Did Kuya Shonin reach Aizu? A small pilgrimage that began with local news from Fukushima

Did Kuya Shonin reach Aizu? A small pilgrimage that began with local news from Fukushima

Introduction

The other day, while casually watching local news in Fukushima Prefecture, I was surprised to hear the phrase “Kuya Shonin’s Nenbutsu Dance” mentioned.

For those who love Buddhism and history, local news from various regions during the Obon season is fascinating, and I often find myself watching it.

In the midst of that, I had an unexpected realization, so I would like to summarize it briefly.

I went to meet Kuya Shonin at Rokuharamitsu-ji Temple

When I think of Kuya Shonin, I think of that famous statue at Rokuharamitsu-ji Temple in Kyoto, where six Amida Nyorai appear from his mouth. I also visited Rokuharamitsu-ji at the beginning of this year to see the real thing.

However, it seems that Kuya Shonin is also connected to Aizuwakamatsu City in Fukushima Prefecture.
“Wait? Did Kuya Shonin die in Aizu?”
From there, I did a little research.

Hachiyo-ji Temple in Aizuwakamatsu

The temple that came up as being associated with Kuya Shonin is Hachiyo-ji Temple.

Currently, it is a temple of the Shingon Sect Buzan-ha and is also called “Aizu Koya-san.”It is said to have been founded by Kuya Shonin in the first year of Koho (964).According to temple records

, Kuya Shonin traveled through Oshu (touring with a staff with rings) and reached Fuyukisawa in Aizu, where he built a hall. It is said that he enshrined the Amida Triad he had carried on his back as the principal image.Then, on September 11, in the third year of Tenroku (972).

It is said that Kuya Shonin passed away at this Hachiyo-ji Temple.
Since Kuya Shonin is said to have been born in 903, he would have been about 69 years old. However, this is just the story passed down at Hachiyo-ji Temple.Since it happened over a thousand years ago, we cannot confirm with current historical materials exactly which path Kuya Shonin took, where he stayed, where he chanted the Nenbutsu, or where he died. I want to be mindful of this boundary between “historical fact” and “temple legend/tradition” this time.

The “Kuya Nenbutsu Dance” that still remains today

And this is what I saw on TV this time.

Every year on August 5th, the memorial day of Kuya Shonin, the “Kuya Nenbutsu Dance” is dedicated at Hachiyo-ji Temple.

Also known as “Kanki Odori Nenbutsu” or “Kanetataki,” the master and the monks chant the Nenbutsu while dancing to the sound of gongs and drums.

It is also designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Fukushima Prefecture.

However, there was an unexpected story here too. The current Nenbutsu dance at Hachiyo-ji is not the same one that has remained unchanged since the time of Kuya Shonin.

According to materials from Aizuwakamatsu City, the Nenbutsu dance, which had once died out during the Taisho era, was passed down from the “Kuya Koshokai” group of believers in Tokyo and Yokohama and revived in Aizu.

The Kuya Koshokai in Tokyo and Yokohama disbanded after the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, and since the dance died out there, the Nenbutsu dance at Hachiyo-ji is now a precious existence.

In other words, it is better to think of the tradition from the time of Kuya Shonin and the history of how the current Kuya Nenbutsu dance was established as separate things.

How far did Kuya Shonin walk?

Here, I become curious again.
Kuya Shonin was a monk of the 10th century, said to have been born in 903 and died in 972. He is known as a person who traveled to various places and spread the Nenbutsu.

The official explanation of Rokuharamitsu-ji Temple also notes that he traveled through various provinces from a young age.

And according to the temple records of Hachiyo-ji, after his activities in Kyoto, he traveled to Oshu again and reached Fuyukisawa in Aizu.

So, what kind of places were on the way?
“Kuya visited here.”
“He practiced here.”
“He chanted the Nenbutsu here.”
Are there any other such traditions remaining?

Even with a little research, there is a temple record that Kuya Shonin secluded himself at Gekko-ji Temple in Kyoto.

Gekko-ji Temple also preserves the “Wooden Standing Statue of Kuya Shonin,” an Important Cultural Property made in the Kamakura period.

By the way, I saw this statue on social media, but... the face is a bit scary.
It had a very different impression from the Kuya Shonin statue I actually saw at Rokuharamitsu-ji Temple.

Statues of Kuya Shonin are also found in various places

Buddhist statues depicting Kuya Shonin also remain in various places.

The standing statues of Kuya Shonin that are designated as National Important Cultural Properties are the four statues preserved at Rokuharamitsu-ji, Gekko-ji, Shogon-ji in Omihachiman City, Shiga Prefecture, and Jodo-ji in Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture.
All of them were made in the Kamakura period.

In other words, they are not portraits from the 10th century when Kuya Shonin was alive. We can see how people of later generations worshipped “Kuya Shonin” and what kind of appearance they expressed him with.

In the statue at Rokuharamitsu-ji, six Amida Nyorai appear from the mouth that chants the Nenbutsu. It is a statue that looks as if Kuya’s Nenbutsu has taken a visible form.

First, to Aizu

If I hadn't happened to see the local news from Fukushima this time, I think I would have remained unaware that there is a temple associated with Kuya Shonin in Aizuwakamatsu.

Hachiyo-ji Temple still retains:
A temple record that it was founded by Kuya Shonin
A tradition that he passed away here
A statue of Kuya Shonin
And the Kuya Nenbutsu Dance that continues to this day
For me, who saw the Kuya Shonin statue at Rokuharamitsu-ji in Kyoto, it unexpectedly connected to Aizu far away. However, I don't know what lies beyond this yet.

Where did Kuya Shonin really pass through to get to Aizu?

Where in Oshu are his footprints left?
And how did Kuya’s Nenbutsu spread to various places?
This time, it was just the entrance to that.

From the local news in Fukushima, a small pilgrimage of Kuya Shonin began.
It seems there is still room for more research.

Notes for reading carefully later to deepen learning