Trees in the Town

 

Virtual Kasai Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #25 Amida-ji Temple

 

     In 1694, Akamatsu Motonobu supported the foundation of Amida-ji Temple in Kasahara Village, Kasai County, Harima Province.  The village was first documented in 1059.  The Akamatsu clan used to rule the province, but no big name among them had Moto or Nobu in their 1st names.  Motonobu could have belonged to a very minor branch of the clan.  His ancestors could have become farmers after the collapse of the clan in the Warring States Period (1467-1568).

     The temple's 3rd priest Kinmyo improved the temple buildings and documents after 1751, and finally had the temple authorized as an official Buddhist temple under the danka system. Although Kasahara Village was old, Amida-ji was the only temple in Kasahara village, which might have been under the strong influence of Ichijo-ji Temple, the next station of the Kasai Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.

     Amida-ji Temple’s Buddhist tanka poem is:

Oh, how divine! The Buddha's grace descends,

A sacred mercy that forever flows.

The vow of peace and comfort never ends,

Where Kasahara's timeless temple glows.

Address: 798 Nishikasaharacho, Kasai, Hyogo 675-2213

Phone: 0790-48-3006

Trees in the Town

 

Virtual Kasai Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #24 Kensho-ji Temple

 

     Kensho-ji Temple, the 24th temple on the Kasai District Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, was originally established in Tawara Village, Harima Province (present-day Tawara-cho, Kasai City), belonging to Caodong Chan sect. It was founded by Unkitsu, though it remains unclear whether Unkitsu was a Buddhist priest or a lay patron. The construction of the temple culminated with the completion of its main gate in 1700.

     In the 17th century, the Tokugawa Shogunate established the danka system, which made affiliation with a local Buddhist temple compulsory for all citizens. Because Kensho-ji was the only temple within Tawara Village, its founding in 1674 likely served a vital purpose for the community. By establishing their own temple rather than relying on one in a neighboring village, the villagers could maintain their independence and avoid owing obligations during inter-village conflicts.

     This autonomy was particularly crucial regarding water rights. Tawara Village first appears in historical records around 1600 in documentation concerning an irrigation dispute with neighboring Abiki Village, highlighting how essential self-reliance was for the village’s survival and negotiations.

　The temple in Abiki Village was Shuhen-ji, the 24th station of the Kasai Saigoku 33 Kannon pilgrimage, and belongs to the Shingon sect.  The village was first documented in 1322.  Obviously, Kensho-ji Temple was founded to rival Shuhen-ji, or to help Tawara rival Abiki.

     In 1674, however, persistent heavy rains swept across western Japan from spring through summer, triggering severe flooding known as the Enpo Floods. That September, a devastating typhoon struck Harima Province and the Seto Inland Sea coast, wiping out crops and homes. These consecutive disasters led directly to the widespread Enpo Famine of 1675.

     It is unknown whether Unkitsu began establishing the temple before or during these catastrophes. Regardless, overcoming such severe hardships likely meant that fully completing the temple complex took over a quarter of a century.

     Kensho-ji Temple’s Buddhist tanka poem is:

Within the sacred garden’s calm,

The whispering pines, the temple toll,

Awaken in the seeking soul

The timeless truth of Buddha’s balm.

Address: 2605 Taharacho, Kasai, Hyogo 675-2114

Phone: 0790-49-0242

Trees in the Town

 

Virtual Kasai Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #23 Shuhen-ji Temple

 

     It is said that Shuhen-ji Temple originated in 651, when the ascetic Hodo enshrined a portion of a sutra he had transcribed onto stone and erected a hall, naming the site "Kyo-no-o" (Sutra Ridge).

     Shuhen-ji Temple’s Buddhist tanka poem is:

Before us spreads the ocean blue, behind, the mountains rise,

Across the sacred, rugged pass, beneath the boundless skies.

Upon Mt. Nyoi's tranquil height, the gentle moonlight gleams,

To guide our weary pilgrim steps with pure and holy beams.

Overlooking History: The Historical Depth of Mt. Nyoi's Pilgrimage Hymn

     The pilgrimage hymn (Goeika) of Shuhen-ji Temple captures more than just an immediate physical landscape—it evokes a deep sense of Japan's ancient and medieval history.

     "Before us lies the sea, and behind us stand high mountain peaks, / As we cross through the long and rugged pass."

     To appreciate the true resonance of these lines, one must look at the unique geographical position of Kasai and the Harima region.

1. Ancient Arrivals: Crossing the Divide

     Historically, the mountains behind Kasai formed a natural boundary between the Sea of Japan coast and the Seto Inland Sea. According to local legends, the hermit Hodo Sennin—the mythical founder of Shuhen-ji in 651—arrived from overseas via the northern coast and crossed these rugged mountains to establish sacred sites in Harima. For ancient migrants and seafaring travelers from the Korean Peninsula or the Izumo region, climbing these passes was a journey from the northern sea to a new life along the southern coast.

2. Medieval Crossroads: Conflict and Commerce

     Beyond ancient myth, these mountain passes served as a vital geopolitical artery during the medieval period. During the turbulence of the Muromachi period—most notably the Kakitsu Incident of 1441—the powerful Yamana clan swept down from their base in the San'in region, crossing the watershed into Harima to challenge the Akamatsu clan. For centuries, soldiers, traders, and monks traversed these exact ridges, linking the cultural spheres of the north and south.

3. The Pilgrim’s Reflection

     When pilgrims reach the summit of Mt. Nyoi and look out toward the distant sea with the mountains at their back, they stand at a historical crossroads. The bright moon shining over Shuhen-ji has illuminated countless travelers through the ages—from ancient immigrants seeking new homes to medieval warriors and peaceful pilgrims. The hymn stands as a poetic testament to the timeless human journey across the mountains of Harima.

Address: 1964 Abikicho, Kasai, Hyogo 675-2113

Shuhen-ji Kyo-no-o (Shuhen-ji Sutra Ridge)

Addres: 1964 Abikicho, Kasai, Hyogo 675-2113

Trees in the Town

 

Virtual Kasai Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #22 Mitsuzo-in Temple

 

     Shuhen-ji Temple is said to have been founded by the hermit Hodo in 651. It is unclear when Mitsuzo-in, one of its sub-temples, was established.

     However, the grounds of Mitsuzo-in feature the Sekikan-butsu (a stone Buddha carved into a slab from an ancient megalithic tomb), which is estimated to date from the late Kamakura period (1185–1333) to the Nanboku-cho (Southern and Northern Courts) period (1336–1392). This suggests that the temple may have been founded around that time.

     Mitsuzo-in Temple’s Buddhist tanka poem is:

Upon Mt. Nyoi’s sacred peak, deep vows of grace abide,

Clear streams of Dharma logic flow down the mountain side.

Like cleansing waters pure and cool, they wash all sins away,

And all living souls shall truly thrive beneath its holy ray.

Address: 831-42 Abikicho, Kasai, Hyogo 675-2113

Phone: 0790-49-0558

Shuhen-ji Temple

Address: 1964 Abikicho, Kasai, Hyogo 675-2113

Trees in the Town

 

Virtual Kasai Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #21 Fukusho-ji Temple

 

     Fukusho-ji Temple was originally located near Kanatsurube Fortress, but was moved to its current site between 1532 and 1555 by Nakamura Rokurozaemon.

     The Nakamura family, based at the fortress, was driven out by Beppu Kuro around 1533. It is believed that Rokurozaemon then fled to Kuwaharada Village—a settlement first documented in 1059. The Beppu family was subsequently destroyed by the Bessho clan between 1558 and 1570.

     Fukusho-ji Temple subsequently fell into decline but was revived sometime between 1624 and 1644 by the monk Kyoen, who had come from an eastern province.  Some time between 1655 and 1658, it attained the formal status of a Buddhist temple.

     Fukusho-ji Temple’s Buddhist tanka poem is:

Though my deepest faults are heavy,

And my sins reach far and wide,

Under the merciful moon's soft glow,

I am cleansed and purified.

Address: 471 Kuwaharatacho, Kasai, Hyogo 675-2111

Kanatsurube Fortress Site

Address: 114 Showacho, Ono, Hyogo 675-1359

Phone: 0794-63-1000

Trees in the Town

 

Virtual Kasai Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #20 Hyakudai-ji Temple

 

     Hyakudai-ji Temple was founded by Kukai (774-835) in 830.  In 830, he was busy writing 10 volumes of Secret Mandala Ten States of Mind and 3 volumes of The Precious Key to the Secret Treasury.

Kukai's Ten Stages of Mind are as follow:

1. The Mind of the Ram-like Deluded Being (第一異生羝羊心)

Ordinary beings are foolishly drunk, unaware of their own faults;

They think only of lust and food, just like a ram in the field.

2. The Mind of the Foolish Child Observing Precepts (第二愚童持齋心)

Spurred by external causes, one suddenly thinks to practice restraint;

The heart of generosity begins to sprout, like a seed meeting favorable soil.

3. The Fearless Mind of the Young Infant (第三嬰童無畏心)

Non-Buddhist practitioners attain rebirth in heaven, gaining temporary respite;

They are like an infant or a young calf blindly following its mother.

4. The Mind of Mind-and-Matter Only and No-Self (第四唯蘊無我心)

Understanding only the reality of elements (dharmas) while denying a permanent self,

The "Goat-Cart" teachings (Savaka) of the Tripitaka are fully encompassed in this verse.

5. The Mind Freeing Seeds of Karma (第五拔業因種心)

Cultivating the body through the Twelve Chains of Causation, the roots of ignorance are pulled out;

As karmic rebirth is eliminated, the silent realization of Pratyekabuddhahood is attained.

6. The Mahayana Mind of Compassion for Others (第六他縁大乘心)

Conditionless compassion arises, igniting the initial spark of Great Compassion;

Observing the mind as an illusion, Consciousness-Only (Vijnaptimatra) rejects external reality.

7. The Mind Awakened to the Unborn (第七覺心不生心)

The Eight Negations cut through conceptual play, and a single thought contemplates emptiness;

The source of the mind is inherently tranquil, providing formless peace and bliss.

8. The Mind of the Unconditioned Single Way (第八如實一道心)

The ultimate reality is intrinsically pure, where object and wisdom completely merge;

Knowing this true nature of the mind, one is called Vairocana.

9. The Mind Beyond Any Self-Nature (第九極無自性心)

Water has no fixed nature, turning into waves when touched by the wind;

The Dharmadhātu has no ultimate boundary; awakened by shock, one abruptly advances.

10. The Secretly Adorned Mind (第十祕密莊嚴心)

Exoteric doctrines brush away the dust with medicine, while Shingon opens the storehouse;

The secret treasures are suddenly revealed, and all infinite virtues are instantly realized.

     Hyakudai-ji Temple’s Buddhist tanka poem is:

The Buddha’s sacred light shines far and wide,

Illuminating every realm below;

For all praying souls who seek a guide,

Salvation's healing grace will surely flow.

Address: 329 Hanjocho, Kasai, Hyogo 675-2101

Phone: 0790-49-1548

Trees in the Town

 

Virtual Kasai Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #19 Daigan-ji Temple

 

     Daigan-ji Temple was founded sometime between 1655 and 1658 by inviting Priest Tennen Zentoku from Sanpo-ji Temple in Kitanakajima, Settsu Province. Although it was originally a Rinzai sect temple, the second head priest, Inko, converted it to the Obaku sect in 1673.  It is said that he designated the Chinese monk Nangen (1631-1692) as the temple's founding master while serving as its second abbot himself.

     Historically, there was no administrative area named "Kita-Nakajima" (北中島) in Osaka. The historical Nakajima area was divided into Nishi-Nakajima (West Nakajima) and Higashi-Nakajima (East Nakajima).  Sanbo-ji Temple is located further west (in present-day Nishiyodogawa Ward, Osaka). This discrepancy likely stems from minor inaccuracies or generalizations in local, orally transmitted temple documents recorded in later periods.

     Nangen Shoha (1631–1692) was a Chinese Obaku monk who arrived in Japan in 1654 alongside Ingen Ryuki (1592-1673), the founder of the Japanese Obaku sect. Nangen played a key role in founding Manpuku-ji Temple in Uji, Kyoto.  It was a common custom during the Edo period for newly converted or newly established temples to designate a highly prestigious monk—such as a direct Chinese disciple of Ingen—as their symbolic or founding abbot to raise the temple's status and institutional legitimacy.  Given Nangen's prominent status at Manpuku-ji and Kokubun-ji in Settsu Province, it is highly probable that he served as an honorary/honorific founder rather than being physically resident at Daigan-ji in Kasai.

     Daigan-ji Temple’s Buddhist tanka poem is:

O sacred Kannon, changeless and divine,

Across all ages, clear Your graces shine.

With boundless power to fulfill every prayer,

The Elephant King is filled with holy care.

Address: 1071 Uzuranocho, Kasai, Hyogo 675-2103

Phone: 0120-538-175