Virtual New Innami County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #16 Shoho-an Temple

 

     Jizo-in Temple was founded in 1666.  Kitahara Toshitaka is the 20th priest of the temple.  Its 19th priest was the master of Shobo-an Hermitage.  The hermitage was rebuilt with concrete blocks in 1977.  Innami Gun Shi, or the Innami County Topography, was published in 1906.  When its enlarged edition was published in 1916, it listed Shobo-an Hermitage as the #16 member of the Innami 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.  When Kyodo Shi No. 18 was published in 1952, it listed Jizo-ji Temple as its #16.

     All in all, Shobo-an Hermitage was abolished when Haibutsu Kishaku (literally "abolish Buddhism and destroy Shakamuni”) was executed in many parts of Japan after the Meiji Restoration in the 19th century.  Although it is unknown whether Jizo-in Temple replaced Shobo-an Hermitage before, during, or after World War II, the hermitage was rebuilt after the Japanese economic miracle from 1955 to 1973.

     Every and any member of an every and any Kannon Pilgrimage is supposed to enshrine a transformation of Avaloketesvara:

1) Arya Avalokitesvara, who is the human-figure prototype of the other 6 metamorphoses

2) Eleven-Faced Ekadasamukha

3) Thousand-Armed Sahasrabhuja

4) Cintamanicakra, who usually has 6 arms and holds chintamani (a wish-fulfilling jewel) in one of the six,

5) Horse-Headed Hayagriva

6) Cundi, who has 16 arms, and who appears to be female

7) Amoghapasa, who usually has 3 eyes and 8 arms

    Today, however, Shobo-an Hermitage's main deity is Ksitigarbha.  Where has any transformation of Avalokitesvara gone?

Address: Amida-1530 Amidacho, Takasago, Hyogo 676-0827

Jizo-in Temple

Address: Amida-2841-1 Amidacho, Takasago, Hyogo 676-0827

Phone: 079-447-4430