Konkai Komyoji Temple

This is the head temple of the Jodo sect of Buddhism, located in Kurodani-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto City. It is called Shiunzan. It dates back to 1175 (Angen 1), when Genku (Honen), the founder of the Jodo sect, came here from Kurodani in the west pagoda of Mt. Hiei to preach the Nembutsu and built a hermitage. For this reason, this place is called Shin-Kurodani, and the temple itself is also called Kurodani. It was under the fifth abbot, Egi, that the Buddhist hall and portrait hall were first built, and the temple was founded. It was named Shiunzan Komyo-ji due to an auspicious sign at the time of its founding, and the eighth abbot, Unku, served as the precept master for Emperor Gokogon, and was bestowed the two characters "kinkai" (golden precepts) to give it its current name. The temple has been destroyed by fires on several occasions but has been rebuilt, and in particular the Miedo Hall, which houses the seated statue of Genku, was newly built in 1944 (Showa 19) based on a design by Kyoto University professor and doctor Amanuma Shunichi. The temple's treasures include Genku's posthumous work, "Ichi-mai Kishomon" (written in the Kamakura period), as well as "Yamagoshi Amida" and "Hell and Paradise Screens" (Kamakura period, both of which are designated as Important Cultural Properties of Japan). The cemetery includes the graves of Kasuga no Tsubone and Yamazaki Ansai, as well as the former site of the headquarters of Matsudaira, the lord of Aizu, which remains as the headquarters of the Kyoto Shugoshoku (protector of Kyoto) during the late Edo period.

[Shoji Mori]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

京都市左京区黒谷(くろだに)町にある浄土宗の大本山。紫雲山(しうんざん)と号する。浄土宗祖源空（法然(ほうねん)）が1175年（安元1）、叡山(えいざん)西塔の黒谷より念仏説法のためにここにきて、草庵(そうあん)を結んだのを始めとする。このためこの地は新黒谷とよばれ、当寺も黒谷と称される。5世恵顗(えぎ)のとき初めて仏堂や御影(みえい)堂が整えられ寺基がなった。開創の際の瑞相(ずいそう)により紫雲山光明寺と命名、8世運空が後光厳(ごこうごん)天皇の戒師を勤め、金戒の二字を賜って現寺号となった。堂舎はいくたびかの火災で焼失したが再建され、とくに源空の坐像を安置する御影堂は1944年（昭和19）に京大教授・博士天沼俊一の設計により新たに建設された。什宝(じゅうほう)に源空遺作の「一枚起請文(きしょうもん)」（鎌倉期書写）や、「山越阿弥陀(やまごしあみだ)図」および「地獄極楽図屏風(ごくらくずびょうぶ)」（鎌倉時代、以上2点は国重要文化財）などがある。墓域には春日局(かすがのつぼね)や山崎闇斎(あんさい)の墓、幕末に京都守護職の本陣が置かれた名残(なごり)を示す会津藩主松平公本陣旧趾(きゅうし)などがある。

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