Trip to Japan, Day 11

(Photo caption: Yomeimon at Toshogu. Source: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3800.html

)

{ Note: This is a narration of my recent trip to Japan, from 7/17/07 to 7/30/07 }

Day 11. July 27, 2007. Friday

Today I visited the famous world cultural heritage sites in Nikko, Japan. From the Nikko Park Lodge I walked about 30 minutes to reach the buddhist shrines and temples at the Nikko National Park.

First, I saw the Shinkyo bridge. This is also called Sacred Bridge (or Snake Bridge). It is a vermillion lacquered bridge, 28 meters long and 7 meters wide. According to ancient legend, Shodoshonin (a high Buddha priest who founded the buddhist temples in Nikko) crossed this bridge in the Nara period (history of Japan). In 766, Shodoshonin arrived at the Daiya river. The strong currents prevented him from crossing the river. He prayed to God and two snakes appeared, one blue and one red. According to the legend, the two snakes formed a bridge over the river and mountain grass grew out of their backs, thereby allowing Sodoshonin to cross the river.

Climbing up the entrance of Nikko National Park I proceeded to the Sanbutido temple. From there I saw a statue of Shodoshonin. According to the brochure (Nikko National Park) he founded Shihonryu-ji Temple (the former name of Rin-no-ji Temple). After great hardships he explored the summit of Mt. Nantai and founded Chuzenji Temple in 782. He died on March 1, 817 and was buried in Kaizan-do Temple.

Then I visited the Shoyo-en (Strolling Garden). "This garden, located in the compound of Rin-no-ji Temple, is designed in a typical style of the Edo period and named by Issai Sato, a great Confucian scholar, in allusion to the Prince Abbot of the temple who strolled in this sacred area of nature."

After visiting the Shoyo-en, I entered the Sanbutsu-do, the largest temple in the Nikko National Park. This temple was built by Jikaku-daishi by the order of Emperor Ninmei. It is a rare building representing the architecture of the Tendai sect.

Inside the Shoyo-en are three gilded wooden statues: (1) the Thousandhanded Kwannon (right), (2) the Amida Buddha (center), and (3) the Horse-headed Kwannon (left). They are enshrined in the Shoyo-en as principal objects of worship. These three original Buddha statues are representative of the so-called "Three Divine Manifestations in Nikko."

After the Shoyo-en, I visited the Dai-Gamado (Holy Fire Temple) which was built in 1998. Inside the Dai-Gamado are the following: (1) Fudo-son Mandara consisting of the Five Guardian Buddhist deities -- Fudo, Gozanze, Gundari, Daiitoku, and Kongo-Yasha which were made in the Heian period; and (2) Twelve Gods (made in the Edo period) which include 30 images such as Sichi-fuku (seven Fortune) Gods, Chinjo-Yasha, Two-daishi, Jikaku-daishi, and Hokke pagoda.

Beside the Dai-Gamado is the Gohotendo, founded by Benakaku in 1240, and enshrines Fudo God and Thousand-handed Kwannon.

(More details later.)