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TENRYUJI TEMPLETenryuji Temple Tours - A World Heritage Site and one of the most historic site in Kyoto. Tenryuji Temple is the most important Zen Temple in Kyoto.Tenryuji Temple (天龍寺, Tenryū-ji)—more formally known as Tenryū Shiseizen-ji (天龍資聖禅寺, Tenryū Shiseizen-ji)—is the head temple of the Tenryū sect of Rinzai Zen Buddhism, located in Susukinobaba-chō, Ukyō Ward, (Arashiyama region), Kyoto, Japan. The temple was founded by Ashikaga Takauji, primarily to venerate Gautama Buddha, and its first chief priest was Musō Soskice. As a temple related to both the Ashikaga family and Emperor Godaigo, the temple is held in high esteem, and is ranked as the most important (Rinzai) Zen temple in Kyoto. In 1994, it was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as one of the "Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto".
Tenryuji Temple Walking Tours
Arashiyama is a pleasant, touristy district in the
outskirts of Kyoto. Its landmark is the Togetsukyo Bridge which was
rebuilt in 1934 exactly like the original. Walk through the Sagano
Bamboo Grove, then onto Jojakkoji Temple, final home of Empress Dowager
Kenrei-mon-in. Later visit Tenryuji Temple,
a leading Zen temple built in 1339 famous for its landscape gardens.
Arashiyama is particularly beautiful during the cherry blossom and
autumn leaf seasons. Tenryuji Temple - Cultural PropertiesThe "important
cultural properties" of Tenryū-ji include: Tenryuji Temple - HistoryIn the early Heian Period, Empress Tachibana no Kachiko, wife of Emperor Saga, founded a temple called Danrin-ji (檀林寺, Danrin-ji) on the site of present-day Tenryū-ji. The temple fell into disrepair over the next four hundred years, before, in the mid-thirteenth century, Emperor Gosaga and his son Emperor Kameyama turned the area into an imperial villa they christened "Kameyama Detatched Palace" (亀山殿, kameyamadono). The name "Kameyama", which literally means "turtle mountain", was selected due to the shape of Mt. Ogura, which lies to the west of Tenryū-ji—it is said to be similar to the shape of a turtle's shell. All Japanese temples constructed after the Nara period have a sangō, a mountain name used as an honorary prefix. Tenryū-ji's sangō, Reigizan (霊亀山, Reigizan lit. "mountain of the spirit of the turtle"), was also selected due to the shape of Mt. Ogura.
The palace was converted into a temple at the behest of Ashikaga Takauji,
who wished to use the temple to hold a memorial service for Emperor Go-daigo.
Ashikaga became the shogun in 1338, and Go-daigo died in Yoshino the
following year. Ashikaga opposed the failed Kemmu Restoration, which was
started by Emperor Go-daigo, and the emperor decreed that Ashikaga should be
hunted down and executed. When his former-friend-turned-enemy passed away,
Ashikaga recommended that Zen monk Musō Soseki construct a temple for his
memorial service. It is said that the temple was originally going to be
named Ryakuō Shiseizen-ji (暦応資聖禅寺, Ryakuō Shiseizen-ji), Ryakuō being the
name of the reign of the emperor of the northern court at that time.
However, Ashikaga Takauji's younger brother, Tadayoshi supposedly had a
dream about a golden dragon flitting about the Ōi River (also known as the
Hozu River), which lies south of the temple, and the temple was instead
named Tenryū Shiseizen-ji—the term "Tenryū" literally means "dragon of the
sky" . In order to raise the funds to build the temple, a trading vessel
called "Tenryūjisen" was constructed and set asail. A ceremony was held on
the seventh anniversary of Emperor Go-Daigo's death in 1345, which
functioned as both a celebration of the completion of the temple, and as Go-daigo's
memorial. Tenryuji Temple - LayoutOn the eastern
boundary of the temple grounds lie two gates: Chokushi Gate (勅使門,
chokushimon) and Middle Gate (中門, chūmon), from which the path to the
temple itself leads west. Generally, Zen temple grounds are designed so that
they face the south, with major buildings aligned along the north-south
axis. Tenryū-ji's layout is an exception to this principle. Sub-temples line
both sides of the path, which leads to the lecture hall. There are numerous
buildings behind the lecture hall, such as large abbey (大方丈, ōhōjō), the
small abbey (小方丈, kohōjō), the kitchen, the meditation hall, and Tahō-den
(多宝殿, Tahō-den) hall, however, each of these is modern reconstruction. Tenryuji Temple Pictures
Click on the pictures below for a larger version and more
detailed information
(Article based on Wikipedia article and used under the GNU Free Documentation License) |
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