Kokujoji Temple

 

Origin of Kugamiyama: Kugamiyama was formerly known as Koshi-gun Koshiyama, and was known as Untakayama or Kugamiyama. It has belonged to Kanbara-gun since the Asuka period, and it is said that Prince Shotoku climbed this mountain and wrote the above clouds. At that time, a statue of the Great Sad Senju Kannon was carved and designated as the first sacred place of the North Sea Guardian Buddhist Law. The statue of Daisoku Senju was called "Kugami" because it was above the clouds and at the height of the clouds. The word "Kugami" is used now because Emperor Koken was imperial rescripted as "Kugami Ichiji" in Miu. In addition, it is written as Kuga 躬 in the Manyoshu.

Toyama's grass woundIt is the oldest ancient temple in Echigo, which was built in the 2nd year of Wado, the Emperor of Echigo (709) by the decree of Yahiko Okami, the god of Echigo. It is worshiped as the home of Yahiko Shrine, and has been divided into ancient records as Betsutoji Temple for generations. As a formality, Emperor Koken gave him the first rank in Miu, and it has been regarded as the place of devotion as the first sacred place of the North Sea protection Buddhist law.

Principal image: The principal idol is Amida Nyorai, an elegant and elegant student, and according to auspicious occasions, it is said that it is a spiritual Buddha given by Empress Komyō of Emperor Shomu with the opening of the eyes of the Buddhist priest of Gyoki Bodhisena. increase. Currently, the book is open for the child year (once every 12 years). Introducing the Sangharama

Denominations: At the beginning of the opening of the mountain, it was Shugendo, but it was converted under the patronage of the powerful people of the era, and changed to the Hosso sect, Tendai sect, and Shingon sect Daigo sect, and now belongs to the Shingon sect Toyoyama sect.

Heian period: and Jikaku Daishi EnninJikaku Daishi (794-868) was a disciple of Saicho and practiced in Tang. From the 6th year of Tencho (829) to 3 years, he embarked on a pilgrimage trip to Togoku and opened more than 10 temples in Aomori, Iwate, Akita, Yamagata, Miyagi, and Fukushima to spread his teaching. At that time, he probably stopped by Kokujoji Temple. It is said that the Ennin Festival was popularized by Jikaku Daishi when he came to the mountain. On October 17th, the festival day of Matara Tenjin, the temple festival was held as an autumn festival in the former Kunigami village. At the temple festival, a man wearing a jibaba face goes around the parapet of the main hall with a wooden ax and a parapet, and when he makes two laps and comes to the front, the people gathered. It robs the ax and the balustrade of the balustrade. Those who robbed the ax and the ax become celebrities in the area, and when they are enshrined at the entrance, the house is said to be disease-free. This strange festival was also dangerous and injured, so it is now suspended. In addition, it seems that monks have been organized at Kokujoji since the arrival of Jikaku Daishi. There are many small holes left in the pillars of the current Hojo Auditorium, which are said to be the traces of throwing shurikens. Perhaps they trained by using the pillars as if they were people. In this way, Enryakuji was returned to Mt. Hiei, leaving behind the Enryakuji festival and the culture of the monk soldiers.

The end of the Heian period and Minamoto no YoshitsuneThe legend of Minamoto no Yoshitsune, a tragic warrior, is in the temple. Yoshitsune, who was chased by his brother Yoritomo, despite being a meritorious person in the war of Genpei, escaped from Mt. Yoshino in Nara to Hiraizumi in Iwate Prefecture in 1187. He said that he was hiding in the main hall of Kokujoji on the way. At that time, chief priests, monks, and monks lived in the Hojo auditorium at the back of the Sanmon gate, but general worshipers could not enter, so it seems that they hid themselves in the main hall. Eventually, there was a person who told Yoritomo that Yoshitsune was hiding, and the party left the temple and headed for Yahiko. At that time, Yoshitsune's own statue of Daikokuten was dedicated. Behind the lucky bag carried by Daikokuten, it is engraved with "Jisho Yang Metal Rat New Moon Sakuhi Minamoto no Yoshitsune Kaoshi".

Warring States period and Kenshin Uesugi: Special consideration was given to Kenshin Uesugi, who was devoted to Senju Kannon (enshrined in the guest hall) of the mountain. As a prayer place, the style of 100,000 stones was worshiped, and the Shichido Garan was erected. It is said that there were 21 wards at Kokujoji Temple at that time, and 16 of them are also listed as 16 wards in the old paintings. In the past, it had 21 temples in the mountains of Kugamiyama, and the end temples of 130 Yuyoga temples both inside and outside the prefecture.

Warring States period and Osho Mangen: Just as Nobunaga Oda burned down Enryakuji Temple during the Warring States period, this temple also burned down several times. Mangen Kazuhisa is from Yoshino-gun, Yamato, and after completing his training in the Tendai sect at Enryakuji Temple on Mt. I visited the chief priest, Yoshinaga Uedera. What Osho Mangen saw there was a ruined precinct. It seems that the main hall was also burnt down. Osho Mangen, who couldn't see it, asked for "I want you to cooperate" and spent 30 years from corner to corner in Echigo. I lived in the meantime at Gogoan. Gogoan became famous for Ryokan, but the first resident was Osho Mangen. The current main hall is the fourth reconstruction, and was built based on the Dhutanga of Dhutanga. Kazuhisa Mangen fell ill on his way to Dhutanga in Niigata and died without seeing the completion of the main hall. After his death, he built a tomb beside Gogoan with the will of his deceased. There is a shrine and a monument to Osho Mangen in "Twilight Oka" on the right bank of the Shin-Shinano River in the former Bunsui-cho stone port. "Don't forget that he's on the road, but he's the hill at dusk."　Kokujo Osho is said to be the founder of Kokujoji Temple. Please remember his virtues when worshiping the principal idol.

Edo period and Ryokan: After leaving the house at the age of 18, he trained at Koshoji Temple in Amaze and Entsuji Temple in Bitchū. After the death of Kazuhisa Kunisen of Entsuji Temple, he traveled to the Chugoku, Shikoku, and Kinki regions, visiting places with great virtues and repeating his work. He returned to Echigo after his father, who was staying in Kyoto, threw himself into the Katsura River and committed suicide. Ryokan was 38 years old. Ryokan, who returned to Echigo, had moved to Teradomari's Lighting Temple, Nozumi's Saishoji Temple, etc. for about 10 years without a decision. In the first year of culture (1804), when he was 47, he settled in Gogoan in our mountain. That is because Kokujoji's former chief priest, Kazuhisa Yoshinae, who lived in Gogoan, died. Thinking about it, 30 years after he left home, he was relieved to finally get a place of rest from a long wandering trip. He wrote, "I'm here, I'm here, Iho, the pine tree in the mountains of the old-fashioned country . " After that, he lived in Kusuan of Otoko Shrine for 10 years, then moved to the hut of Gen Kimura Motoemon in Shimazaki, and died at the age of 74 on New Year's Day in Tenpo 2. His tomb is built at Ryusenji Temple in the same village. Ryokan was in Kugami for about 30 years from the time he returned to Echigo until he moved to Shimazaki in his later years, so most of the poems, songs and books that remain today are from the time when most of them lived in Kugamiyama. am. Currently, Gogoan has been designated as a cultural property of the prefecture by the Niigata Board of Education and will be preserved forever.