Virtual Akashi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #28 Myoo-ji Temple

 

     Myoo-ji Temple was founded in 806 by Priest Genga.

     Why in 806?

     Prince Sawara (750-785) was implicated in the assassination of Fujiwara Tanetsugu (737-785) in 785, and was deposed as crown prince.  He was exiled to Awaji Province, and, on his way there, he either starved himself to death or was starved to death.  His body was forwarded to the province and was buried there.  The whereabouts of his burial site is unknown.

     His tragedy provoked fear against his curse.  The fear became awe, and the awe led to enshrining the prince as a god.

     On October 8th, 785, Emperor Kanmu (737-806) reported to the tombs of Emperor Tenchi (626-672), Prince Shiki (668-716), and Emperor Konin (709-782) that Prince Sawara had been deposed as crown prince, and on November 25th, Prince Ote (774-824) was made crown prince.  After 788, there were a series of unhappy events, including Ote's illness; the deaths of Emperor Kanmu's wives, Fujiwara Tabiko (759-788), Fujiwara Otomuro (760-790), and Sakanoue Matako (?-790); the death of Takano Niigasa (?-790), the mother of Emperor Kanmu and Prince Sawara; epidemics; and famines.  The incidents were all concluded by the Department of Divinities to be the curse of Prince Sawara.  In 792, a household was assigned to guard and clean Sawara's burial site.

     After that, two monks were sent to Awaji Province, where Sawara was buried, on May 20th, 797, to apologize to the prince's spirit.  On February 15th, 799, Otomo Korenari and Priest Taishin were sent to the province to apologize, and other ceremonies were held to appease the prince's spirit.

     On July 23rd, 800, Prince Sawara was posthumously named Emperor Sudo and a mound was made on his burial site.  Korenari was sent to the burial mound with onmyoji, a technical officer in charge of divination and geomorphology, and monks to apologize, and 2 households were assigned to be grave keepers in Tsuna County, Awaji Province.  So, his burial site might have been in the county.  Kanmu's health deteriorated from the end of 804, and he put more effort into appeasement of the prince's spirit.  In April, 805, he ordered provinces to build small warehouses for Sawara and keep 40 bundles of tax rice to cover the cost of reburial of Sawara.  He appointed a reburial official to proceed with the reburial in Yamato Province.  The site is identified as Yashima Mausoleum.  On March 17th, 806, Kanmu, who was critically ill, pardoned those involved in the assassination of Tanetsugu: Otomo Yakamochi (715-785), Otomo Tsuguhito (?-785), and Ki Shiramaro.  He ordered the monks of Provincial Temples to recite the Vajrayana Sutra for 7 days in February and September for Sawara, and passed away on the same day.

     According to Myodani Shi, or Myodani History and Topography, which was published in 1973, the Akashi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #27 Tenporin-ji Temple suffered from fires and Myoo-ji Temple was founded, enshrining Acalanatha to prevent further fires.  However, other documents don't support the relation between the 2 temples.  Anyway, Myoo-ji Temple could have been founded because there was something threatening and disquieting in the air of the society.

     Myoo-ji Temple’s Buddhist tanka poem is:

Looking out, the moon shines brightly at Myo-oji Temple,

Letting the light of great compassion

Live up to the moon light.

Address: 1900 Myodanicho, Tarumi-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 655-0852

Phone: 078-707-0163