Virtual Upper Tada Manor 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #21 Tennyu-ji Temple

 

     It is unknown when Tenryu-ji Temple was founded by Priest Soyo.  The temple has 3 Buddhist images carved by Mokujiki in 1807: Mokuji Sennin-tai, Avalokitesvara, and Mahasthamaprapta.

     Mokuji (1718-1810) was a Buddhist ascetic, Buddhist statue sculptor, and poet in the late Edo Period.

     He is the creator of so-called Mokujiki Buddhas, of which numerous works remain throughout Japan.  He changed his name 3 times in his life, and was also known as Mokujiki Gogyo Shonin and Mokuji Myoman Shonin.  Buddhists who didn't belong to a specific temple or sect and traveled around the country to practice their training were called “gyoja” (ascetics) or “yugyosho” (wandering monks).  Mokujiki was a typical example of such a wandering monk, traveling all over Japan and carving wooden Buddhist images wherever he visited.  He donated them to temples.

     Mokujiki's works are completely different from traditional Buddhist sculptures.  They are unconventional with vivid chisel marks.  His simple and undecorated forms express deep religious emotion, and his bold deformations have an originality reminiscent of modern sculptures.  Enku (1632-1695), who was active about a century before Mokujiki, is well known as a wandering monk who left Buddhist images all over Japan.  Compared to Enku's rough-hewn, wild style, Mokujiki's Buddhist images are characterized by their gentle, smiling faces.

     According to information compiled as of July, 2007, the total number of Mokujiki Buddhist images in existence is 617, with 56 images whose whereabouts are unknown, 31 images that were burned, and 6 images that were stolen, totaling 710.  Furthermore, a compilation in 2015 showed that the number of existing images was 626 and 95 were either lost or stolen, making the confirmed total 721.  In terms of distribution, Niigata Prefecture has the most with 282, followed by Yamanashi Prefecture with 89, Shizuoka Prefecture with 60, and Yamaguchi Prefecture with 55.

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