Daiji-ji (Kumamoto)

Daiji-ji
大慈寺
Religion
AffiliationSōtō
Location
Location1-7-1, Noda, Minami-ku, Kumamoto
Kumamoto Prefecture 861-4114
CountryJapan
Geographic coordinates32°43′59.8″N 130°41′21.6″E / 32.733278°N 130.689333°E / 32.733278; 130.689333
Architecture
FounderKangan Giin
Completed1278

Daiji-ji (大慈寺), also known as Daijizen-ji (大慈禅寺), is a Sōtō Zen Buddhist temple in Minami-ku, Kumamoto, Japan. Its honorary sangō prefix is Dairyōzan (大梁山).

History

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The temple was founded in 1278 by Kangan Giin with support of Kawashiri Yasuaki (川尻泰明), the local chief.[1][2] Kangan Giin, a disciple of Dōgen and the founder of the Higo school of Sōtō Zen Buddhism. It has long been known as the leading Sōtō Zen temple in Kyushu.[3] The local scenery resembles that of Dàbēi shān (大慈山) in Mingzhou now Ningbo, China, where Giin practiced Zen Buddhism discipline.[3]

This temple has since been destroyed twice in the fire caused by war, and nothing of Giin's remains remain there. The current buildings are the Edo-period Hondō dating to 1779.[3]

Important Cultural Properties

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The bronze bell, a 169 centimeter tall inside the main gate was built in 1269.[3]

References

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  1. ^ 大慈寺[曹洞宗][熊本県熊本市南区野田1丁目7-1]-お寺めぐりの友 [Daiji-ji] (in Japanese). www.hakataboy.com. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
  2. ^ 【熊本市】大慈禅寺(だいじぜんじ):肥後国 くまもとの歴史 [The history of Daijizen-ji] (in Japanese). otemo-yan.net. Archived from the original on September 7, 2019. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d "Vol.12 Temple Daijiji". sotozen-net.or.jp.
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