Daitoku-ji
Encyclopedia
is a Buddhist temple, one of fourteen autonomous branches of the Rinzai school of Japan
ese Zen
. It is located in Kita-ku
, Kyoto
, Japan
. The "mountain name" ( by which it is known is .
. In 1325, the monastery was converted into a supplication hall for the imperial court at the request of the retired Emperor Hanazono
. The dedication ceremony for the imperial supplication hall, with its newly added dharma hall and abbot's living quarters, was held in 1326, and this is generally recognized as the true founding of the temple.
Like many other temples in Kyoto during that time, the temple's buildings were destroyed by fire. In 1474, which was when Kyoto was the scene of the Onin War
, Emperor Go-Tsuchimikado
designated Ikkyū Sōjun
as the head priest. With the help of merchants of the city of Sakai
, Ikkyū contributed significantly to the temple's rehabilitation.
From its earliest days, the temple experienced alternating periods of fortune and decline. This can be attributed to the rivalries and conflicts between Daitoku-ji and other well-known Zen temples, as well as between Daitoku-ji and the political authorities.
Daitoku-ji became particularly important from the sixteenth century, when it was predominantly supported by members of the military establishment, who sponsored the building of subsidiary temples as prayers for their ancestors or in preparation for their own demise.
In 1582, Toyotomi Hideyoshi
buried his predecessor, Oda Nobunaga
, at Daitoku-ji. He also contributed land and built the Sōken-in
.
Around this period in history, Daitoku-ji became closely linked to the master of the Japanese tea ceremony
, Sen no Rikyū
, and consequently to the realm of the Japanese tea ceremony. After the era of Sen no Rikyū, another famous figure in the history of the Japanese tea ceremony who left his mark at this temple was Kobori Enshū
. The Daitoku-ji temple complex today covers more than 23 hectares (56 acres).
Daitoku-ji is currently the home of the famous 13th century Buddhist painting Six Persimmons
by Mu Qi
.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese Zen
Zen
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
. It is located in Kita-ku
Kita-ku, Kyoto
is one of the eleven wards in the city of Kyoto, in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. Its name means "North Ward." As of 2008, the ward has an estimated population of 122,391 people.-Universities:*Bukkyo University*Kyoto Sangyo University...
, Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. The "mountain name" ( by which it is known is .
History
Daitoku-ji originated as a small monastery founded in 1315 or 1319 by the monk (also pronounced Sōhō Myōchō) (1282–1337), who is known by the title Daitō Kokushi, or "National Teacher of the Great Lamp," that he was given by Emperor Go-DaigoEmperor Go-Daigo
Emperor Go-Daigo was the 96th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession....
. In 1325, the monastery was converted into a supplication hall for the imperial court at the request of the retired Emperor Hanazono
Emperor Hanazono
Emperor Hanazono was the 95th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession...
. The dedication ceremony for the imperial supplication hall, with its newly added dharma hall and abbot's living quarters, was held in 1326, and this is generally recognized as the true founding of the temple.
Like many other temples in Kyoto during that time, the temple's buildings were destroyed by fire. In 1474, which was when Kyoto was the scene of the Onin War
Onin War
The ' was a civil war that lasted 10 years during the Muromachi period in Japan. A dispute between Hosokawa Katsumoto and Yamana Sōzen escalated into a nationwide war involving the Ashikaga shogunate and a number of daimyo in many regions of Japan....
, Emperor Go-Tsuchimikado
Emperor Go-Tsuchimikado
was the 103rd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1464 through 1500....
designated Ikkyū Sōjun
Ikkyu
was an eccentric, iconoclastic Japanese Zen Buddhist monk and poet. He had a great impact on the infusion of Japanese art and literature with Zen attitudes and ideals.-Childhood:...
as the head priest. With the help of merchants of the city of Sakai
Sakai
Sakai most often refers to one of the following:*Sakai, Osaka, a city in Osaka Prefecture, Japan*Sakai , Japanese surnames written with various kanji*Sakai Project, an open-source educational and research software project...
, Ikkyū contributed significantly to the temple's rehabilitation.
From its earliest days, the temple experienced alternating periods of fortune and decline. This can be attributed to the rivalries and conflicts between Daitoku-ji and other well-known Zen temples, as well as between Daitoku-ji and the political authorities.
Daitoku-ji became particularly important from the sixteenth century, when it was predominantly supported by members of the military establishment, who sponsored the building of subsidiary temples as prayers for their ancestors or in preparation for their own demise.
In 1582, Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
was a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...
buried his predecessor, Oda Nobunaga
Oda Nobunaga
was the initiator of the unification of Japan under the shogunate in the late 16th century, which ruled Japan until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was also a major daimyo during the Sengoku period of Japanese history. His opus was continued, completed and finalized by his successors Toyotomi...
, at Daitoku-ji. He also contributed land and built the Sōken-in
Sōken-in (Daitoku-ji)
is a sub-temple of Daitoku-ji, Kyoto, Japan. It was founded by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1582 as the mortuary temple of Oda Nobunaga. Hideyoshi granted the temple three hundred koku and staged his celebrated Daitoku-ji tea gathering on its grounds in 1585. During the early years of the Meiji period its...
.
Around this period in history, Daitoku-ji became closely linked to the master of the Japanese tea ceremony
Japanese tea ceremony
The Japanese tea ceremony, also called the Way of Tea, is a Japanese cultural activity involving the ceremonial preparation and presentation of matcha, powdered green tea. In Japanese, it is called . The manner in which it is performed, or the art of its performance, is called...
, Sen no Rikyū
Sen no Rikyu
, is considered the historical figure with the most profound influence on chanoyu, the Japanese "Way of Tea", particularly the tradition of wabi-cha...
, and consequently to the realm of the Japanese tea ceremony. After the era of Sen no Rikyū, another famous figure in the history of the Japanese tea ceremony who left his mark at this temple was Kobori Enshū
Kobori Masakazu
, better known as ', was a notable Japanese artist and aristocrat in the reign of Tokugawa Ieyasu.In 1604, Kobori received as inheritance a 12,000-koku fief in Ōmi Province at Komuro. He excelled in the arts of painting, poetry, flower arrangement, and garden design...
. The Daitoku-ji temple complex today covers more than 23 hectares (56 acres).
Buildings
There are several buildings in the complex:- SanmonSanmonA , also called is the most important gate of a Japanese Zen Buddhist temple, and is part of the Zen shichidō garan, the group of buildings that forms the heart of a Zen Buddhist temple. It can be however often found in temples of other denominations too...
(Mountain Gate) - Butsuden (Buddha Hall)
- Hattō (Dharma Hall)
- Hōjō (Abbot's Quarters)
- Yokushitsu (Bath House)
- KyōzōKyōzōin Japanese Buddhist architecture is a repository for sūtras and chronicles of the temple history. It is also called , , or . In ancient times the kyōzō was placed opposite the belfry on the east-west axis of the temple. The earliest extant kyōzō is at Hōryū-ji, and it is a two-storied structure....
(Sutra Library)
Treasures
(Hōjō)Daitoku-ji is currently the home of the famous 13th century Buddhist painting Six Persimmons
Six Persimmons
Six Persimmons is a 13th century Chinese painting by the monk, Mu Qi , the painter better known in China as Fa-Chang. It was painted during the Song dynasty. Mu Qi was one of the two great exponents of the spontaneous mode of Chinese painting . It features six persimmons floating on an undefined,...
by Mu Qi
Mu Qi
Mu Qi , also known as FaChang or Muqi Fachang, was a Chinese painter and Chán monk who lived during the Southern Song Dynasty, approximately 1200-1270 CE . Born in Sichuan, he emigrated to the Southern Song capitol Lin An...
.
Sub-temples
Daitoku-ji operates some twenty-two sub-temples, the most significant being Daisen-in, , and . }See also
- Goto ZuiganGoto Zuiganwas a Rinzai master and former chief abbot of Myōshin-ji and of Daitoku-ji, at that time the most important position in Rinzai. One of his students, of fifteen years, was author Huston Smith...
- Kobori Nanrei SohakuKobori Nanrei Sohakuwas a Japanese Rinzai roshi and former abbot of Ryōkōin, a subtemple of Daitoku-ji in Kyoto, Japan. A student of the late Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki, Sōhaku was fluent in English and known to hold regular sesshins until the 1980s which many Americans attended. One of his American students is James H....
- For an explanation of terms concerning Japanese Buddhism, Japanese Buddhist art, and Japanese Buddhist temple architecture, see the Glossary of Japanese BuddhismGlossary of Japanese BuddhismThis is the glossary of Japanese Buddhism, including major terms the casual reader might find useful in understanding articles on the subject. Words followed by an asterisk are illustrated by an image in one of the photo galleries...
. - List of National Treasures of Japan (residences)
- List of National Treasures of Japan (temples)
- List of National Treasures of Japan (ancient documents)
- List of National Treasures of Japan (paintings)
- List of National Treasures of Japan (writings)
Further reading
External links
Daitoku-ji - halls, sub-temples- Photos of Daitoku-ji and its sub-temples