Settsu 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #8 Shofuku-ji Temple

 

     I walked out of the Fukuhara 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #10 Zensho-ji Temple and down the hill along the Myohoji River.  This means I was back to the original pilgrimage route between #8 and #9. Soon, there appeared a trail on my left.  It was a steep iron ladder running up into the woods.  My map suggested it to be the shortest route to he Fukuhara 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #8 Shofuku-ji Temple, which is also the Settsu 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #8.  Since I started from Myohoji Station earlier in the morning, I had already climbed up and down countless steps, but found this one very unreasonable. The ladder just overwhelmed me.  I was visiting temples but not necessarily practicing religious austerities.  Instead, I took a roundabout way along the bus route.

     Fujiwara Eiyumaru was the third son of Koretada (924-972), who became the Regent as well as the head of the Great Council of State.  In 988, Eiyumaru entered the priesthood under Imperial command, and was given a Buddhist name, Shoraku.  He built a cabin at the foot of Mt. Takatori.  In those days, demons haunted around Kanoshishimatsu Pass.  Shoraku eliminated them by his power of Buddhism.

     When Taira Kiyomori (1118-1181) constructed Kyoga-shima Island as a breakwater of Owada Port, the followers of Shofuku-ji Temple provided much help, and were given gold-plated copper Buddhism tools and a flag.

     The temple is also said to have kept the armor of Taira Tomoakira (1169-1184), who was killed in the Battle of Ichi-no-Tani on February 3rd, 1184, saving his father, Tomomori (1152-1185).

     Tomomori was not only loved by his son, but also by his horse.  When Tomomori fled on board, the ship was so full of men that he had to release his horse back to the beach.  The Tale of Heike depict the parting, “The horse was very loath to leave its master, and kept close to the ship for a while, swimming right out into the offing, and it was not until it was at some distance from the shore that it reluctantly turned round and swam back to the beach, and even then, as soon as its feet touched the ground, it turned again and looked after the ship, neighing loudly three times.”

     Suffering from a guilty conscience, Tomomori later mourned with tears running down his face, “How sad am I to be alive when my son Musashi-no-kami is gone, and my retainer Kenmotsu is slain also.  What is to be thought of a father like me, who cannot help his son when he turns the attack of the enemy on to himself to rescue his father, but leaves him to his fate and saves himself thus?  In the case of another I should think that he grudged his life, and now on my own what shame must I feel to merit such a reproach?"

     About a year later, on March 24th, 1185, Tomomori committed suicide by throwing himself into the sea of Dan-no-Ura, where the Taira Clan collapsed and died out.

     The main deity of Shofuku-ji Temple is Arya Avalokitesvara, who is the human-figure prototype of the other 6 Avalokitesvara metamorphoses.  Without the other Avalokitesvara metamorphoses, Arya Avalokitesvara can’t be Arya Avalokitesvara.  Without a son, a father couldn’t be a father.

Address: 9 Chome-1-1 Otecho, Suma Ward, Kobe, Hyogo 654-0013

Phone: 078-731-1253