“Did you know this temple has a secret name?” I ask gesturing towards the entrance of \u5f71\u5149\u5c71\u5584\u990a\u5bfa.
Welcome to \u5f71\u5149\u5c71\u5584\u990a\u5bfa also known as Butsugen-in. It is a Shingon sect Chizan school temple. Nestled here in Setagaya this temple offers a serene escape. It is steeped in history and spiritual significance.
Let’s step back to 1652. This was when a monk named Koryo Ajari founded \u5f71\u5149\u5c71\u5584\u990a\u5bfa. Koryo Ajari passed away in 1652.
\u5f71\u5149\u5c71\u5584\u990a\u5bfa’s main deity is the statue of Mahavairocana. It embodies the central figure of Shingon Buddhism. The temple belongs to the Chizan school of Shingon Buddhism.
\u5f71\u5149\u5c71\u5584\u990a\u5bfa is the 32nd station on the Tamagawa Eighty-Eight Sacred Sites Pilgrimage. This pilgrimage connects eighty-eight sacred sites in the Tamagawa area.
“New Revised Musashi Fudoki Draft” tells an interesting tale. Once there was a shrine hall. It housed the tutelary deity of the six Shinto shrines of Noge. There was also a hall for exorcism.
In Showa 36 a golden hall based on the Nara Todai-ji Temple was built. Inside the temple grounds stands a large kaya tree. In Showa 39 it was designated a natural monument of the city.
Notice the main hall’s design. It mirrors the Golden Hall of Nara’s Todai-ji Temple. The temple’s grounds feature a large kaya tree. It was designated a natural monument of Tokyo in 1964.
\u5f71\u5149\u5c71\u5584\u990a\u5bfa embodies centuries of spiritual heritage. It provides a tranquil space for reflection. Take a moment to breathe deeply. Appreciate the history held within these walls.