Hase-dera
The Hase- dera (Japanese长 谷 寺) in the catchment area of the Japanese city of Sakurai ( Nara Prefecture) to halfway up the mountain hare is the main temple of the Buddhist Buzan direction (豊 山 派, Buzan -ha ) of the "New Shingon doctrine " (新 义 真言 宗, Shingi - Shingon Shuu ). The Hase- dera is the eighth temple of Saigoku - pilgrimage.
History
A source moderately occupied data does not exist, according to tradition, the temple in the year 686 was a monk named Dōmyō (道 明) was founded. In the 8th century was a significant expansion of facilities on the orders of Tennō Shōmu moved. As part of this expansion was, inter alia, the famous elfgesichtige Kannon statue by the monk Shonin Tokudo inaugurated. With a height of 10 m, this is the largest wooden Buddha statue in Japan.
As early as the Heian period, the temple was a popular place of pilgrimage for aristocrats and ladies of the court here made the pilgrimage from the imperial court in Heian - kyō. Therefore, the temple appears in famous works of that court literature as the pillow book, Genji Monogatari and Sarashina Nikki.
As the commander Toyotomi Hideyoshi attacked the of the "New Shingon doctrine " associated Negoro Temple ( Negoro -ji) in the province of Kii and let destroy, there were among the refugees two leading figures, which triggered further divisions in the sequence. The one Gen'yū (1529-1605) founded the Chizan branch ( Chizan -ha ), whose headquarters ( Chishaku -in) is in the Chishaku Temple in Kyoto. The second, Sen'yo (1530-1604), was awarded in 1587 by Hideyoshi's half-brother Hidenaga the Hase-dera, where he founded the branch line Buzan -ha.
In the period following the Hase-dera developed into an important center for Buddhist, but also secular studies.
Special features of the temple complex
The Hase- dera boasts many impressive sights. In contrast to the majority of the Japanese temple, the various residential and devotional buildings are spread over a mountainside. From the main gate, a covered stone staircase with 399 steps and many hanging lamps leads to the second largest main hall of Japan with the above statue of Kannon. From this hall ahead laws wooden terrace you have a good view on the resort and the valley. A temple from the National Museum Nara entrusted loan copper relief ( Doban Hokke sesso -to ) from the 7th century in 1963 declared a national treasure.
The most attractive is the Hase- dera during the heyday of the peonies in May. The remarkable floral display of more than 7,000 plants in 150 varieties owes the temple nicknamed peonies temple.