Virtual Kako County Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #3 Jurin-ji Temple

 

     According to tradition, after Kukai (774–835) returned from Tang China, he founded a Shingon Buddhist temple in 815 by Imperial decree as a prayer center for national protection. He named it Jizo-san Jurin-ji, drawing from the "Jizo Jurin Sutra" (The Ten Wheels of Ksitigarbha Sutra). This sutra expounds that Jizo Bodhisattva saves suffering sentient beings through ten divine wheels (or powers), which became the spiritual foundation of the temple.

     However, in 1207, Honen (1133–1212) spread his Pure Land teachings to Harima Province. His disciple, the monk Shin’jaku (?–1244), later revived the temple as a Jodo (Pure Land) Buddhist temple. The temple's sango (mountain name) was subsequently changed to Hobin-san ("Treasure Vase Mountain") after it received a donation of a hanging scroll titled "The Image of the Treasure Vase," which featured a self-inscription by Honen.

     While Jurin-ji is believed to have suffered severe damage during the turbulent Onin War (1467–1477) and the subsequent Warring States Period (1467-1568), it found a powerful patron in the early Edo Period (1603–1867) in Itakura Katsushige (1545–1624). Serving as the Kyoto Shoshidai (the Shogunate's Governor of Kyoto), Katsushige donated land to the temple, ensuring its revival and securing its place as a revered sacred site.

Address: 1074 Takasagocho Yokomachi, Takasago, Hyogo 676-0051

Phone: 079-442-0242