Virtual Musashino 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #12 Zentoku-ji Temple

 

     Zentoku-ji Temple was founded by Priest Meisaku (?-1568) in Kotesashi Village, Iruma County, Musashi Province.

     Zentoku-ji Temple has a Kannon-do hall which enshrines Universal-Benevolence Avalokitesvar.

     Universal-Benevolence Avalokitesvar isn't one of 6 types of Avalokitesvara, which are usually deities of a 33 Kannon pilgrimage: Arya Avalokitesvara, who is the human-figure prototype of the other 6 metamorphoses; Eleven-Faced Ekadasamukha; Thousand-Armed Sahasrabhuja; Cintamanicakra, who usually has 6 arms and holds chintamani (a wish-fulfilling jewel) in one of the six; Horse-Headed Hayagriva; and Cundi, who has 16 arms and appears to be female.

     According to Lotus Sutra Chapter XXV, Avalokitesvara, to save people, manifest herself/himself/itself: #1 into the form of a Buddha, #2 into the form of a pratyekabuddha, #3 into the form of a sravaka, #4 into the form of Brahma, #5 into the form of Sakra, #6 into the form of isvara, #7 into the form of Mahesvara, #8 into the form of the great commander of the devas, #9 into the form of Vaisravana, #10 into the form of a minor king, #11 into the form of a wealthy man, #12 into the form of a householder, #13 into the form of a state official, #14 into the form of a brahman, #15 into the form of a monk, #16 into the form of a nun, #17 into the form of a layman, #18 into the form of a  laywoman, #19 into the form of a wife of a wealthy man, #20 into the form of a wife of a householder, #21 into the form of a wife of a state official, #22 into the form of a wife of a brahman, #23 into the form of a boy, #24 into the form of a girl, #25 into the form of a deva, #26 into the form of naga, #27 into the form of yaksa, #28 into the form of gandharva, #29 into the form of asura, #30 into the form of garuda, #31 into the form of kimnara, #32 into the form of mahoraga, or #33 into the form of Vajrapani. 

     Many of the forms, or manifestations, are an enumeration of occupations at the time of Buddha.  Thus most of the 33 manifestations haven't been carved into Buddhism statues or painted in Buddhism pictures in Japan.  Instead, the number 33 came to mean a lot to Avalokitesvara believers.  That is why 33 temples were organized into one 33 Kannon pilgrimage.

     Tosa Hidenobu (?-?) published Butsuzo-zui (Illustrated Compendium of Buddhist Images) in 1783.  In the compendium, he listed 33 popular subjects of Buddhism Avalokitesvara 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 Avalokitesvar, #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 Avalokitesvar, #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 Avalokitesvar, #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 Avalokitesvar.  Some subjects came directly from Lotus Supra 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.

     Kotesashi Village had Kitano-Tenjin-sha Shrine.

     Sugawara Nobushige, who was the 5th generation of Michizane (845-903), invited the apotheosis of Michizane from Kitano-Tenman-gu Shrine in Kyoto to Kotesashigahara when Nobushige was the Governor of Musashi Province from 995 to 996.

     Zentoku-ji temple's sango is Bairinsan, namely Japanese Apricot Woods Mountain.  Michizane loved Japanese apricot blossoms.  The place name became Kitano.  All in all, Zentoku-ji Temple could have had something to do with Kitano-Tenjin-sha Shrine in Kotesashi.

Address: 2 Chome-13-5 Kitanominami, Tokorozawa, Saitama 359-1156

Phone: 04-2948-1439

Kitano-Tenjin-sha Shrine

Address: 3 Chome−28−44 Kotesashi Motomachi, Tokorozawa, Saitama 359-1147

Phone: 04-2948-0653