A Symphony of Colors — The Illuminating Eikando-ji Temple
The Eikando-ji Temple of Kyoto is a Heian period temple practicing the Shingon school of Buddhism. A view of its beautiful temple grounds in the evening was an amazing experience.
During the very crowded fall foliage season, the temples of Kyoto are illuminated for visitors to admire the night scene there. Eikando-ji Temple was a good choice for me, as I was quite familiar with that area, having visited the Nanzen-ji Temple the previous day.
The Buddhist Lineage of Eikando-ji Temple
Eikando-ji Temple acquired its name from the very popular head priest Yokan, who was commonly known as Eikan. Eikando means “Eikan Hall’ in Japanese. Formerly the Zenrin-ji Temple, the Eikando-ji Temple lent its former name to the very inception of Nanzen-ji Temple’s Buddhist beginning.
Zenrin-ji Temple, meaning “temple in a clam grove,” lies on the foothill of Higashiyama mountain surrounded by lush green trees that turn crimson in autumn. A noble of the Heian period donned the grounds of Eikando-ji Temple to the priest Shinjo. Thus began the Eikando-ji Temple as the first temple was established in 853 A.D. by Shinjo. Emperor Seiwa gave the temple its original name, Zenrin-ji, in 863 A.D.
This head priest was a disciple of the Shingon Sect of Buddhism. At that point in the temple’s history, it belonged to the Shingon Sect, which was the Buddhism being practiced there for 220 years.
Came the next 140 years and the Eikando-ji Temple practiced the teachings of Shingon Sect and Pure Land of Sanron Sect, which was one of the six sects of Nara Buddhism. Between 1166 A.D. to 1224 A.D., this age of the temple was named after its head priests Yokan to Johen.
Beginning in 1224 A.D., the head priest Johen led the temple’s religious lineage into the teachings of the Shingon sect of Buddhism. Honen, the founder of the Jodo sect, was then appointed as the 11th nominal priest of Eikando-ji Temple. Under the leadership of Joon, the Eikando-ji Temple officially converted from the Shingon sect to the Seizan branch of the Jodo sect.
One special feature of the Eikando-ji Temple was the unique pose of its Buddha statue. Amida, the resident Buddha at Eikando-ji Temple, has the posture of “looking back.” This came about when Yokan (Eikan) was walking around the altar as he chanted his Nembutsu. The Amida came down from the altar and led him. The priest stopped walking, as he was surprised. Amida then looked back over his left should and said, “Yokan, you are slow.” This was the story that inspired the Mikaeri-Amida statue looking back, as a reminder to followers of the Buddha’s mercy.
The History of the Antique Structures of the Eikando-ji Temple
Like so many other temples in Kyoto, the very old structures that originated from their inception were destroyed by fires that were mostly the results of civil wars.
The ten-year Onin War (1467A.D.-1477A.D.) razed the Eikando-ji Temple to the ground. It took generations of priests to restore the temple by the 16th century. The temple then fell into ruins again in the early modern times. As the state policy of the Meiji period was to elevate the native faith of Japan, Shinto, as distinguished from Buddhism, a great number of Japanese Buddhist temples were destroyed in the early modern era as well.
Momiji Viewing at Night
In a previous entry, I discussed the lowdown on how to handle the crowds for night Momiji viewing at the Kiyomizu-dera Temple. The two temples both present fantastic views at night, and the crowds are certainly no less at the Eikando-ji Temple.
Momiji is the Japanese word for foliage viewing in autumn. In this time of the year, Kyoto meets an exceptional spike of tourist presence. In fact, in those five days that I stayed in Kyoto, I sensed the crowd gaining numbers by the day, from hotel check-in, to sightseeing, to restaurant dining.
The Eikando-ji Temple was the last temple that I visited in Kyoto, and surely, all of the world’s tourists caught up with me then. Therefore, expect long queues, not just at the entrance, but throughout your walk at the temple. There is a section of the bridge where tourists must not take photographs. So crowds gather right at the point that they could take photographs to snap some beautiful shots of the pond.
The temple features beautiful structures, gardens and a pond. The illuminations are well done there. I highly recommend a night visit at the Eikando-ji Temple.
The Conclusion of My Kyoto Visit
The study of temples in Kyoto would not be complete without a realistic consideration of the implications of Buddhism in Japanese history. The temples of Kyoto presented a kaleidoscopic view of Buddhism’s role as a prominent religion. The priests of these temples dedicated their whole lives to a serious study of Buddhism. Schools of Buddhist sects blossomed in the Heian period. The relationship between different schools of Buddhism was not just academic. They were contentious with political ramifications, as proper Buddhism was a province of the imperial court.
As a matter of politics, Buddhism had a significant role in the power struggles in premodern Japan. The Buddhist monks were not just priests that sat in the temple grounds chanting their nenbutsu. They had wide influence in the politics of the day because of the imperial patronage of Buddhism. And that part of Japan’s history of Buddhism awaits further exploration on my part.
There were also temples that stood for the emotional refuge that religion offered in one’s personal life. The Gio-ji Temple of Arashiyama attests to the faith’s power in restoring women’s spirits from heartbreaks and rejections.
To conclude my journey in Kyoto, there were a few things that I would have really liked to see. That includes the Gingkaku-ji Temple, the Path of Philosophy (Tetsugaku no Michi), the Daigo-ji Temple, the Fushimi Inari Shrine and the Blue Bottle café that is in a heritage building in Kyoto. It was also a pity that I did not manage to hike from Mount Takao to Arashiyama. But travelling in Kyoto entails a whole lot of walking, and surely that affected my energy level in Nara. I was honestly tired by the time I made it there.
Thinking back, I could have done one full week in Kyoto, but I can certainly save those key sites for a next trip. So, I bid farewell to Kyoto. Nara was next up.
The history of Eikando-ji Temple from this entry was taken from the official website of the Eikando-ji Temple.