Kaniman-ji Temple

 

     Long ago, a kind and compassionate girl and her parents lived along the Kizu River.  One day, the girl came across some villagers who had caught a lot of crabs to eat.  She bought the crabs from them and let the crabs go into the grass.

     Later, while the father was plowing the rice field, he encountered a frog that was about to be swallowed by a snake.  Feeling sorry for the frog, the father saved the frog from the snake in exchange for marrying his daughter to the snake, but soon regretted it.  After hearing the story, the daughter comforted her father and asked Avalokitesvara for help.

     As the sun set, the snake disguised itself as a nobleman dressed in formal attire and came to pick up the girl.  At first, the parents refused, citing her wedding preparations, but later, the nobleman returned.  Angry at the parents and daughter for not welcoming him, he turned into a giant snake and went on a rampage.

     Trembling with fear, the parents and daughter chanted part of Saddharma Pundarika Sutra with all their hearts.  Then Avalokitesvara appeared and said, "There is no need to be afraid.  Your daughter has a compassionate heart and does good deeds.  Your faith and willpower will save you from this crisis," and then disappeared.

     Then, the sound of the snake's rampage soon stopped, and it became quiet outside. When the parents and daughter opened the door at dawn, they found the snake cut into pieces and the carcasses of countless crabs.

     The parents and daughter were deeply grateful to Avalokitesvara, and built a hall to enshrine Avalokitesvara and to mourn the crab that had taken the place of the daughter and the poor snake.  From this, the hall was named Kaniman-ji Temple, namely Crab-Filled Temple.

Address: Hama-36 Yamashirocho Kabata, Kizugawa, Kyoto 619-0201

Phone: 0774-86-2577