Virtual Kodama Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #16 Sosei-ji Temple

 

     Sosei-ji Temple was founded on January 20th, 1368, about a month before the breakout of the Musashi Heiikki Revolt, enshrining Eleven-faced Ekadasamukha.  Its precincts have a greenschist itabi dated July 5th, 1375.

     In ancient times, there used to be the Musashi Seven Corps. The most part of Musashi Province was plateaus deeply covered with volcanic-ash soil, which was suitable for stock farming, not for rice growing. In ancient times, many of the naturalized Silla people then were sent to Musashi Province, and engaged in the stock farming. That stimulated local people there, and many stock farms were set up, including 6 imperial stock farms. The custodians of those farms later formed small-scale would-be-samurai families. By marriage, those would-be-samurai families composed 7 corps on the Musashi Plateaus.

     Then there came the medieval days, the days of samurai. The Musashi Seven Corps basically supported the establishment of the Kamakura Shogunate, the government by samurai, for samurai, and of samurai. Some corps members climbed up the social ladder through the battles to overthrow the ancient establishment, while others remained half-farmer and half-samurai. Through marriage ties, or by blood, those common half-farmer and half-samurai families formed a provincial common ring or mafia, Musashi Hei-ikki, or the Musashi Commonwealth.

     When the Kamakura Shogunate collapsed, they banded together, jumped on the bandwagon, and luckily picked a winner, the Ashikaga Clan.  During the South and North Courts Period, they banded together and picked a winner, the Ashikaga Clan.  After the establishment of the Ashikaga Shogunate, or the Muromachi Shogunate, there broke out the Kanno Incident in 1351, basically the infighting within the Ashikaga Clan, they banded together and picked a winner, Takauji (1305-1358).  Under the first Kanto Deputy Shogun, Ashikaga Motouji (1340-1367), and the first Regent of the Kanto Deputy Shogunate, Hatakeyama Kunikiyo (?-1362), they banded together and distinguished themselves in battles.  When Motouji feuded with Kunikiyo, they banded together and picked a winner.  Uesugi Noriaki (1306-1368) became the Regent, and the Kanto Deputy Shogunate became settled.

     Peace at last?  The Establishment were always driven with lust.  Once the tug-of-war among them was settled, they set their eyes on common samurai.  What the Musashi Commonwealth had achieved by distinguishing themselves in battles were deprived.  Musashi Hei-ikki Revolt broke out on February 25th, 1368.  This time, their unity was split as the divide and rule was the old trick of the establishment.

     It is unknown who founded Sosei-ji Temple a month before the breakout of the revolt.  It is also unknown who was buried under the above mentioned itabi.  It is further unknown whether the 2 samurai were identical or not.  If so, he survived the revolt either on the side of the winner, the suppressors, or the loser, the suppressed.  Or he could have gone over.

      The itabi was listed in the Shuko Jisshu, the Pictorial Records of 10-types Antiques, which was compiled over four years.  Its compilation was led by Matsudaira Sadanobu (1759-1829).  Scholars such as Shibano Ritsuzan (1736-1807), Hirose Mousai (1768-1829), and Yashiro Hirokata (1758-1841)took part in the compilation.  Painters included Tani Buncho (1763-1841), Kita Busei (1776-1857), Ohno Bunsen (1774-1837), Priest Hakuun (1764-1825), Sumiyoshi Hiroyuki (1754-1811), and Morikawa Chikuso (1763-1830).  They traveled to temples and shrines all over the country, from today's Tohoku District to Kyushu, and copied calligraphies, paintings, and antiques there.  In addition to field surveys, they also directly sent for antiques which were available by mail order, and used copies.  The preface was written by Mousai in 1800.  The 1,859 artifacts are classified into 10 types: inscriptions, bell inscriptions, weapons, copper wares, musical instruments, stationeries, seals, plaques, portraits, calligraphies, and paintings.

     Shiraishi Munekiyo (?-1583) revived the temple sometime between 1504 and 1521, inviting Priest Soin (?-1501).  Mmm, a little bit of inconsistency here.

     Munekiyo was the second son of Inomata Sadahira, who most likely belonged to the Inomata Corps, which was one of the Musashi Seven Corps.  Munekiyo very likely called his family Shiraishi after moving to Shiraishi Village.  Munekiyo invited Soin at the end of the 15th century.  The Chokyo War was fought in the Kanto Region from 1487 to 1505 between the Yamanouchi-Uesugi and Ogigayatsu-Uesugi Families.  The temple might have been destroyed in battle, and Munekiyo could have rebuilt it after the war.  It is unknown if the offspring of the samurai buried under the above-mentioned itabi had survived for about a century.  If so, was Munekiyo peacefully adopted by them?  Or did Munekiyo just overpower them?

     The temple was struck by lightning on April 17th, 1873, and burned down.  The statue of Arya Avalokitesvara, who is the human-figure prototype of the other 6 metamorphoses, was invited from a Kannon-do hall in the same village, which had been abolished after the Meiji Restoration.

     Last of all, Munekiyo and Sosei use the same Chinese characters.  Is it by chance?  Did Munekiyo pick up the characters after moving to the village?  Or did he forcibly change the temple's name?  If so, what was the temple's original name?

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