Prince Shotoku's Beloved Dog Yukimaru and Daruma-ji Temple: 'Daruma-san ga Koronda!' Origin, Prince Shotoku and Daruma [Horyu-ji/Ikaruga Series] [Ikoma Series] [Nigihayahi Series]
Temples associated with Prince Shotoku and Daruma preserve fine Buddhist statues and fascinating stories. The true identity of Prince Shotoku's beloved dog 'Yukimaru' is Daruma, and this is the birthplace of the game 'Daruma-san ga Koronda'! Many well-known stories originated right here! Plus, it is a temple where you are allowed to take photos of the Buddhist statues!!
According to the 'Nihon Shoki', in December of the 21st year of Empress Suiko's reign (613 AD), Prince Shotoku found a starving man lying by the side of the road. He helped him by providing food, drink, and clothing, but the man passed away. Deeply saddened, the Prince built a grave for the man and buried him with great respect. However, when he checked the grave a few days later, the body of the man he had buried had vanished.
This starving man came to be considered an incarnation of the later Bodhidharma (Daruma Daishi), and thus Daruma-ji Temple was born.
Daruma-ji Temple, which began with the meeting between Prince Shotoku and Bodhidharma, still contains a late Kofun period circular burial mound called the Daruma-ji No. 3 Tumulus beneath its main hall.
This is considered the grave Prince Shotoku built for the starving man—in other words, the grave of Bodhidharma. During the Kamakura period, a hall was built over it, and statues of Prince Shotoku and Bodhidharma were enshrined inside as the principal images.
Change History
2023/04/30 First Edition
▼Website
▼Access
2-1-40 Honmachi, Oji-cho, Kitakatsuragi-gun, Nara Prefecture
▼Deities/Principal Images and Attendants
※See '▼Highlights' below
▼Highlights
First, an explanation in bullet points.
Bodhidharma was a high-ranking monk from India who introduced Zen Buddhism.
He was such a dedicated monk that stories remain of him sitting in Zazen for nine years until his limbs rotted away.
Rinzai Zen is based on the teachings of Bodhidharma and is said to involve extremely rigorous training.
The dog 'Yukimaru' associated with Daruma-ji was Prince Shotoku's beloved pet.
Yukimaru was said to understand human speech and is considered to be the reincarnation of Bodhidharma!?
The 'Mondo-ishi' (Question and Answer Stone) is where Prince Shotoku and Bodhidharma met.
This is the birthplace of 'Daruma-san ga Koronda', and national tournaments are still held here!?
A seated statue of Prince Shotoku (Important Cultural Property) and a seated statue of Bodhidharma (Important Cultural Property) are enshrined here.
→ Temple Gate
→ Hojo (Abbot's Quarters)
The left and right sides of the roof are asymmetrical. When I visited in 2022, it was a day featuring a collaboration between the temple and art.
Moving to the next room.
→ Main Hall
It is said that the seated statue of Bodhidharma (Important Cultural Property) was commissioned by the Ashikaga clan. This suggests it is a temple that was protected by those in power. No wonder it has such fine Buddhist statues.
Many Thousand-Armed Kannon statues are considered to have a thousand arms by having 42 arms with eyes on the palms, but rarely, some actually have 1,000 arms. This Thousand-Armed Kannon is said to have had 500 arms, and currently has 392. However, I feel like it has been a while since I last saw a seated Thousand-Armed Kannon statue.
Thousand-Armed Kannon statues with more than 42 arms are as follows. There are only three temples that truly have 1,000 arms.
Fujiidera Temple will be open to the public in 2023. Please check my travelogue for details.
And then there is 'Juho-ji Temple,' which is minor but famous among Buddhist statue enthusiasts.
Also, there is 'Myoraku-ji Temple' in Wakasa, Fukui.
Since it is a seated statue of Prince Shotoku as Regent (Important Cultural Property), it could be called a statue of him at age 33. It was made in 1277, and it is known that it was crafted by Inkei and Indo of the In school of Kyoto Buddhist sculptors.
Inside the main hall, there were also photos of stone pagodas and reliquaries unearthed during the reconstruction of the current main hall. They are said to have been created to commemorate Bodhidharma.
→ Around the Main Hall: Right side of the Main Hall
→ Left side of the Main Hall: Mondo-ishi (Question and Answer Stone)
The place where Prince Shotoku and Bodhidharma exchanged poems when they met.
→ Around the Main Hall:
There is a muho-to (egg-shaped pagoda) of Matsunaga Danjo.
Matsunaga Danjo
Located on the west side of the main hall of Daruma-ji Temple, a muho-to (egg-shaped pagoda) about 50 cm tall has been erected. It is said to bear an inscription reading 'Grave of Matsunaga Danjo Hisahide / October 10, Tensho 5,' but this cannot be confirmed at present. According to the 'Daruma-ji Ryakki' (Brief Record of Daruma-ji) held by the temple, when Shigi-san Castle fell and Hisahide committed suicide on October 10, Tensho 5, the Tsutsui clan buried his remains here.
→Yukimaru
This is a stone statue of 'Yukimaru,' who is passed down as Prince Shotoku's beloved dog at Daruma-ji Temple. It is made of granite and stands 65 cm tall. Its similarity to stone komainu (guardian dogs) from the Edo period is recognized, and based on an illustration in the 'Yamato Meisho Zue' (Illustrated Guide to Famous Sites in Yamato) from Kansei 3 (1791) and a description in the 'Dochu Nikki' (Travel Diary) from Bunsei 9 (1826) (held by Mr. Yoshino Hoshiko of Ikeda City), it has been determined that the Yukimaru statue existed in the late Edo period. It is said that Yukimaru could understand human speech, read sutras, and left a will asking to be buried in the northeast of the Daruma tomb upon his death, showing a deep connection to the faith in Prince Shotoku. There is also a tradition that if he barks on New Year's Day, the year will be blessed with a bountiful harvest, and his connection to the New Year's welcoming event known as 'Fukumaru-yobi' is also noteworthy. In any case, the Yukimaru statue is important as a syncretism of the faith in Prince Shotoku and folk beliefs regarding dogs.
→Other parts of the temple grounds
→Bonus
▼Bonus Video
New Year
▼Travelogue
▼Places to visit together
▼Buddhist Statue Exhibition: None
#PrinceShotoku
#Yukimaru
#DarumajiTemple
#Darumasan
#PrinceShotokuAndDaruma
#HoryujiSeries
#IkarugaSeries
#IkomaSeries
#NigihayahiSeries
#DarumasanGaKoronda
#NihonShoki
#MeetingOfPrinceShotokuAndBodhidharma
#RoundTumulus
#Nara
#OjiTown
#DarumaDaishi
#ZenBuddhism
#MondoIshi
#StatueOfPrinceShotoku
#StatueOfBodhidharma
#SenjuKannon
#InpaSchool
#Inkei
#Indo
#MatsunagaDanjo
#DarumajiRyakki
#YamatoMeishoZue
#Yanmaa
#YanmaaTravelogue
#YanmaaShrinesAndTemples
#ShrinesAndTemples
#BuddhistStatues
#Osaka
#KatanoCity
#Nara
#IkomaCity
#HeguriTown
#OjiTown
#Ikaruga
#PrinceShotoku