The History of Zuisekizan Eigen-ji Temple

Eigen-ji was established in 1361 under the order of Sasaki Ujiyori, lord of the Omi domain, for Zen master Jakushitsu Genko. Due to Jakushitsu’s fame as an eminent Zen master, more than 2000 monks came to train at the temple. This was a period when many temple buildings were constructed under the patronage of the Imperial Court and the shogun of the Muromachi Period (1336-1573) and it is said that at this time a total of 56 halls of worship were constructed in the Eigen-ji Temple grounds.

Chief Priest’s Quarters
Chief Priest’s Quarters

Hall for Zazen Meditation
Hall for Zazen Meditation

However, this was a time of great upheaval. At the outbreak of the Onin War (1467-1477) Eigen-ji found itself embroiled in power struggles between feudal lords involved in the conflict. In 1492 and again in 1563, the temple was completely destroyed by fire. In the years that followed, what remained of Eigen-ji fell into disrepair.

In 1631, Beppo Join—a Zen master from Myoshin-ji Temple in Kyoto—lamented the poor state of Eigen-ji and made a vow to restore the temple. He knew people of influence and means and petitioned them by letter to help with the restoration. Beppo Join worked on site, transporting rocks and earth to the temple grounds to prepare the site. In 1643, an imperial edict issued by Emperor Go-Mizunoo commanded that Isshi Bunshu, who oversaw the scholastic training of the emperor, take the position of abbot at Eigen-ji Temple.

The Empress Tofukumonin (formerly styled as Tokugawa Masako) ordered the Ii clan of the Hikone domain to restore the temple’s former glory, and with the help and support of the Ii clan many temple buildings were reconstructed and Eigen-ji became once again a place where people could learn about the teachings of the Buddha.

Mausoleum of the Ii Clan
Mausoleum of the Ii Clan

Principal Image: Yotsugi Kannon

The Yotsugi Kannon, the principal image at Eigen-ji, is a hibutsu—a Buddhist statue that is normally hidden from public view. Usually the doors in front of the statue are closed, but once every 25 years or so, the temple holds a special ceremony and the doors are opened so that worshippers can see the hibutsu. The last occasion for viewing was in 2016.

It is said that, soon after he began his tenure as abbot at Eigen-ji, every night Jakushitsu would see a glittering light in the mountains to the east of the temple. Eventually he took a walk out there, where he discovered a small statue of the bodhisattva Kanzeon, about five centimeters high, on top of a large rock. Jakushitsu asked noted Buddhist sculptor Gotokan to come to Eigen-ji from China and create a seated clay Kanzeon statue, and he secreted the smaller statue inside the crown of Gotokan’s creation. Thus this small statue became the principal image of Eigen-ji Temple.

Yotsugi Kannon

Mitsutaka, the son of Sasaki Ujiyori, could not produce an heir. Mitsutaka came to pray at the Kanzeon statue every day, and on the 21st night his wife had a revelation in a dream whereby a beautiful lady—an avatar of Kanzeon—announced that “your innocent prayers and pure spirit will bring you a child” and in time Mitsutaka was blessed with a son and heir (yotsugi in Japanese). This story spread far and wide, and the temple statue became known as Yotsugi Kannon, bringer of children, heirs and successors.

Even to this day, many people still come to visit Eigen-ji Temple with the intention of praying for a child, or come to give thanks following the birth of a child.

Temple crest

Eigen-ji Founder Zen master
Jakushitsu Genko (1290-1368)
(posthumous name: Enno Shoto Kokushi)

Eigen-ji Founder Zen master Jakushitsu Genko

Eigen-ji Founder Zen master Jakushitsu Genko
(posthumous name: Enno Shoto Kokushi)

Jakushitsu Genko was born on May 15, 1290 in present-day Okayama Prefecture. It is said that his father could trace his lineage back to the distinguished Fujiwara clan.

At the age of 13, he decided to dedicate himself to Zen practice and began training at Tofuku-ji Temple in Kyoto. Two years later at the age of 15 he took his vows to become a priest.

When he was 16, he became a disciple under Zen master Yakuo Tokken in Kamakura.

As a young man he had a real aptitude for Zen teachings and that, coupled with his fierce determination to learn, he achieved satori enlightenment at the tender age of 18.

Aged 31 he went to China to study, learning from Zen masters in temples across the country. Of this number, the teachings in solitude of Zhongfeng Mingben, the Zen master at Tianmu Shan near Hangzhou, were deeply influential. Zhongfeng was the priest that gave him the name Jakushitsu.

He returned to Japan aged 37 and avoided anything to do with state-sponsored temples and Zen masters who wielded power and influence, instead choosing to wander in solitude across the country, eventually continuing his Zen training living as a hermit in a small hut in the mountains.

Living this solitary existence proved to be fertile for the imagination, as Jakushitsu wrote his best poetry during this time. His simple yet beautiful poems were collected in the Jakushitsu-roku, an anthology published after his death. His poetry bore a significant influence on Gozan Bungaku—the literature of the Five Mountains—poems produced by the principal Zen monastic centers in Kyoto and Kamakura.

At the age of 71, he was asked to serve as the founder of Eigen-ji Temple by Sasaki Ujiyori, lord of the Omi domain. As his fame grew, Jakushitsu was asked by both the Imperial Court and the Shogunate to become abbot of Tenryu-ji and Kencho-ji temples—both of which were state-sponsored temples—but he declined on both occasions.

Jakushitsu passed away on September 1, 1367. His will stated: “After I die, the buildings and land of Eigen-ji should be returned to the domain lord. Everyone should leave the site and go and live a quiet, solitary life in the mountains in accordance with Buddha’s teachings. However, if that does not happen, I will permit that Eigen-ji remain and be used as a place of Zen training.”

The Emperor of the day bestowed upon him the posthumous name of Enno Zenji in 1368 and Emperor Hirohito bestowed the posthumous name Shoto Kokushi in 1928 as a mark of respect for his moral virtues in life. His writings have been designated as an Important Cultural Asset

Temple crest

Guide to the Temple Precincts

map
PageTop