Shoren-in Temple

A Tendai sect temple located in Sanjobocho, Awataguchi, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto City. Also called Awataguchi Gosho, it is one of the three Tendai Monzeki temples. The principal image is Shijoko Nyorai. It was founded by Saicho. It is one of the 3,000 Tendai temples on Mount Hiei, and is located in Toto Minamidani. It was originally called Shorenbo. During the time of the 12th head priest Gyogen Daisojo (son of Fujiwara no Morozane), it was given the title of Shoren-in as a place of prayer for Empress Bifukumon'in, the wife of Emperor Toba, and became the main temple of Toto Minamidani. Meanwhile, Emperor Toba built a palace at Sanjo Shirakawa in Kyoto in 1153 (Nihei 3) and had his seventh son, Prince Kakukai, enter the temple. From then on, it was called Shoren-in Monzeki, and successive generations of members of the imperial family entered the temple and succeeded the head priest of Tendai. The 62nd head priest of Tendai, Jien, was skilled in waka poetry but also had a good knowledge of esoteric Buddhism, and among his disciples were Honen (Genku) and Shinran. Shinran in particular became a monk at this temple, which led to a close relationship with Hongan-ji, and successive head priests of Hongan-ji were ordained at Shoren-in until the Meiji period. The Amida Hall in the temple grounds is also called the Uegami Hall, and a hair of Shinran, who had shaved his head, is planted in a seated statue of a child to preserve its preservation. The 17th head priest, Prince Sonen, was known as a skilled calligrapher and founded the Shoren-in school (also known as the Awata, Sonen, or Oie school), a school of Japanese calligraphy. During the Muromachi period, the temple's ties with the shogunate deepened, and Gien (son of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu) from the Ashikaga clan became the head priest, but it is well known that he later returned to secular life and became the 6th Shogun, Yoshinori. The temple's buildings and other halls have often been destroyed by fire or war, and in recent years, the main hall and most of the other buildings and pagodas were burned down in 1893 (Meiji 26). In 1895 and 1909, the Shinden, Taimensho, Kogosho, and entrance hall were rebuilt. The main hall (Shiseikodo) was relocated from Kiyomizu Chikurin-in. The garden makes use of Mt. Kacho as a backdrop, and is home to famous gardens such as the Rinsen Garden (Muromachi period, created by Soami, a historic site and scenic spot), the Kirishima Garden (Kuroshoin Garden, created by Kobori Enshu), and the Moss Garden (Kobuntei Garden, created by Omori Yuhi). Kobuntei within the garden was used by Emperor Gosakuramachi as a place of learning for the temporary Imperial Palace when the Imperial Palace burned down in 1788 (Tenmei 8). Within the garden is a single-character chozubachi (water basin) donated by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The temple has many treasures, including the colored silk statue of Acala with two children, famous as "Blue Acala," one of Japan's Three Immovable Buddhas, which is a national treasure. The museum's collection of nationally important cultural properties includes 17 paintings of Hamamatsu in gold on the sliding doors of the Shinden Hall (said to have been painted by Sumiyoshi Gukei), the Imperial Message in ink on paper (painted by Gokogon-in), and the Great Kanjo Mantra on a dark blue background with gold paint (painted by Emperor Kokaku). In addition, the museum also has a large number of other works by emperors, including paintings by the Kano school, calligraphy, and ancient furnishings.

[Nakayama Kiyota]

In October 2014, the Great Goma Hall "Seiryuden" (relocated and rebuilt) and the large wooden stage (newly built) were built at Shogunzuka, a site on the summit of Higashiyama, an outlying area of ​​Shoren-in Temple. The national treasure "Seifudo" is enshrined in the inner hall of Seiryuden.

[Editorial Department]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

京都市東山区粟田口(あわたぐち)三条坊町にある天台宗の寺。粟田口御所(ごしょ)ともよばれ、天台三門跡(もんぜき)の一つ。本尊は熾盛光如来(しじょうこうにょらい)。開基は最澄(さいちょう)。比叡(ひえい)山上の天台三千坊の一つで東塔南谷にあり、初めは青蓮坊といった。第12代行玄大僧正（藤原師実(もろざね)の子）のとき、鳥羽院(とばいん)の皇后美福門院(びふくもんいん)の祈願所として院号を授けられ青蓮院となり、東塔南谷の本坊となった。一方、鳥羽院は1153年（仁平3）に京都三条白川に殿舎を造営、第7皇子覚快(かくかい)親王を入寺させ、以後青蓮院門跡と称して、代々皇族が入寺して天台座主(ざす)を継承した。第62代天台座主慈円(じえん)は歌道にも優れるが、密教にも通じて、その弟子からは法然(ほうねん)（源空）、親鸞(しんらん)を輩出した。とくに親鸞はこの院で出家得度したので本願寺との関係が密になり、明治期までは歴代の本願寺法主は青蓮院で得度した。境内の阿弥陀(あみだ)堂は植髪(うえがみ)堂ともいい、剃髪(ていはつ)した親鸞の髪を童形の坐像(ざぞう)に植えて残している。第17世尊円(そんえん)法親王は能書家として知られ、和様書道の一派青蓮院流（粟田流、尊円流、御家(おいえ)流ともいう）を創始した。室町時代には幕府との関係も深まり、足利(あしかが)氏一族から義円（足利義満(よしみつ)の子）が門跡になったが、のち還俗(げんぞく)して6代将軍義教(よしのり)になったことは有名である。殿舎、諸堂はしばしば兵火や火災にあい、近年では1893年（明治26）本堂をはじめほとんどの堂塔を焼失、1895年、1909年に宸殿(しんでん)、対面所、小御所、玄関などが再建された。本堂（熾盛光堂）は清水竹林院(きよみずちくりんいん)の建物を移築したもの。庭園は華頂山を借景とし、庭園林泉（室町時代、相阿弥(そうあみ)作、史跡・名勝）、霧島(きりしま)の庭（黒書院の庭、小堀遠州(こぼりえんしゅう)作）、苔(こけ)の庭（好文亭(こうぶんてい)の庭。大森有斐(ゆうひ)作）などの名園がある。庭内の好文亭は、1788年（天明8）御所が炎上したとき、後桜町(ごさくらまち)上皇が仮御所の御学問所として用いたもの。園内には豊臣(とよとみ)秀吉寄進という一文字手水鉢(ちょうずばち)がある。寺宝も多く、日本三不動の一つ「青不動」として名高い絹本著色不動明王二童子像は国宝。国の重要文化財としては宸殿襖絵(ふすまえ)の金地著色浜松の図17面（伝住吉具慶筆）、紙本墨書御消息(ごしょうそこ)（後光厳院(ごこうごんいん)宸筆(しんぴつ)）、紺地金泥大灌頂光明真言(だいかんじょうこうみょうしんごん)（光格(こうかく)天皇宸筆）などがあり、そのほか歴聖宸翰(しんかん)、狩野(かのう)派筆画、書跡、古什器(こじゅうき)など数多く蔵されている。

［中山清田］

　2014年（平成26）10月には、青蓮院の飛地境内である東山山頂の将軍塚に大護摩堂「青龍殿」（移築再建）と木造の大舞台（新築）を建立。国宝の「青不動」は青龍殿の奥殿に安置されている。

［編集部］

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