Virtual North Kawachi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #8 Myohen-ji Temple

 

     Myohen's father was Fujiwara Michinori (1106?-1159), who was killed by Fujiwara Nobuyori (1133-1159), who was killed by Taira Kiyomori (1118-1181), whose children were killed by Minamoto Yoritomo (1147-1199).  After his father was killed, Myohen was exiled to Echigo Province.  After he was pardoned, he studied East Asian Madhyamaka in Todai-ji Temple.  As the Madhyamaka students studied the Middle Treatise (Zhong lun in Chinese), the Twelve Gate Treatise (Shiermen lun in Chinese), and the Hundred Treatise (Bai lun in Chinese), the study is often called the Sanlun in Chinese or Sanron in Japanese.  San means 3.  Its main doctrine is that true wisdom is the abandonment of all views.  Through witnessing many deaths, Myohen might have been interested in emptiness.

     Presumably in his 50's, Myohen went back and forth between Kyoto and Mount Koya.  On his way back and forth, he often stayed in Hirakata and built a hermitage there.  Myohen taught meditations focused on Amitabha through nianfo to farmers in Hirakata.  The hermitage became Amida-ji Temple, and was renamed Myohen-ji presumably after Myohen.

Anyway, Myohen-ji Temple’s location is quite impractical and unreasonable.  It could have been relocated after the organization of North Kawachi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.

Address: 1 Chome-52-1 Kozu, Katano, Osaka 576-0053

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