Otani honbyo

The main gate of Ôtani honbyô.

• Established: 1272
• Other Names: 西大谷 (nishi ootani)
• Japanese: 大谷本廟 (ootani honbyou)

Ôtani-honbyô (lit. "Ôtani Main Temple/Mausoleum") is one of two sites in Kyoto said to hold (some of) the cremated remains of Shinran(1173-1262), founder of the Jôdo Shinshû sect of Buddhism; the other is called Ôtani-sobyô (大谷祖廟, "Ôtani Ancestor Temple/Mausoleum"). Ôtani-honbyô is also commonly known as Nishi-Ôtani.

It is located in the Higashiyama area of the city, near Kiyomizu-dera. When Shinran died in 1262, something simple was placed around his grave. Ten years later, in 1272, a new hall was built nearby, at the residence of Shinran's eldest daughter, Kakushin-ni, and his remains were moved there. In 1277, she shared the land with her disciples, who then passed it on to their disciples, and so forth, down through the generations.

References

• "Ôtani honbyô." Sekai daihyakka jiten 世界大百科事典. Hitachi Solutions, 2012.

External Links

• Ôtani honbyô on Google Maps