Ep.43 Meiseki-ji, the no.43 temple of 88temples pilgrimage
This is the film by Ohenro Index.
Ohenro is the pilgrimage visiting 88 temples in Shikoku (island in west Japan.)
We hope this film help your pilgrimage and travel in Japan.
And hopefully attract who has interests in Japan tourism and pilgrimage.
#43 Meiseki-ji
Uwa-cho, Seiyo City is a town of history and culture, where ancient ruins such as the Ehime Prefectural Museum of History and Culture, Kaimei School of Uwa Bunka-no-Sato, Shingi-do Hall, Nagaei Takano’s hideout, and many ancient tombs remain. It is. Akashiji Temple in this area is said to be a sacred place where the Senju Kannon Bodhisattva incarnates as a maiden, and has been revered since ancient times. It is said that this shrine was founded by a monk named Shichido Garan in this area to enshrine the statue of Senju Kannon Bodhisattva, which was a Buddha imported from the Tang Dynasty.
In the 6th year of Tenpyo (734), a monk named Jugen (fifth generation from Engyoja Kozumi) solicited 12 gongen shrines from Kumano, Kishu, built 12 temples, and handed down the lanterns as the central dojo of Shugendo.
In 822, Kobo Daishi visited this place, but upon seeing the ruined temple, he presented the story to Emperor Saga (reigned 809-23) and received an imperial order to write the Lotus Sutra in gold paper and gold mud. He paid it and rebuilt the various halls.
Later, in the Kamakura period, Minamoto no Yoritomo rebuilt the temple, which fell into disrepair once again.In 1194, Yoritomo dedicated a statue of Amida Tathagata in remembrance of the bodhi of Ike Zenni, who had saved his life, and also desecrated the sutra mound. The name of the mountain, Genkozan, was changed to “Genkozan.”
As a result, it became a place of worship for samurai, and during the Muromachi period it became a place of prayer for the feudal lord, the Saionji family, and during the Edo period, it became a place of prayer for the Date family, the lord of the Uwajima domain, and it is said that there were over 70 temples.
●Point to watch around
・Shinto and Buddhist syncretism
・main hall, Happiness Kannon statue (located behind the reception hall, Kannon stands over 2m tall, wears a long kimono, and has a benevolent face, holding a water bottle in his left hand.)
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This is the film by Ohenro Index.
Ohenro is the pilgrimage visiting 88 temples in Shikoku (island in west Japan.)
We hope this film help your pilgrimage and travel in Japan.
And hopefully attract who has interests in Japan tourism and pilgrimage.
お遍路八十八霊場と結願後の第一札所・霊山寺のお礼参りおよび高野山・奥ノ院の合計九十寺をお参りする動画です。
英語版と日本語版をリリースいたしますので、お遍路の旅の参考に、あるいはお遍路疑似体験になれば幸いです
●明石寺
西予市宇和町は、愛媛県歴史文化博物館をはじめ、宇和文化の里の開明学校、申議堂のほか、高野長英の隠れ家、多くの古墳など古代の遺跡が残されている歴史と文化の町である。この地にある明石寺は乙女に化身した千手観音菩薩がこもった霊地とされ、古来尊崇されており、6世紀の前半、欽明天皇（在位532〜71）の勅願により、円手院正澄という行者が唐からの渡来仏であった千手観音菩薩像を祀るため、この地に七堂伽藍を建立して開創したのが起源とされている。
天平6年（734）に寿元という行者（役行者小角から5代目）が紀州熊野から12社権現を勧請し、12坊を建てて修験道の中心道場として法灯を伝承した。
弘仁13年（822）には弘法大師がこの地を訪ねたが荒廃した伽藍を見た大師は嵯峨天皇（在位809〜23）に奏上して勅命を受け、金紙金泥の『法華経』を納めて諸堂を再興した。
その後、鎌倉時代になってから再び荒れ果てた伽藍を源頼朝が再建、建久5年（1194）、頼朝は命の恩人である池禅尼の菩提を弔って阿弥陀如来像を奉納、また経塚をきずいて、山号の現光山を「源光山」に改めた。
そのことがあって武士の帰依があつく、室町時代には領主・西園寺家の祈願所として、また江戸時代には宇和島藩主・伊達家の祈願所となり、末寺は70余寺を数えたと伝えられる。
明石寺の見どころ
神仏習合・本堂・しあわせ観音像（客殿の裏にあり、身の丈2m余、長い袂着物姿で、左手に水瓶をもつ慈悲深いお顔の観音さま。）