A metaphor of profound Buddhist thoughts. That is what Daigo-ji means. Today we explore Daigo-ji. This Shingon Buddhist temple sits in Fushimi-ku Kyoto. Its main devotion is Yakushi Nyorai. He is also known as Bhaiṣajyaguru.
Daigo-ji’s history began in the early Heian period. Rigen-daishi founded it in 874. He is also known as Shōbō. Emperor Daigo entered Buddhist priesthood here. This happened after he fell ill and abdicated in 930. As a monk he took the name Hō-kongō. Shortly after he died at age 46. He was buried at the temple. That is why his posthumous name was Daigo.
The Ōnin War devastated Daigo-ji during the Muromachi period. Only the five-storied pagoda survived. Hideyoshi Toyotomi led reconstruction efforts. The last reconstruction took place in 1606. These rebuilt much of the current structures. This includes the Kondō and the Kaisan-dō.
A forest fire struck the Kami-Daigo section in 1939. It burned down the Buddhist Texts Library and the Juntei-dō. The Juntei-dō was rebuilt in 1968. The Hokke Sanmaya-do was reconstructed in 1997. It had been originally built in 949. It burned down in 1470. It was renamed the Shinnyo Sanmaya-do.
Several structures are National Treasures of Japan. These include the kondō and the five-story pagoda. The temple has 18 specifically designated national treasures. These include buildings and other works. The temple holds several dozen important cultural assets. Wall paintings here earned academic research. This research won the Imperial Prize of the Japan Academy in 1960. Daigo-ji is part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto. It is a World Heritage Site.
The five-story pagoda at Daigo-ji was built in 951. It is the oldest building in Kyoto. It survived the Ōnin War in the 15th century. Toyotomi Hideyoshi held a cherry blossom viewing party here. It was called Daigo no hanami. It took place in 1598 at the Sambō-in sub-temple.
Daigo-ji is laid out in three parts. These are Sambō-in Shimo-Daigo and Kami-Daigo. They are progressively older and wilder. They are further up the mountain. Sambō-in and Shimo-Daigo are at the base of the mountain. They are easily accessible. They attract the most tourism. Kami-Daigo is on top of the mountain. It requires a long strenuous hike to reach. Accordingly it is less visited. The streets around Sambō-in can be freely traveled. Entering Sambō-in Shimo-Daigo or Kami-Daigo requires separate admission.
Sambō-in is a collection of walled complexes. They are connected by streets lined with cherry blossoms. It contains the temple proper. This includes a noted tea garden. It contains a museum and other complexes. It is very lively during cherry blossom season. Shimo-Daigo is one large enclosure. It contains detached halls. This includes the oldest surviving building in Kyoto. It also includes open spaces.
Kami-Daigo is located on top of the mountain. The entrance to Kami-Daigo can be reached by passing through Shimo-Daigo. It can also be reached by a path beside Shimo-Daigo. There is a path with stairs up to the top. It takes about one hour to reach the main complex. Halfway up there is a resting point and small shrine. At the entrance to the main complex is Daigo-Sui. This is a spring of holy water. It was the origin of Daigo-ji.
The summit contains other halls. Notably it contains the Kaisan-dō. This is the Founder’s hall. There are expansive views of the cities below. Beyond the summit the back of the mountain is undeveloped. It primarily features hiking trails. There is the Oku-no-in. This is an inner sanctum. It is a grotto with a few statues. It is reached by a twenty-minute hike along a rough trail.
On August 24 2008 the Juntei Kannon-dō burned down. It stood in the Kami Daigo part of the temple. This resulted in the temporary closure of the upper area. It reopened on July 1 2009. Daigo-ji is a place of history beauty and spiritual significance. It offers something for everyone.