Taiseki-ji
Encyclopedia
is the of the Nichiren Shōshū
school of the Nichiren branch
of Japanese Buddhism. It is located on the lower slopes of Mount Fuji
in Fujinomiya
, Shizuoka Prefecture
, Japan
. Taiseki-ji was founded in 1290 ce by Nikkō
, one of Nichiren
’s immediate disciples.
Because it is the head temple of Nichiren Shōshū and therefore home of the Dai-Gohonzon, Nichiren Shōshū’s ultimate object of veneration, Taiseki-ji is visited by believers from all around the world who come on personal pilgrimages, to participate in regular ceremonies, or to take part in large events such as temple-group pilgrimages, workshop-like study programs, and large rally-like meetings. The temple is visited by several hundred thousand pilgrims a year, and its compound is known for several historically significant buildings, its gardens, and the old weeping cherry trees that line its tatchū (main path lined with lodging temples).
Events in bold are positioned as the two most important ceremonies of the year.
for Ōishi (大石), taiseki, and ji (寺), which means temple. Tokimitsu was one of Nichiren
’s lay followers and he looked up to Nikkō as his personal teacher. It started with one small temple building but grew gradually as Nikkō’s disciples built sub-temples. It went through further growth phases during the mid-Edo period
and in the post-World War II
period.
(written 三門, sometimes 山門) gate is Taiseki-ji’s “front door” and has been designated as a Shizuoka prefectural cultural asset. It was built in 1717 with donations from Tenneiin, the wife of sixth Shogun Tokugawa Ienobu
.
heartwood, was completed in 1988.
The Grand Reception Hall is the site of ushitora Gongyo
, a prayer service performed daily at the transition from the “hour of the ox (ushi)” to the “hour of the tiger (tora).” The service begins at about 2:30am and ends about an hour later. This is believed to mark the transition from darkness to light as well as the hour at which all Buddhas attain enlightenment. The service is customarily officiated by the high priest or his proxy. During the service, the officiating priest sits at the front of the room, to the left of and facing the congregation of priests and laity gathered in front of the altar. This signifies that he is guiding the congregation to the Gohonzon so they can achieve enlightenment. The purpose of the service is, among other things, to pray for the spread of Nichiren Shōshū throughout the world and thereby bring about peace and prosperity for all humankind.
The Hōandō is built in the style of a traditional Japanese storehouse to signify that kōsen rufu (広宣流布) has yet to be achieved. Loosely defined, kōsen rufu means that the Nichiren Shōshū faith has taken hold as the primary religion of the world’s people. This is significant to the Nichiren Shōshū faithful because they believe that, according to Nichiren’s will, the Dai-Gohonzon is not to be made publicly accessible, but rather stored away and only viewed by those who have asked for and been granted an audience by the high priest, until kōsen rufu has been achieved. A further symbol of this is that, different from all other Nichiren Shōshū altars, the one in the Hōandō is not decorated with an offering of evergreens, and non-believers are permitted in the building only on special occasions.
The Hōandō replaced the Shōhondō (正本堂: true main hall
), the Dai-Gohonzon’s previous home. Before the Shōhondō was completed in 1972, the Dai-Gohonzon had been kept locked away in a storehouse called the Treasure House (御宝蔵: Gohōzō) or enshrined in the Hōanden (奉安殿), another storehouse-like structure built behind the Treasure House.
, the historical main highway along Japan’s eastern seaboard from Edo
(today’s Tōkyō
) to Kyōto
. The structure was designated a national cultural treasure in 1966. It is opened every February 16 for ceremonies to celebrate Nichiren’s birthday.
which is the True Object of Worship of Nichiren Shōshū.
The Shōhondō was regarded as an important work of post-war Japanese architecture
, noted for its vast unsupported roof span. The construction of the Shōhondō was funded largely by the personal donations of the lay believers of the Nichiren Shōshū. An estimated ¥35,536,000,000 was raised, of which ¥35,064,300,000 came from Sōka Gakkai members, ¥313,820,000 from Hokkekō members and ¥157,870,000 from priests and their families.
The reason given for its demolition was that the building was structurally unsound for the earthquake-prone region. The president of SGI, Daisaku Ikeda
, claimed the Shōhondō was exclusively built through efforts of him and the members of the SGI . Nichiren Shōshū concedes that its demolition of the Shōhondō was an extension of the doctrinal dispute between it and the Sōka Gakkai. The then Nichiren Shōshū High Priest, Nikken Shōnin, decided to replace the Shōhondō with the Hōandō.
35.282107°N 138.5858°W
Nichiren Shōshū
Nichiren Shōshū is a branch of Nichiren Buddhism based on the teachings of the 13th-century Japanese monk Nichiren . Nichiren Shōshū claims Nichiren as its founder through his disciple Nikkō , the founder of the school's Head Temple Taiseki-ji...
school of the Nichiren branch
Nichiren Buddhism
Nichiren Buddhism is a branch of Mahāyāna Buddhism based on the teachings of the 13th century Japanese monk Nichiren...
of Japanese Buddhism. It is located on the lower slopes of Mount Fuji
Mount Fuji
is the highest mountain in Japan at . An active stratovolcano that last erupted in 1707–08, Mount Fuji lies about south-west of Tokyo, and can be seen from there on a clear day. Mount Fuji's exceptionally symmetrical cone is a well-known symbol of Japan and it is frequently depicted in art and...
in Fujinomiya
Fujinomiya, Shizuoka
is a city located in central Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 122,464 and the density of 389 persons per km². The total area was 314.81 km².-Geography:...
, Shizuoka Prefecture
Shizuoka Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Shizuoka.- History :Shizuoka prefecture was formed from the former Tōtōmi, Suruga and Izu provinces.The area was the home of the first Tokugawa Shogun...
, 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...
. Taiseki-ji was founded in 1290 ce by Nikkō
Nikko (priest)
Nikkō , also known as Nikkō Shōnin, is the founder of a major branch of Nichiren Buddhism that includes the present-day Nichiren Shoshu school of Japanese Buddhism. His full Buddhist name was Hawaki-bō Byakuren Ajari Nikkō ....
, one of Nichiren
Nichiren
Nichiren was a Buddhist monk who lived during the Kamakura period in Japan. Nichiren taught devotion to the Lotus Sutra, entitled Myōhō-Renge-Kyō in Japanese, as the exclusive means to attain enlightenment and the chanting of Nam-Myōhō-Renge-Kyō as the essential practice of the teaching...
’s immediate disciples.
Taiseki-ji today
Nichiren Shōshū’s head temple is the sect’s administrative center, and its is simultaneously the of Nichiren Shōshū. The current High Priest is Nichinyo Hayase (1935–). High Priest Nichinyo assumed the position on December 16, 2005, and is the 68th in a lineage Nichiren Shōshū traces back to Nichiren (1222–1282). He is commonly styled 68th High Priest Nichinyo Shōnin in English.Because it is the head temple of Nichiren Shōshū and therefore home of the Dai-Gohonzon, Nichiren Shōshū’s ultimate object of veneration, Taiseki-ji is visited by believers from all around the world who come on personal pilgrimages, to participate in regular ceremonies, or to take part in large events such as temple-group pilgrimages, workshop-like study programs, and large rally-like meetings. The temple is visited by several hundred thousand pilgrims a year, and its compound is known for several historically significant buildings, its gardens, and the old weeping cherry trees that line its tatchū (main path lined with lodging temples).
Regular ceremonies and events
- First gongyōGongyoA liturgy is a set form of ceremony or pattern of worship. The Buddhist liturgy refers to a formalized service performed by the four-fold sangha and by nearly every denomination and sect in the Buddhist world. It is often done once or more times a day and can vary amongst the Theravada, Mahayana,...
of the year (from 2:30AM on January 1) - New Year's pilgrimage (January 1–4)
- Koshi-e (Memorial services for and commemoration of 2nd High Priest Nikkō, February 6–7)
- Nichiren's birthday (February 16)
- Spring Higan-e (March 20 or 21)
- Airing of the Treasures ceremony (April 6–7)
- Summer study workshops (June–July)
- Urabon-e (August 15)
- Gonan-e (Commemoration of the Tatsunokuchi Persecution, September 12)
- Kanshi-e (Memorial services for and commemoration of 26th High Priest Nichikan, September 18–19)
- Autumn Higan-e (September 23)
- Ushi-e (Memorial services for and commemoration of 9th High Priest Nichiu, September 29)
- Mokushi-e (Memorial services for and commemoration of 3rd High Priest Nichimoku, November 14–15)
- Nichiren Daishōnin Gotai-e (often called Oeshiki; memorial services for and commemoration of the life and teachings of Nichiren Daishōnin, November 20–21)
Events in bold are positioned as the two most important ceremonies of the year.
Founding and early period
According to Nichiren Shōshū tradition, Taiseki-ji was founded in 1290 by Nichiren’s disciple Nikkō on a tract of land called donated by the district steward, Nanjō Tokimitsu (1259–1332). The name derives from an alternate reading of the kanjiKanji
Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
for Ōishi (大石), taiseki, and ji (寺), which means temple. Tokimitsu was one of Nichiren
Nichiren
Nichiren was a Buddhist monk who lived during the Kamakura period in Japan. Nichiren taught devotion to the Lotus Sutra, entitled Myōhō-Renge-Kyō in Japanese, as the exclusive means to attain enlightenment and the chanting of Nam-Myōhō-Renge-Kyō as the essential practice of the teaching...
’s lay followers and he looked up to Nikkō as his personal teacher. It started with one small temple building but grew gradually as Nikkō’s disciples built sub-temples. It went through further growth phases during the mid-Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
and in the post-World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
period.
Prominent high priests
- 9th High Priest Nichiu
- 26th High Priest Nichikan
- 59th High Priest Nichiko
- 66th High Priest Nittatsu
- 67th High Priest Nikken
- 68th High Priest Nichinyo (current)
Sanmon Gate
The SanmonSanmon
A , 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...
(written 三門, sometimes 山門) gate is Taiseki-ji’s “front door” and has been designated as a Shizuoka prefectural cultural asset. It was built in 1717 with donations from Tenneiin, the wife of sixth Shogun Tokugawa Ienobu
Tokugawa Ienobu
was the sixth shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty of Japan. He was the eldest son of Tokugawa Tsunashige, thus making him the nephew of Tokugawa Ietsuna and Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, the grandson of Tokugawa Iemitsu, the great-grandson of Tokugawa Hidetada, and the great-great grandson of Tokugawa...
.
Mutsubo
The first Mutsubo (六壷) was erected in 1290, making this historically Taiseki-ji’s first building. It has been rebuilt many times since. The current structure, which uses much keyakiZelkova serrata
Zelkova serrata is a species of Zelkova native to Japan, Korea, eastern China, and Taiwan. It is often grown as an ornamental tree, and used in bonsai.-Description:...
heartwood, was completed in 1988.
Reception Hall
The Daikyakuden (大客殿: Grand Reception Hall) was first built in 1465. The current structure, a wood-clad steel-framed structure, was completed in 1998 and replaced the a previous steel-reinforced concrete building from 1964. The previous structure was built and donated by Soka Gakkai and was ostensibly replaced because of worries about structural integrity in a major earthquake. The priesthood also cited its imposing ferroconcrete mass as incongruent with the architectural tone appropriate for a temple compound. A pre-war building, which had been requisitioned by the military, burnt down in a June 1945 fire that claimed the life of 62nd High Priest Nikkyō.The Grand Reception Hall is the site of ushitora Gongyo
Gongyo
A liturgy is a set form of ceremony or pattern of worship. The Buddhist liturgy refers to a formalized service performed by the four-fold sangha and by nearly every denomination and sect in the Buddhist world. It is often done once or more times a day and can vary amongst the Theravada, Mahayana,...
, a prayer service performed daily at the transition from the “hour of the ox (ushi)” to the “hour of the tiger (tora).” The service begins at about 2:30am and ends about an hour later. This is believed to mark the transition from darkness to light as well as the hour at which all Buddhas attain enlightenment. The service is customarily officiated by the high priest or his proxy. During the service, the officiating priest sits at the front of the room, to the left of and facing the congregation of priests and laity gathered in front of the altar. This signifies that he is guiding the congregation to the Gohonzon so they can achieve enlightenment. The purpose of the service is, among other things, to pray for the spread of Nichiren Shōshū throughout the world and thereby bring about peace and prosperity for all humankind.
Mieidō
The original Mieidō (御影堂: image hall) was built in 1522. The Mieidō houses an image of Nichiren (hence its name) dating from 1388. The current, classical structure was built in 1632 and has had several subsequent renovations, the most recent major one in 1971. It was designated a cultural asset by Shizuoka Prefecture in 1971. It is currently undergoing a major renovation which includes a total disassembly, replacement of unserviceable structural members, and reassembly. This work is expected to take several years.Hōandō
The Hōandō (奉安堂: hōan is an honorific form of a verb meaning to enshrine or place in an altar; dō is a large building or hall) houses the Dai-Gohonzon, the supreme object of veneration in Nichiren Shōshū.The Hōandō is built in the style of a traditional Japanese storehouse to signify that kōsen rufu (広宣流布) has yet to be achieved. Loosely defined, kōsen rufu means that the Nichiren Shōshū faith has taken hold as the primary religion of the world’s people. This is significant to the Nichiren Shōshū faithful because they believe that, according to Nichiren’s will, the Dai-Gohonzon is not to be made publicly accessible, but rather stored away and only viewed by those who have asked for and been granted an audience by the high priest, until kōsen rufu has been achieved. A further symbol of this is that, different from all other Nichiren Shōshū altars, the one in the Hōandō is not decorated with an offering of evergreens, and non-believers are permitted in the building only on special occasions.
The Hōandō replaced the Shōhondō (正本堂: true main hall
Main Hall (Japanese Buddhism)
Main hall is the term used in English for the building within a Japanese Buddhist temple compound which enshrines the main object of veneration. Because the various denominations deliberately use different terms, this single English term translates several Japanese words, among them Butsuden,...
), the Dai-Gohonzon’s previous home. Before the Shōhondō was completed in 1972, the Dai-Gohonzon had been kept locked away in a storehouse called the Treasure House (御宝蔵: Gohōzō) or enshrined in the Hōanden (奉安殿), another storehouse-like structure built behind the Treasure House.
Treasure House
The treasure house is only open to believers. Inside there are some scrolls and paintings of importance to this sect of Nichiren Buddhism, as well as information about the religion and its history. It also features modest displays of cultural objects from countries where they have attracted converts.Pagoda
Completed in 1749, Taiseki-ji’s pagoda faces west rather than the usual south to signify that Nichiren Buddhism would spread from the east (Japan) to the west (back to the land of Sakyamuni Buddha and beyond). It is the largest five-storied pagoda along the TōkaidōTokaido (road)
The ' was the most important of the Five Routes of the Edo period, connecting Edo to Kyoto in Japan. Unlike the inland and less heavily travelled Nakasendō, the Tōkaidō travelled along the sea coast of eastern Honshū, hence the route's name....
, the historical main highway along Japan’s eastern seaboard from Edo
Edo
, also romanized as Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of the Japanese capital Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868...
(today’s Tōkyō
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
) to Kyōto
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:...
. The structure was designated a national cultural treasure in 1966. It is opened every February 16 for ceremonies to celebrate Nichiren’s birthday.
Shōhondō
The Shōhondō was the main temple building at Taiseki-ji, from 1972 until its demolition in 1998. It was built to house the Dai-Gohonzon, an inscribed wood block mandalaMandala
Maṇḍala is a Sanskrit word that means "circle". In the Buddhist and Hindu religious traditions their sacred art often takes a mandala form. The basic form of most Hindu and Buddhist mandalas is a square with four gates containing a circle with a center point...
which is the True Object of Worship of Nichiren Shōshū.
The Shōhondō was regarded as an important work of post-war Japanese architecture
Japanese architecture
' originated in prehistoric times with simple pit-houses and stores that were adapted to a hunter-gatherer population. Influence from Han Dynasty China via Korea saw the introduction of more complex grain stores and ceremonial burial chambers....
, noted for its vast unsupported roof span. The construction of the Shōhondō was funded largely by the personal donations of the lay believers of the Nichiren Shōshū. An estimated ¥35,536,000,000 was raised, of which ¥35,064,300,000 came from Sōka Gakkai members, ¥313,820,000 from Hokkekō members and ¥157,870,000 from priests and their families.
The reason given for its demolition was that the building was structurally unsound for the earthquake-prone region. The president of SGI, Daisaku Ikeda
Daisaku Ikeda
is president of Sōka Gakkai International , a Nichiren Buddhist lay association which claims 12 million members in 192 countries and territories, and founder of several educational, cultural and peace research institutions.-Life and establishment of SGI:...
, claimed the Shōhondō was exclusively built through efforts of him and the members of the SGI . Nichiren Shōshū concedes that its demolition of the Shōhondō was an extension of the doctrinal dispute between it and the Sōka Gakkai. The then Nichiren Shōshū High Priest, Nikken Shōnin, decided to replace the Shōhondō with the Hōandō.
External links
- Some of the scenery and a short history of Taisekiji on Nichiren Shoshu’s English website
- The Origin of Taisekiji Temple on the Nichiren Shoshu website.
35.282107°N 138.5858°W
Sources and references
- Nichiren Shōshū nyūmon (日蓮正宗入門: Introduction to Nichiren Shoshu), Taiseki-ji, 2002