Virtual Upper Tada Manor 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #11 Seimei-in Temple

 

     It is unknown when Seimei-in Temple was founded in Nishihata Village, Kawabe County, Settsu Province.  The village was first documented in 1368, and it is also unknown whether the temple's foundation was before the organization of the village or after.  The village had 49 households in 1368 and 56 in 1375.  In those years, the village was posed a kind of taxes by Tada-in Temple.

     Wat is Tada-in Temple?

     In 970, Minamoto Mitsunaka (912-997), the founder of the Seiwa-Minamoto Clan, received a divine revelation from Gods Sokotsutsu, Nakatsutsu, and Uwatsutsu, and established a residence where Tada Shrine is located.  Mitsunaka founded Tada-in Takao-san Hokke-Sanmai-ji Temple, which is commonly known as Tada-in in 970, when he was the zuryo of Settsu Province.

     What is a zuryo?

     Under the ancient centralized government, a certain amount of rice paddy field was allotted to an adult for cultivation during their lifetime .  The allotment was conducted every 6 years since the end of the 7th century.  Due to the public unrest, Emperor Kanmu (737-806) extended the allotment circle to 12 years to maintain the system.  The last allotment was carried out by Emperor Daigo (885-930) in 902.

     On March 13th, 902, the first manor restriction ordinance was issued by Emperor Daigo.  He incorporated royal rice paddy fields which had been developed since his coronation in 897 into state-owned ones.  He prohibited local people from donating their rice paddy fields to central powerful clans or central religious institutions, and also banned central powerful clans and central powerful religious institutions from illegally enclosing wilderness.  The ordinance required manor owners to keep their official written certificates, and gave provincial officers authority to accept the application of newly developed manors, which strengthened provincial governments’ supervision over rice paddy fields in their provinces.

Through the 9th and 10th centuries, there emerged a “zuryo” (literally to take over) class among central middle-ranking noble families.  Unlike central powerful clan members, who preferred to stay in Kyoto, they actually left Kyoto for their assignment provinces.  The 11th century witnessed the golden age of the “take-over” class.

     Zuryo brought several relatives and vassals to his appointed province.  They worked as his agents in the departments of the provincial government.  The agents worked with local officials.  Those local officials tended to double as county officers or officials.  Some agents conflicted with local officials while some others had cozy relationships with local officials.  A few were even related to local officials by marriage.

     When Mitsunaka built the residence, Emperor En'yu (959-991) is said to have given an imperial command, "This castle should be the residence of the head of the military clan, the Imperial Palace Guard, for all eternity."  For this reason, this place is known as the birthplace of the Seiwa-Minamoto Clan.  After that, Mitsunaka led his own samurai group, later known as Tadain Gokenin, and worked hard to develop Tada Manor around his residence and Tada-in Temple.

     Tada-in Temple’s principal image, the 18-meter-tall Sakyamuni statue, was commissioned by Mitsunaka; the Manjusri statue by Mitsunaka's eldest son, Yorimitsu (948-1021); the Samantabhadra statue by Mitsunaka's second son, Yorichika (966-1057); and the Caturmaharaja statues by Mitsunaka's third son, Yorinobu (968-1048).  When Mitsunaka died on August 27th, 997, he was buried in the temple.  Mitsunaka's 9th and youngest son, Ken (977-1020), built a mausoleum and a hall which housed Mitsunaka's statue.

     After the Meiji Restoration Government issued the Gods and Buddhas Separation Order in 1868, the Buddhist temple became a Shinto shrine.

     As Seimei-in Temple belongs to Caodong Chan School, it wasn’t a branch of Tada-in Temple anyway.

Address: Hatagata-23 Nishihata, Inagawa, Kawabe District, Hyogo 666-0203

Phone: 072-769-0122

Tada Shrine

Address: 1-1 Tadain Tadadokorocho, Kawanishi, Hyogo 666-0127

Phone: 072-793-0001