Virtual Musashino 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #7 Tokuzo-ji Temple

 

     Tokuzo-ji Temple was founded at the foot of Hakkokusan Hill in the west of Kumegawa Village, Tama County, Musashi Province.  The area seems to have had several holy places.  The temple has collected about 170 itabi and displays them in its museum.  The most famous one was brought from the hillside with Eishun-an Hermitage in the 18th century.  What are the itabi and the Eishun-an Hermitage?

     Nitta Yoshisada (1301-1338) raised his army in Ikushina Shrine in Kozuke Province with 150-strong cavalry on May 8th, 1333.  He was to meet the 100,000-strong cavalry of the Kamakura Shogunate somewhere between Kozuke and Sagami Provinces.  The shogunate had been established by the Minamoto Clan, beating down the Taira Clan, but had been controlled by the Hojo Clan, who were the branch of the Taira Clan, after the 4th shogun.  The Nitta Family was one of the powerful branch families of the Minamoto Clan.

     Yoshisada had pride in his bloodline and content against the Hojo Clan.  When he arrived at Tone River, the number of his cavalry increased to 7,000 strong.  After crossing the river, the number jumped to 207,000.  On May 11th, his army encountered 30,000-strong cavalry of the Kamakura Shogunate with Hojo Sadakuni (1287-1333) as a general, and with Nagasaki Takashige (?-1333), Nagasaki Yasumitsu, and Kaji Jirozaemon as vice generals.  Over 300 of Nitta's and more than 500 of the shogunate's were killed in the battle.  Both armies were exhausted.  Nitta's army retreated to Iruma River, and the shogunate's army pulled out to Kume River.

     To advance to Kume River, Yoshisada pitched a camp on Hakkokusan Hill.

     Yoshisada defeated the garrisons of the Kamakura Shogunate along the Iruma River, and along Kume River.  On the 15th, he carried out a forced crossing of Tama River, the strategic point for both, in the face of the 100,000-strong cavalry of the shogunate.  He outnumbered the shogunate, but his cavalry was not well-organized.  On the 16th, Yoshisada made another forced crossing with 10,000-strong cavalry at Bubai Riverbank, and defeated the garrisons of the Kamakura Shogunate.  On the 18th, Yoshisada tried to make a forced crossing across Kashio River at Muraoka just out of Kamakura in vain.  Instead, he took a sea shore route, and finally seized and captured Kamakura on the 22nd.

     After the war, he built an itabi on Hakkokusan Hill to commemorate Saito Morisada, who was killed in May 15th at the age of 26, and Magoshichi Ieyuki and Akima Munenaga, who were killed on the 18th at the age of 23 and 35 respectively.

     Eishun-an Hermitage was built on the hillside by Priest Shusastu (?-1638) to take care of the itabi and to pray for the comfort of the three in the other world.  The sango of the hermitage, Togen-san, indicates it is located in a paradise or a utopia.  The hermitage and the itabi were moved to the precincts of Tokuzo-ji Temple by Priest Hoju (?-1682).

     The Arya Avalokitesvara statue of Eishun-an Hermitage is said to have been the personal guardian Buddhist image of Morisada.

     Tokuzo-ji Temple might have been founded based on those holy places by Priest Hekiei (?-1635) at the beginning of the Edo Period (1603-1867).  The temple's main deity is Pandara Vasini Avalokitesvar, who isn't included in the 6 types of Avalokitesvar, who are usually enshrined in 33-Kannon-pilgrimage member temples: 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.

     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.

     Tokuzo-ji Temple is also the Sayama 33 Kannon Pilgrimag #11, with Eishun-an Hermitage as its #12.

Address: 1 Chome−26−3 Suwacho, Higashimurayama, Tokyo 189-0021

Phone: 042-391-1603

Hachikokuyama Park

Address: 4 Chome Tamakocho, Higashimurayama, Tokyo 189-0026

Phone: 042-393-0154