Nishi Honganji Temple 西本願寺
History
Hongan-ji Temple was founded in 1591 as the head temple of the Jodo-shinshu (浄土真宗 or "True Pure Land") sect of Buddhism.
The Jodo-shin sect is a very popular form of Buddhism. Its followers only have to cite the name of Amida Buddha to be saved from the circle of reincarnation. This is a step further in the simplification started by the Jodo sect (Pure Land). Both Jodo and Jodo-shin Buddhism have by far the largest number of followers in Japan since their creation, as it is very easy to understand and practice, contrarily to Esoteric Buddhism (Shingon & Tendai sects) or the strict discipline of Zen Buddhism (Rinzai & Soto sects).
The Jodo-shin sect having amassed a colossal fortune and power, Tokugawa Ieyasu decided to split the sect into two branches to weaken its influence. The current Hongan-ji was renamed Nishi (West) Hongan-ji, and a second temple was to become the head of the second branch and named Higashi (East) Hongan-ji.
The (Nishi) Hongan-ji branch now has over 10.000 temples and 12 million followers worldwide.
Sightseeing
The Nishi Hongan-ji Temple was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1994.
Its imposing architecture is characteristic of the popular Jodo-shin sect, both as a way to impress believers and thanks to the immense wealth their number bring.
The Daisho-in Hall (大書院) is a vast tatami room with colouful painted wooden sculptures and gilded altars. The atmosphere is relaxing and grandiose at the same time. It shouldn't be missed (admission is free).
Higashi Honganji Temple 東本願寺
Founded in 1602 as the "rival" branch of the Nishi Hongan-ji, the Higashi Hongan-ji is not only a temple but also the Mausoleum of Shinran Shonin (1173-1262), founder of Jodo-Shin Buddhism.
Bigger than its Western counterpart, the Higashi Hongan-ji is also more austere in its interior decoration. Maybe is it due to the fact that it burnt down several times in the history and its current buildings only date back to 1895.
Nevertheless the Founder's Hall or "Goei-do" (護衛堂) is one of the largest wooden structures in the world.
When walking between the Founder's Hall and Amida Hall, take note of the glass box containing a "kezuna" (毛綱), a rope made of human hair. When building the Goei-do, difficulties arose as to how to lift the heavy timbers. A shortage in comventional ropes resulted in female devotees promptly cutting off their hair to weave massive ropes. 53 such ropes were made. The largest was 110m long, with a circumference of 40cm and weighed no less than 1,000kg.
|
