Shunkō-in (春光院, Temple of the Ray of Spring Light) is a Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan and belongs to the Myōshinji (Temple of Excellent Mind) school, which is the largest among 14 Japanese Rinzai Zen Buddhist schools. The temple was established in 1590 by Horio Yoshiharu, who was a feudal lord, or daimyō, of Matsue in present-day Shimane Prefecture. This temple houses important historical objects that reflect the multifaceted religious and artistic atmosphere in Japan from the sixteenth century onward.
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The Bell of Nanbanji is a Jesuit bell made in Portugal in 1577. The bell was used at Nanbanji Church, which was established by Jesuit Father Gnecchi-Soldo Organtino with the support of Oda Nobunaga in 1576. However, the church was destroyed in 1587 because Regent Toyotomi Hideyoshi made the first law against Christians in Japan. The Bell of Nanbanji came to Shunkōin during the Edo period. During World War II, the grandfather of the present vice-abbot buried the bell in the temple gardens to prevent destruction by the state authorities.
The Edo period (between 1603 and 1867) was the dark age of Japanese Christians. Christianity was banned, and Christians were systematically eliminated by the Tokugawa shogunate, or Edo bakufu. However, some Christians kept their faith and hid their religious identity. Those hidden Christians made their crosses and graves to resemble the Buddhist statues, pagodas, and stone lanterns. Shunkōin’s hidden Christian lantern is one of those religious objects.
The Garden of Boulders, or Sazareishi-no-niwa, is the main garden of Shunkōin. The theme of the garden is Ise Shrine, or Ise Jingū, in Mie Prefecture. Ise Shrine is the head shrine of all Shinto shrines in Japan. This garden houses a forest to Amaterasu-ōmikami, a sun goddess, and a shrine to Toyouke-no-ōmikami, a goddess of agriculture. It is common to see Buddhist and Shintō objects enshrined at the same place in Japan because until the Meiji period (in the late 19th and early 20th century), it was a popular belief in Japan that Shinto deities are various forms of the Buddha that existed to save people.
Several sliding door panels at Shunkōin were painted by Kanō Eigaku. Some of the paintings have Confucian teachings as their theme. Confucianism was very important to samurai, or warriors, during the Edo period because Confucianism taught samurai about honor, loyalty, and honesty.
Shunkōin was one of the most important places in Japanese Buddhist philosophy in the early 20th century. D. T. Suzuki and Shin'ichi Hisamatsu, who are two of the most famous Japanese Zen Buddhist philosophers, discussed the future of Japanese Buddhism at this temple. There are azaleas planted by D.T. Suzuki in the front garden of Shunkōin.
Shunkoin Temple offers Zen meditation classes and temple tours in English daily at 9:00, 10:40, and 13:30. The American-educated vice abbot will lead you in the basics of Zen meditation followed by a tour of the temple. During the class you will not only receive instruction on the basics of meditation and experience it within the temple setting but you will also learn how to incorporate Zen philosophy into your daily life. The main tenet of Zen is meditation. Through sitting and focusing on breathing you become able to bring yourself into the present moment and detach yourself from previous knowledge and preconceptions. The goal is to eventually reach a state of transcendence and to realize the fundamental non-permanence of being. This means interacting with the world without consciousness of self, of categorization, or discrimination, in other words, as a newborn infant sees the world. You will also discover how Buddhism, Shinto, Confucianism, and even Christianity interact and function in Japanese society. While Shunkoin is known today as primarily a Zen Buddhist temple, its history illustrates how different belief systems were also a major part of religious practice in premodern society. For example, the Garden of Boulders (Sazareishi no Niwa) was designed to symbolize the Grand Shinto Shrine of Ise patronized by the Japanese imperial family. Christian elements are seen in the temple's 1577 bronze bell (formerly housed at one of the earliest Christian churches in Japan, Nanbanji) that carries the Jesuit insignia, as well as intriguing images found on some of the temple’s screen paintings by Kano Eigaku. Shunkoin itself was established in 1590 by Yoshiharu Horio, a daimyo (feudal lord) during the sixteenth and seventeenth century. The current building was rebuilt in the eighteenth century. The temple played a key role in the spread of Japanese Zen Buddhism in the early twentieth century as well-known Zen scholars such as Dr. Hoseki Shin’ichi Hisamatsu and D.T. Suzuki came here to discuss both Western and Japanese philosophy. You will learn more about the history of Shunkoin during your unforgettable experience in the relaxed and warm atmosphere of the temple.
Shunkōin not only offers visitors an opportunity to learn about Rinzai Zen Buddhism, but also to see valuable objects representative of important epochs in Japanese history. All tours and Zen meditation classes are given in English by the American-educated vice-abbot, Rev. Taka Kawakami. The temple also offers its accommodations. Two rooms with a private shower room and toilet and three rooms with shared shower rooms and toilets (4,000 - 5,000 yen/person); group visit welcome; Time: 9:00, 10:40, and 13:30 (total of 90 minutes);Price: 2,000 yen/person for a Zen meditation class and tour, 1,500 yen/person for a Zen meditation (the prices include a bowl of maccha green tea and Japanese sweet), Zen Meditation Only 1000 yen; Tel: 075-462-5488; Website: www.shunkoin.com.
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