Kansai Kannon Pilgrimage
The Saigoku - pilgrimage (Japanese西 国 三十 三 所saigoku sanjūsansho; German transmission: "pilgrimage along the 33 ( Kannon consecrated holy ) places in the Western Land " ) is an important Buddhist pilgrimage ( Junrei ) in the Kansai region of Japan, the "Western lands ". He is next to the Shikoku pilgrimage is the oldest and most popular pilgrimage in Japan and about 1300 km long. The unifying element of the numbered temple are statues of Kannon, Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara a female incarnation of which are revered as Hauptbildnisse in the temples.
History
According to tradition, the pilgrim goes back to the monk Tokudo Shonin. However, this is historically untenable, as many temples were founded after the death of the monk. The link with the Emperor Kazan as the founder of the pilgrimage is not historically verifiable.
The first historical evidence of a pilgrimage along the 33 temple dates from the 12th century by the monk Kakuchu. He finds himself in the collection of poems Senzai - Wakashū ( 1187 ). Temples like the Hase-dera, the Ishiyama -dera and the Kiyomizu-dera, however, were previously popular destinations of pilgrim travelers.
Until the 16th century, mainly traveled nobles, nuns and monks along the Saigoku James. This changed with the Edo period, when the pilgrimage was very popular among the general population. This grown religious and tourist interest has been possible because of the general pacification of Japan and the improved transport links.
Expiration
The primary objective of the pilgrimage is prayer before the main statue of Kannon. Many pilgrims sing it also provided for each temple temple song ( go- eika ). However, one prays in front of a most representative figure, as are the majority of revered temples portraits of so-called hidden Buddha ( hibutsu ). In addition to the prayer in the main temple, the confirmation of the visit to the temple office is an essential activity. The temple temple and calligraphy are collected in a book or on a screen role.
Often attractions in the vicinity of the temple are visited. While previously the pilgrimage was mostly mastered walking, walkers are now in the minority. So shows a modern, but not representative survey that 51 % of all pilgrims are traveling with your own car, while 40 % travel by bus or train. Only a small minority moves or travels by bicycle
The 33 temples
In addition, there are three other temples, which are not regarded as official stations, but are visited by many pilgrims with. Together with the 33 temples of Bandō - pilgrimage in the Kantō region, and the 34 temples of the Chichibu Sanjūyon forms of Saigoku - pilgrim 100 stations comprehensive range of dedicated Kannon temples in Japan.