Rinno-ji
- Established: 766, Shôdô Shônin
- Japanese: 輪王寺 (Rinnou-ji)
Rinnô-ji is a Buddhist temple neighboring and associated with the Shinto shrine Nikkô Tôshôgû. It is one of the top three Tendai sect temples in Japan, alongside Kan'ei-ji in Tokyo and Enryaku-ji in Kyoto.
While the Tôshôgû is built around the mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the Tokugawa shogunate, Rinnô-ji contains within its grounds the Taiyûin Mausoleum of his grandson, the third shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu. The Mausoleum is designated a National Treasure. Rinnô-ji is part of the "Shrines and Temples of Nikkô" World Heritage Site, collectively along with Tôshôgû and the nearby Futaarasan Shrine; the three were historically a single shrine-temple complex, but were divided up by the Meiji government in 1871.[1] The temple also houses 38 Important Cultural Properties.
History
Rinnô-ji originated as a small thatched-roof structure in the mountains, established in 766 by the monk Shôdô Shônin, who trekked there from Nara. As early as a century later, however, the temple had already developed into a larger complex visited by prominent Buddhist priests from Kyoto.
The temple's chief figures of worship are Amida Nyorai, Senju (Thousand-Armed) Kannon, and Batô (Horse-Headed) Kannon. The three are associated, also, with the Shinto incarnations of the three mountains in the area, Mt. Nantai, Mt. Nyohô, and Mt. Tarô.
The temple was significantly expanded and restored by the monk Tenkai, who Tokugawa Ieyasu named head priest of Nikkô-zan in 1613, and who oversaw the construction of the Tôshôgû Shrine enshrining Ieyasu as the deity Tôshô Daigongen.
By the mid-17th century, Rinnô-ji had been designated a monzeki temple, meaning that it came to be headed by members of the imperial family who became abbot of Rinnô-ji, taking on the title "Prince Rinnôji" (Rinnôji no miya). They traditionally enjoyed a one-on-one meeting with the shogun on the 1st day of the 2nd month each year.
Structures and Treasures
Sculptures installed at the temple as objects of worship include one of Amida Buddha and two of the bodhisattva Kannon believed to have been made by the Shichijô bussho sculpture studio in Kyoto c. 1645.[2]
The path to the mausoleum passes through three temple gates, each with a pair of guardian figures. Numerous bronze and stone lanterns donated by daimyô or other elites also line the path. In contrast to the gold and white color scheme of key portions of the Tôshôgû, the Taiyûin mausoleum is decorated in a comparatively subdued gold and black scheme.[3]
A Daigomadô (Great Goma Hall) was constructed in 1998 to serve as the venue for goma fire rituals. Conducting such fire rituals in this newly-built hall helps avoid the risk of fires at any of the historic structures on the grounds.[4]
References
- Explanatory plaques on-site.[3]
