of wealthy farmers and merchants.  Sagara and others discussed how to disturb the peace in the Kanto Region.  They planned to raise an army in three directions: North Kanto, Kai Province, and Sagami Province, to disperse the shogunate forces, waiting for an opportunity to intrude into Edo.

     As a part of the Kanto Disturbance Plan, they raised an army at Mangan-ji Temple in Shimotsuke Province on November 29ht, 1867.  They advocated reverence for the Emperor and the expulsion of foreigners.  They insisted that they should overthrow the shogunate.  The rebellion was suppressed within two weeks by the forces of pro-shogunate clans.  The disturbance in the Kanto Region triggered the burning of the residence of the Satsuma Clan in Edo, which was one of the causes of the outbreak of the Boshin War between anti-shogunate clans and the pro-shogunate clans.  The Tokugawa Shogunate itself?  In those days, the shogunate samurai were no more than bureaucrats.

Address: 288 Izurumachi, Tochigi, 328-0206

Phone: 0282-31-1717