Kyoto. John H. Martin
western side of the building, the white fusuma of the first room (Rante-no-ma) being decorated with blossoming trees while the second room, the Bird and Flower Room (Kacho-no-ma), by Nobumasa, has small pine trees on the fusuma with birds flying to the trees. The third room on the north side is an interior room, the Hermits’ Room (Rakan-noma) with a grouping of 16 rakan (disciples of Shaka) in front of a building on its white fusuma, also the work of Nobumasa.
Turning the corner to the third (east) side of the building, one arrives at the double room which occupies the entire east side. This is the Audience Room (Jodan-no-ma), with its raised platform for the prince abbot’s seat. The rear wall behind the platform has a tokonoma with mountains and pines under snow as well as a set of chigaidana (staggered shelves). The wall at the inner side of the platform has doors to a small inner room with large tassels while the outer wall has a built-in desk in shoin style. The ceiling above the platform has a raised, coffered ceiling. The adjacent room, facing the platform, has a Chinese scene with mountains, a lake and houses. Both rooms are by Naonobu and Sadanobu. Turning the corner to the fourth (south) side is an interior room, the Snow Covered Landscape Room (Sansui-no-ma), decorated by Sadanobu. The rear fusuma depicts mountains and a house while the fusuma on the right features a boat and a lake. The fusuma on the left side shows a mountain and a house. All the landscapes are executed in black and white.
A return is made to the Dai Hojo, passing by the 4th through the 11th rooms (as described above). Both the Dai Hojo and Sho Hojo open on to a garden designed by Kobori Enshu in 1644. It includes a dwarf pine that was planted by Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu himself. A little stone bridge that crosses a small gourd-shaped pond is also of note.
SEISHI-DO East of the Mie-do on the hillside is the Seishi-do. A long flight of stone steps leads up the hillside to the east from the Mie-do, and at the top of the steps and through a gate on the left is the Seishi-do on the site where Honen lived and died. Here, after Honen’s death, his followers built the Kaisan-do (Founder’s Hall), and here the carved wooden image of Honen stood until 1638, when it was moved to the present Miedo. At that time, the image of the Bodhisattva Seishi was placed in the former Kaisan-do since this Bodhisattva is considered to be a previous incarnation of Honen. The Seishi-do was erected in 1530 and thus it is the oldest building of the Chion-in. It is in two parts, the front hall for worshippers and the back half holding the image of Seishi.
MAUSOLEUM A further flight of steps leads from the Seishi-do to the Mausoleum, which was erected in 1613. The original memorial tomb was created in 1234, but this reconstruction shows the style of the Momoyama period in which it was rebuilt. Two huge bronze lanterns stand before the mausoleum while a small Haiden (Worship Hall) is in front of a Kara-mon (Chinese-style) gate, then there is a grill, and finally the tomb of Honen. (The hillside above the mausoleum holds the general cemetery for the temple.)
AMIDA HALL (AMIDA-DO OR BUTSUDEN) To the west of the Mie-do, and connected to it by a roofed corridor, is the Amida-do, the hall dedicated to Amida, the primary Buddha of the Chion-in. It is at a right angle from the Mie-do due to the terrain of the precinct. (This hall is just above the San-mon entry gate and the Re-to pagoda.) From the earliest period of Chion-in’s history there has been a special building devoted to Amida, the original hall being constructed by Honen’s disciples on the hill to the east near the site of Honen’s hermitage. In 1710, it was moved to its present location, and then in 1912, on the 700th anniversary of Honen’s death in 1212, a new Amida Hall was created through the gifts of the faithful. On the front of the hall is a tablet which reads “Otani-dera” (Otani Temple, so-called from the original name of the area and the temple), which was inscribed and given as a gift by the Emperor Gonara (1526–57). The plaque was mounted on the earlier as well as the present building.
The double-tiled roof hall (a hall which represents the Pure Land of Amida) faces to the east so that the worshippers when praying to Amida are facing toward Amida’s Western Paradise. The main object of veneration is a 9 foot (2.7 meter) tall gilt image of Amida. Inside this Amida image is a tiny Amida which was created by Priest Kwan-in and which Honen held to his bosom on his death bed. The gold and black contrast that is found in the Mie-do is further carried out in the highly decorated interior of the Amida-do. On the matted floor at the front of the worship area are drums for use during services.
RE-TO (MEMORIAL PAGODA) Just south of the Amida-do is the pagoda to the 7.5 million spirits. A two-story pagoda with vermilion wooden fabric and white walls, it holds an image of Amida on its main, raised floor. Beneath it is a charnel room that is connected with the Amida-do by an underground passageway.
KYO-ZO (SUTRA HALL) Southeast of the Mie-do toward the hillside is the two-story Kyo-zo (Sutra Hall) built by order of Tokugawa Hidetada in 1616. A mixture of Chinese and Japanese architectural elements, it is topped with a ball that caps the square, pyramidal tiled roof. The lower story of the Kyo-zo has an open “corridor” created by the freestanding pillars of the structure. The building contains the complete set of the Buddhist Issai-kyo Sutra, which was printed at the time of the Sung dynasty in China in the 12th century. The 5,600 volumes are in an octagonal revolving bookcase, which is so well constructed that it will turn upon the slightest touch. A common belief held that revolving the bookcase three times would grant merit to the individual turning the books, which in effect meant their complete reading. The lower shelf of the case has eight deities carved in wood as well as the statue of Fu Hsi and his two sons, P’u Chien and P’u Ch’eng. Fu Hsi was given credit for having invented the form of the revolving sutra case in China.
TAIHEI-TEI (PEACE HALL) Opposite the front of the Mie-do and to the right of the head of the steps of the San-mon entrance to the main temple grounds is the Taihei-tei, the Peace Hall. Rebuilt in concrete after a 1958 fire, the building serves as a rest hall, tea room and religious articles sales counter for the benefit of visitors. Within is a cauldron 11 feet (3.3 m) in diameter by 3.5 feet (1.1 m) in height that was cast in 1604 by the famous cauldron maker Onishi Yojiro. (Public restrooms are to the west of this building.)
DAI SHO OR SHORO (GREAT BELL) The temple bell, the largest bronze bell in Japan, lies to the southeast of the Taihei-tei on a rise of a number of steps. Cast in the 1630s, it stands 10.8 feet (3.3 m) high, is 9 feet (2.7 m) in diameter, 11.4 inches (28 cm) thick and weighs 74 tons. The wooden belfry in the Tenjikuyo (Indian) style was created in 1678. It takes 17 men to pull back the clapper in order to ring the bell. On the 19th and 25th of each month it booms forth in commemoration of the death of Honen on that day in April 1212. It is rung on special occasions as well, but each year between April 10th and 25th it sounds majestically in the annual celebration of Gyoki-e in memory of Honen. It is known throughout Japan, since on New Year’s Eve it is tolled 108 times to ring out the 108 sins to which mankind is susceptible—an event that is televised throughout the nation.
HOMOTSU-KAN (TREASURY) The Treasury is a modern fireproof concrete building opposite the Mie-do. Among its many treasures are a noted 13th century painting (Raigo) in colors of Amida’s descent from his paradise, surrounded by his 25 Bodhisattvas, to receive the souls of the dying.
There is also the Honen Shonin Eden from 1299–1301, a picture scroll by Tosa Yoshimitsu of Honen’s life in 48 scrolls; and a standing statue of Zendo from the T’ang period (618–907) in China, who was one of the important figures in Jodo (Amida) beliefs in China. Legend holds that when Zendo said his prayers to Amida, a halo of light would issue from his mouth. There are, of course, numerous other treasures as well.
CHION-IN CEREMONIES
April 19–25 —Gyoki-e: The most important service of the year is the Gyoki-e since it commemorates the death of Honen in 1212. There are daily processions and services by 200 priests dressed in rich brocades.
The bronze bell at Chion-in is the largest in Japan.
November 1–10 —Viewing of the temple treasures: From 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. the temple treasures are on display in the Homo-tsukan (Treasury). Viewing fee.
December 31 —Omisoke (Last Grand Day): At midnight the temple bell is tolled 108 times symbolizing the 108 sins to which mankind is liable. In a sense, this is a ceremony of absolution that permits believers to begin the new year afresh and free of sin.