| Jingo-ji 神護寺 |
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|---|---|
| Godai-dō (left) and Bishamon-dō (right) | |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Shingon Buddhism |
| Founded | 824 |
| Address | 5 Takao-chō, Ume-ga-hata, Ukyō-ku Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture |
| Country | Japan |
Portal:Buddhism |
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Jingo-ji (神護寺) is a Buddhist temple in Kyoto. It stands on Mount Takao to the northwest of the center of the city. The temple adheres to Shingon Buddhism. Its honzon is a statue of Yakushi Nyorai, the Buddha of Healing or "Medicine Buddha".
The temple was established in the year 824, as a merger of two private temples founded earlier by Wake no Kiyomaro. They were the Jingan-ji (神願寺) in Kiyomaro's home province and the Takaosan-ji (高雄山寺).
Jingo-ji holds sixteen National Treasures of Japan.[1] They include the honzon and other statues. Another treasure is a list written by Kukai in 812 called the "Name List of Abhiseka [Initiates]" (灌頂歴名 kanjōrekimyō) and displays some of Kukai's talent for calligraphy. This list contains people and deities in 812 who underwent the Abhiseka ritual at Takaosan-ji, presided by Kukai.
Buildings at Jingo-ji have been destroyed by fire and war. Of the original buildings, only the Daishi-dō survived the Ōnin War;[1] even the present Daishi-dō is of uncertain date. Itakura Katsushige, a daimyo and former Kyoto shoshidai in the Tokugawa shogunate, commissioned a major reconstruction in 1623. Another reconstruction took place in the 1930s with a contribution from Gendō Yamaguchi. Present structures include the following:
The temple is located above the Kiyotaki River (清滝川 kiyotakigawa), and has a special ceremonial well (閼伽井 akai) built on the grounds. Visitors can purchase tiny plates made of clay to throw out from the famous cliffs, the kin'unkei (錦雲渓), overlooking Kiyotaki River, with the hopes of one's plate hitting the river far below.
Buses from the center of the city arrive at a stop alongside the road. A long set of stairs leads down to the river, and a short bridge leads across it. A similar set of stairs leads up to the gate of the temple.
This article incorporates material translated from 神護寺 (Jingo-ji) in the Japanese Wikipedia, retrieved on December 28, 2008. Other information obtained by Japanese documentary hyakuji junrei (百寺巡礼 Hundred Temple Pilgrimage).
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