Risshakuji Temple

A Tendai sect temple in Yamadera, Yamagata City. The mountain name is Mount Hojusan. It is commonly known as Yamadera. The principal image is Yakushi Nyorai. It is famous as the temple about which Basho wrote in his book "Oku no Hosomichi" (The Narrow Road to the Deep North), "The sound of cicadas seeping into the quiet rocks." In 860 (Jogan 2), it was founded by Jikaku Daishi Ennin as a branch temple of Enryaku-ji Temple on Mount Hiei at the request of Emperor Seiwa. It lights a branch of the Buddhist lamp from Enryaku-ji Temple's Konponchudo Hall, and when the lamp of Mount Hiei was extinguished by Oda Nobunaga's fire, the lamp was transferred from Risshaku-ji Temple to be rebuilt. It was burned down by war at the end of the Muromachi period, but was rebuilt and restored by Mogami Yoshimori, Issobo Enkai and others during the Tenbun period (1532-55), and became a center of faith as a sacred place in northern Kanto. According to temple legend, in its heyday in the early Edo period, it had a red seal land of 2,800 koku, 100 monks' quarters and over 300 monks. The entire mountain of Hoshuzan, covering 350,000 tsubo (115 hectares), is designated as a historic site and a prefectural park, and the temple has a tranquil atmosphere with over 40 halls and pagodas scattered around it. The central hall (Konpon Chudo) was rebuilt in 1356 (Shohei 11, Enbun 1) by Shiba Kaneyori, lord of Yamagata Castle, and the principal image, a seated statue of Yakushi Nyorai, is said to have been created by Jikaku Daishi. In addition, there is the Ten'yo 1st Year Nyohokyosho Monument, where Nyua Daitoku and five others from the same monk copied the first eight volumes of the Lotus Sutra in 1144 (Ten'yo 1) and enshrined it on a rock head in the Nyujokutsu Cave where Jikaku Daishi entered into Nirvana. All of the above monuments are designated as Important Cultural Properties by the National Government.

[Nakayama Kiyota]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

山形市山寺(やまでら)にある天台宗の寺。山号は宝珠山(ほうじゅさん)。山寺と通称される。本尊は薬師如来(やくしにょらい)。芭蕉(ばしょう)が『おくのほそ道』に「閑(しずか)さや岩にしみ入る蝉(せみ)の声」を詠んだ寺として有名である。860年（貞観2）清和(せいわ)天皇勅願により比叡山延暦寺(ひえいざんえんりゃくじ)の別院として慈覚大師円仁(えんにん)が創建した。延暦寺根本中堂の法燈(ほうとう)を分燈しており、叡山の法燈が織田信長の焼打ちによって消えたとき、立石寺から再建の燈火が移されている。室町末期に兵火により焼失したが、天文(てんぶん)年間（1532～55）最上義守(もがみよしもり)、一相坊円海らによって再建中興され、関東北の霊場として信仰の中心となった。寺伝によると、全盛期の江戸初期には2800石の朱印地を有し、僧房100寺、僧侶(そうりょ)300余人を有したという。35万坪（115ヘクタール）の宝珠山全山が境内で、史跡名勝、県立公園とされ、40余の堂塔が散在して深閑の趣(おもむき)ある寺容である。中堂（根本中堂）は1356年（正平11・延文1）山形城主斯波兼頼(しばかねより)が再建建立したもの、本尊の薬師如来坐像(ざぞう)は慈覚大師作と伝えられる。また、1144年（天養1）入阿大徳(にゅうあだいとく)と同法5人が『妙法蓮華経(みょうほうれんげきょう)』1部8巻を書写して慈覚大師入定窟(にゅうじょうくつ)の岩頭に納めた天養(てんよう)元年如法経所碑があり、以上いずれも国重要文化財に指定されている。

［中山清田］

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