“Flesh and blood Buddha,” they call it. Here we are at Seiryo-ji Temple in Kyoto also known as Saga Shaka-do. Seiryo-ji is a Buddhist temple with a rich history. It was initially devoted to the practice of Yuzu Nembutsu. But the Jodo-shu sect has owned it since the Genroku Period.
Originally Seiryo-ji belonged to the Kegon sect. It later became a Pure Land temple. The honzon is an image of Gautama Buddha Shaka-nyorai. This wooden statue is a National Treasure of Japan. It is an example of a hibutsu or secret Buddha.
Let’s delve deeper into the temple’s story. Minamoto no Toru’s tomb resides here. Some say he was the model for Hikaru Genji in “The Tale of Genji”. Seiryo-ji possesses National Treasure statues. These include the Amida trinity. The temple also has other Important Cultural Properties.
The standing Shaka Nyorai statue represents a 37-year-old Buddha. In 1953 a study found silk models of internal organs inside the statue. Even the earholes and nasal cavities were connected. This national treasure is one of Japan’s three most famous Buddhas.
Seiryo-ji’s garden was designed by Kobori Enshu. The bright red maple leaves make it especially beautiful in autumn. Every April the Saga Dai Nenbutsu Kyogen performance takes place. Monk Enkaku started this in the Kamakura Period. It was a prayer to see his mother again.
The main hall was rebuilt at the request of Tokugawa Tsunayoshi. He was the fifth Shogun of the Edo period. The Niomon gate dates from the mid-Edo period. But the Niomon statues might be from the Muromachi period 1336-1573.
Don’t miss the Toyotomi Hideyori Head Mound. A skull was found during the excavation of Osaka Castle in 1980. It could be Toyotomi Hideyori’s. This is where that skull was buried.
Seiryo-ji also houses cultural assets. You can see the Amida Sansonzo statue in the Reihokan. But they are not always open to the public. This temple offers a captivating journey into Japan’s cultural tapestry. Its unique statues and beautiful gardens leave a lasting impression.