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【天川の社寺】（奈良県天川村　旧国名：大和）
【天川の社寺】（奈良県天川村　旧国名：大和）
【天川の社寺】（奈良県天川村　旧国名：大和）
【天川の社寺】（奈良県天川村　旧国名：大和）
【天川の社寺】（奈良県天川村　旧国名：大和）
【天川の社寺】（奈良県天川村　旧国名：大和）
【天川の社寺】（奈良県天川村　旧国名：大和）
【天川の社寺】（奈良県天川村　旧国名：大和）
【天川の社寺】（奈良県天川村　旧国名：大和）
【天川の社寺】（奈良県天川村　旧国名：大和）
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【天川の社寺】（奈良県天川村　旧国名：大和）
【天川の社寺】（奈良県天川村　旧国名：大和）
【天川の社寺】（奈良県天川村　旧国名：大和）
【天川の社寺】（奈良県天川村　旧国名：大和）
【天川の社寺】（奈良県天川村　旧国名：大和）
【天川の社寺】（奈良県天川村　旧国名：大和）
【天川の社寺】（奈良県天川村　旧国名：大和）
【天川の社寺】（奈良県天川村　旧国名：大和）
【天川の社寺】（奈良県天川村　旧国名：大和）
【天川の社寺】（奈良県天川村　旧国名：大和）
hanakin_kozakuraJapan
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[Shrines and Temples of Tenkawa] (Tenkawa Village, Nara Prefecture, Former province name: Yamato)

The Omine Okugakemichi trail, which connects Yoshino and Kumano, is a mountain path opened by En no Gyozuno (around the 7th century), who is said to be the founder of Shugendo. Many ascetics who admired En no Gyozuno's power of law and the spiritual power of nature have walked along it, and their faith has permeated the land deeply. Among them, Omine-sanji Temple, located along the route, enshrines Zao Gongen, which En no Gyozuno felt, and is the core of the faith that constitutes the World Heritage Site "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range." Since ancient times, many ascetics have aimed for Mount Omine, where the temple is located, via Tenkawa, which is the gateway to the mountain. Today, Tenkawa is dotted with Dorogawa Onsen, which retains the atmosphere of a former post town, as well as shrines and temples that convey the spirit of En no Gyozuno and Shugendo. ① Ryusenji Temple, Mt. Omine (photos 1-6) Ryusenji Temple maintains a vast temple grounds at the foot of the mountain, across the Yamagami River from the hot spring town of Dorogawa. Its origins date back to when En no Gyozuno was training here and discovered a spring of clear water, and enshrined the Eight Great Dragon Kings, the gods of water. It is said that En no Gyozuno performed water asceticism here, and in honour of this miracle, it is still customary for ascetics who climb Mt. Omine to stop at Ryusenji Temple, purify themselves by splashing their bodies in the water, and pray to the Eight Great Dragon Kings for a safe journey. If you actually walk around the temple grounds, you will see the water flowing from the waterfall running down the rock walls forming a pond, with the gentle slopes of the Omine mountain range reflected in its clear surface. Gazing out at this is En no Gyozuno and his attendants, Maeoni and Gooni. Maeoni and Gooni are a married couple of Shikigami who originally repeatedly caused trouble for the people of a village near Mt. Ikoma, but were subdued by En no Gyozuno's magical powers and became his faithful attendants. It is said that Dorogawa was formed by the descendants of Gooni, who looked up to the virtues of their ancestor's teacher, En no Gyozuno, and helped trainees and sent them off to Mt. Omine. This is very similar to the role played by Ryusenji Temple today, and in that sense it can be considered a symbol of the climate and culture of Dorogawa. ② Omine Main Shrine Tenkawa Dai-Benzaiten Shrine (photos 7-10) It is said that when En no Gyozuno founded Omine, Tenkawa Dai-Benzaiten Shrine was enshrined before Zao Gongen. Located near the Ten-no-gawa River that flows through the deep valleys of Omine, the shrine has been worshipped as a symbol of the blessings and spiritual power of "water" since ancient times. As proof of this, the shrine enshrines Benzaiten, the water goddess. According to legend, after returning from China, Kobo Daishi Kukai (774-835) visited Dai-Benzaiten Shrine for several years and practiced asceticism, and this is thought to have been one of the opportunities that linked Shugendo, which originated from En no Gyozuno, with Shingon Buddhism. Benzaiten is also known as the goddess of performing arts, so many Noh masks are enshrined at the shrine. Among them are masterpieces that symbolize the era, and their cultural value is extremely high. Even today, many worshippers are involved in the arts, and the shrine is also attracting attention as a power spot. When you enter the sacred area through the vermilion torii gate, you will be impressed by the steep, diagonal stone steps. After passing through this unique approach, you will arrive at the main shrine, which seems to be floating and hiding in the ancient forest, highlighting the uniqueness of the entire space. A prayer was being held at the main shrine, so I put my camera down and joined in at the end. A steep staircase leads to the worship hall located in front of the main shrine, and a priest is offering a prayer halfway up. The enshrined deity inside the main shrine, who is not visible, is further enhanced by the visual effect that skillfully makes use of the steps, and combined with the effect of the refreshing breeze blowing through at the time, it creates a pleasant sense of tension. The space where you can truly look up to the gods and feel their spiritual power is proving to be a popular spot among shrine lovers. The Kuroki Palace ruins, where the Southern Court's palace was located for over 40 years at the end of the Nanboku-cho period, are also located nearby, giving a vivid sense of the extraordinary presence of the land of Tenkawa. Recommended for solo travelers: ★★★★ (There are people, but not many. You can enjoy sightseeing in peace!) Visit date: Around 9am on the first Sunday of October Access: About 50 minutes by car from Gojo Kita IC (to Ryusenji Temple) #Ryusenji Temple #Tenkawa Daibenzaiten Shrine #Tenkawa Daibenzaiten Shrine #Tenkawa Shrine #Dorogawa Onsen #Dorogawa #Nara #Nara Prefecture #Nara Trip #Nara Tourism #I'm a Nara School #Delicious and Beautiful Nara #Back to Nara #Nara is Beautiful #Tenkawa Village #Domestic Travel Lover #Temple Tour #Temple Lover #Shrine Tour #Shrine Lover #Temple Shrine Tour #Temple Shrine Tour #Shrine Temple Tour #Eight Great Dragon Kings #Benzaiten #En no Gyozuno #Shugendo #History Lover #Solo Travel #Life with Travel
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Posted: Jan 27, 2024
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