Virtual Miki County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #10 Tofuku-ji Temple

 

     Tofuku-ji Temple was founded in 1602 in Kurumi Village, Miki County, Settsu Province, as a branch of the Miki County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #11 Jigen-ji Temple.

     Due to the anti-Buddhist movement in 1869, Tofuku-ji Temple subsequently declined, and part of its buildings was merged with Jigan-ji Temple.  For 32 years thereafter, deeply saddened by this, Priest Entsu made up his mind to rebuild the temple in 1902, relocating it to Ono, Kobe City (today's Chuo Ward).  In 1908, he found the current location and built a temporary main hall.  In 1912, he invited the renowned master carpenter of the time, the 9th generation Ito Heizaemon (1829-1913), a Living National Treasure, to begin construction of the temple buildings.  In 1924, Entsu invited Nun Chiei of Zenko-ji Temple, and held a grand completion ceremony.  As the first priest of the revived Tofuku-ji Temple, Entsu enshrined the Zenkoji-style Amitabha Triad  Buddha and engaged in missionary activities, earning the temple the nickname "Ono's Zenko-ji Temple."

     The style of the 3 Buddhist images is called the Three Saints of the West in China and the Amitabha Triad in Japan, referring to the three main Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the Western Paradise.  The leader is Amitabha, with his attendants Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva on the left and Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva on the right.  The three are all on the lotus seat.  The lotus symbolizes being free from mud and untainted.  The statues or portraits of the three are objects of respect for those who practice Pure Land Buddhism.  The style is based on the Amitayus Contemplation Sutra, in which the bodies of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas visualized as the bodies of these three deities.  Avalokitesvara is considered to be the incarnation of Amitabha's compassion, while Mahasthamaprapta is considered to be the incarnation of wisdom.  In conclusion, the Amitabha Triad is one of the Buddhist statue placement styles and should have cost more than having a Buddhist image.

     Tofuku-ji Temple’s main deity used to be the Eleven-Faced Ekadasamukha statue.  The membership of the temple as the Miki County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #10 was transferred to the Miki County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #11 Jigen-ji Temple.  The question is where has the Ekadasamukha statue gone.  As Kurumi has Juichimen-Kannon-do Hall, the hall might keep the statue.

Jigen-ji Temple

Address: 1722 Kurumi, Miki, Hyogo 673-0411

Phone: 0794-82-4093

Tofuku-ji Temple

Address: 7 Chome−2−6, Kunikadori, Chuo Ward, Kobe, Hyogo 651-0066

Phone: 078-221-5128

Zenko-ji Temple

Address: Motoyoshicho I, Nagano 380-0851

Phone: 026-234-3591

Juichimen-Kannon-do Hall

Address: Kurumi, Miki, Hyogo 673-0411