Mii-dera - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

, formally called , is a Buddhist temple located at the foot of Mount Hiei

Mount Hiei

is a mountain to the northeast of Kyoto, lying on the border between the Kyoto and Shiga prefectures, Japan.The temple of Enryaku-ji, the first outpost of the Japanese Tiantai sect of Buddhism, was founded atop Mount Hiei by Saichō in 788. Both Nichiren and Honen studied at the temple before...

, in the city of Ōtsu

Otsu, Shiga

is the capital city of Shiga, Japan. The city was founded on October 1, 1898. As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 338,629 with an average age of 40.7 years and a population density of 905.28 persons per km²...

, in Shiga Prefecture

Shiga Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan, which forms part of the Kansai region on Honshu Island. The capital is the city of Ōtsu.- History :Shiga was known as Ōmi Province or Gōshū before the prefectural system was established...

. It is only a short distance from both Kyoto

Kyoto

is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...

, and Lake Biwa

Lake Biwa

is the largest freshwater lake in Japan, located in Shiga Prefecture , northeast of the former capital city of Kyoto. Because of its proximity to the ancient capital, references to Lake Biwa appear frequently in Japanese literature, particularly in poetry and in historical accounts of battles.-...

, Japan's

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

largest lake. The head temple of the Tendai

Tendai

is a Japanese school of Mahayana Buddhism, a descendant of the Chinese Tiantai or Lotus Sutra school.Chappell frames the relevance of Tendai for a universal Buddhism:- History :...

Jimon

Jimon and Sammon

' and ', also known as the Enchin and Ennin factions respectively, were rival branches of Tendai Buddhism created in the 9th century and based on Mount Hiei just outside Kyoto....

sect, it is something of a sister temple to Enryakuji, at the top of the mountain, and is one of the four largest temples in Japan

Japan

. Altogether, there are 40 named buildings in the Mii-dera temple complex.

Mii-Dera is temple number 14 in the Kansai Kannon Pilgrimage

Kansai Kannon Pilgrimage

The is a pilgrimage of thirty-three Buddhist temples throughout the Kansai region of Japan, similar to the Shikoku Pilgrimage. In addition to the official thirty-three temples, there are an additional three known as...

Founding, and feuds

Onjō-ji was founded in the early Heian period

Heian period

The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...

. The temple was founded in 672 following a dispute over Imperial succession

Chrysanthemum Throne

The is the English term used to identify the throne of the Emperor of Japan. The term can refer to very specific seating, such as the takamikura throne in the Shishin-den at Kyoto Imperial Palace....

. Emperor Tenji

Emperor Tenji

, also known as Emperor Tenchi, was the 38th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Tenji's reign spanned the years from 661 through 671.-Traditional narrative:...

had died, and his son was killed by Tenchi's brother, who was then enthroned as Emperor Temmu

Emperor Temmu

was the 40th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Temmu's reign lasted from 672 until his death in 686.-Traditional narrative:...

. Temmu founded Onjō-ji in honor and memory of his brother.

The name "Mii-dera," literally 'Temple of Three Wells,' came about nearly two centuries later. It was given this name by Enchin

Enchin

' was a Japanese Buddhist monk the founder of the Jimon School of Tendai Buddhism, and Chief Abbot of Miidera at the foot of Mount Hiei...

, one of the earliest abbots of the Tendai

Tendai

is a Japanese school of Mahayana Buddhism, a descendant of the Chinese Tiantai or Lotus Sutra school.Chappell frames the relevance of Tendai for a universal Buddhism:- History :...

Sect. The name comes from the springs at the temple which were used for the ritual bathing of newborns, and in honor of Emperors

Emperor of Japan

The Emperor of Japan is, according to the 1947 Constitution of Japan, "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people." He is a ceremonial figurehead under a form of constitutional monarchy and is head of the Japanese Imperial Family with functions as head of state. He is also the highest...

Emperor Tenji and Emperor Temmu, and Empress Jitō

Empress Jito

was the 41st emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Jitō's reign spanned the years from 686 through 697.In the history of Japan, Jitō was the third of eight women to take on the role of empress regnant. The two female monarchs before Jitō were Suiko and Kōgyoku/Saimei...

, who contributed to the founding of the temple. Today, the Kondo

Kondo

Kondō is a Japanese surname, and is sometimes used in other contexts.People named Kondo:* Koji Kondo, musician, composer* Dorinne K...

, or Main Hall, houses a spring of sacred water. Under Enchin's

Enchin

' was a Japanese Buddhist monk the founder of the Jimon School of Tendai Buddhism, and Chief Abbot of Miidera at the foot of Mount Hiei...

guidance, from 859 to his death in 891, Mii-dera gained power and importance, eventually becoming (along with Tōdai-ji

Todai-ji

, is a Buddhist temple complex located in the city of Nara, Japan. Its Great Buddha Hall , the largest wooden building in the world, houses the world's largest bronze statue of the Buddha Vairocana, known in Japanese simply as Daibutsu . The temple also serves as the Japanese headquarters of the ...

, Kōfuku-ji

Kofuku-ji

is a Buddhist temple in the city of Nara, Nara Prefecture, Japan. The temple is the national headquarters of the Hossō school and is one of the eight Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.-History:...

, and Enryaku-ji

Enryaku-ji

thumb|300px|Konpon Chū-dō , Enryaku-ji's main hall is a Tendai monastery located on Mount Hiei in Ōtsu, overlooking Kyoto. It was founded during the early Heian period. The temple complex was established by Saichō , also known as Dengyō Daishi, who introduced the Tendai sect of Mahayana Buddhism...

) one of the four chief temples charged with the spiritual guidance and protection of the capital. It was during this time also that Enryaku-ji

Enryaku-ji

& Mii-dera split away from one another, developing two branches of the Tendai

Tendai

is a Japanese school of Mahayana Buddhism, a descendant of the Chinese Tiantai or Lotus Sutra school.Chappell frames the relevance of Tendai for a universal Buddhism:- History :...

sect, called Jimon and Sammon

Jimon and Sammon

' and ', also known as the Enchin and Ennin factions respectively, were rival branches of Tendai Buddhism created in the 9th century and based on Mount Hiei just outside Kyoto....

. For the most part, this was more a geographic rivalry than an ideological schism, but it was an intense one nonetheless, and only grew more severe after Enchin's

Enchin

' was a Japanese Buddhist monk the founder of the Jimon School of Tendai Buddhism, and Chief Abbot of Miidera at the foot of Mount Hiei...

death.

The rivalry turned violent in the second half of the 10th century, over a series of official appointments to other temples, and similar slights. The zasu

Zasu

Zasu may refer to:*Zasu, Master of the seat, head of the temple in Sōkan, the Japanese system of rankings for Buddhist clergy*Zasu...

of Enryaku-ji

Enryaku-ji

in 970 formed the first permanent standing army to be recruited by a religious body. Mii-dera can be assumed to have established one very soon afterwards. In 989, a former abbot of Mii-dera by the name of Yokei was to become abbot of Enryaku-ji

Enryaku-ji

; but none of the monks of Enryaku-ji

Enryaku-ji

would perform services under his direction. He soon resigned. But in 993, the monks of Mii-dera took revenge, destroying a temple where Ennin

Ennin

Ennin , who is better known in Japan by his posthumous name, Jikaku Daishi , was a priest of the Tendai school.- Birth and origin :...

, founder of Enryaku-ji's

Enryaku-ji

Sammon

Jimon and Sammon

' and ', also known as the Enchin and Ennin factions respectively, were rival branches of Tendai Buddhism created in the 9th century and based on Mount Hiei just outside Kyoto....

sect, had once lived. The monks from Enryaku-ji

Enryaku-ji

retaliated, destroying more than 40 places associated with Enchin

Enchin

' was a Japanese Buddhist monk the founder of the Jimon School of Tendai Buddhism, and Chief Abbot of Miidera at the foot of Mount Hiei...

. In the end, over 1,000 monks of Enchin's

Enchin

' was a Japanese Buddhist monk the founder of the Jimon School of Tendai Buddhism, and Chief Abbot of Miidera at the foot of Mount Hiei...

Jimon

Jimon and Sammon

' and ', also known as the Enchin and Ennin factions respectively, were rival branches of Tendai Buddhism created in the 9th century and based on Mount Hiei just outside Kyoto....

sect fled permanently to Mii-dera, cementing the split between the two Sects. Over the course of the 10th, 11th and 12th centuries, there continued to be similar incidents, over the appointment of abbots (zasu
Zasu
Zasu may refer to:*Zasu, Master of the seat, head of the temple in Sōkan, the Japanese system of rankings for Buddhist clergy*Zasu...

), involving many sōhei
Sohei
were Buddhist warrior monks of feudal Japan. At certain points of history they held considerable power, obliging the imperial and military governments to collaborate....

, or warrior monks. Mii-dera was burned to the ground by the sōhei
Sohei
were Buddhist warrior monks of feudal Japan. At certain points of history they held considerable power, obliging the imperial and military governments to collaborate....

of Enryaku-ji

Enryaku-ji

four times in the 11th century alone. There were, however, times that the two united against a common enemy, including an attack on the Kōfuku-ji

Kofuku-ji

in Nara

Nara, Nara

is the capital city of Nara Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. The city occupies the northern part of Nara Prefecture, directly bordering Kyoto Prefecture...

in 1081 (avenging the burning of the Mii-dera by Kōfuku-ji

Kofuku-ji

monks that same year), and a united attack on Nara

Nara, Nara

is the capital city of Nara Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. The city occupies the northern part of Nara Prefecture, directly bordering Kyoto Prefecture...

once more in 1117.

The Genpei Wars

At the end of the 12th century, the attentions of the monks of Mount Hiei

Mount Hiei

were turned towards a greater conflict: the Genpei War

Genpei War

The was a conflict between the Taira and Minamoto clans during the late-Heian period of Japan. It resulted in the fall of the Taira clan and the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate under Minamoto Yoritomo in 1192....

. The Taira and Minamoto families supported different claimants to the Chrysanthemum Throne

Chrysanthemum Throne

The is the English term used to identify the throne of the Emperor of Japan. The term can refer to very specific seating, such as the takamikura throne in the Shishin-den at Kyoto Imperial Palace....

, and in June of 1180, the Minamoto brought their claimant, Prince Mochihito

Prince Mochihito

' , also known as the Takakura Prince, and as Minamoto Mochimitsu, was a son of Emperor Go-Shirakawa. He is noted for his role in starting the Genpei War....

, to the Mii-dera, fleeing from Taira samurai

Samurai

is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...

. Mii-dera asked for aid from Enryaku-ji

Enryaku-ji

, but was denied. The monks of the Mii-dera joined the Minamoto army, and fled to the Byōdō-in

Byodo-in

is a Buddhist temple in the city of Uji in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. It is jointly a temple of the Jōdo-shū and Tendai-shū sects.- History :...

, a Fujiwara clan villa, which had been converted to a monastery by Mii-dera monks. (see Battle of Uji (1180)

Battle of Uji (1180)

The first battle of Uji is famous and important for having opened the Genpei War.In early 1180, Prince Mochihito, the Minamoto Clan's favored claimant to the Imperial Throne, was chased by Taira forces to the Mii-dera, a temple just outside Kyoto....

.) Angered at the Mii-dera/Minamoto alliance, Taira no Kiyomori

Taira no Kiyomori

was a general of the late Heian period of Japan. He established the first samurai-dominated administrative government in the history of Japan.After the death of his father Taira no Tadamori in 1153, Kiyomori assumed control of the Taira clan and ambitiously entered the political realm in which he...

ordered the destruction of Mii-dera, and of many of the temples of Nara

Nara, Nara

is the capital city of Nara Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. The city occupies the northern part of Nara Prefecture, directly bordering Kyoto Prefecture...

. (see Siege of Nara

Siege of Nara

Following the 1180 Battle of the Uji, in which Minamoto no Yorimasa fought a small Taira army with the help of monks from the Mii-dera and other temples, the victorious Taira, angry at being opposed, decided to assault and burn the Miidera, before moving on to Nara. The Taira were opposed by...

.)
The monks of Mii-dera figured once more in the Genpei War

Genpei War

, fighting alongside Taira sympathisers against Minamoto no Yoshinaka

Minamoto no Yoshinaka

was a general of the late Heian Period of Japanese history. A member of the Minamoto samurai clan, Minamoto no Yoritomo was his cousin and rival during the Genpei War between the Minamoto and the Taira clans....

, who invaded Kyoto

Kyoto

in 1184, setting fire to the Hōjūjidono Palace

Siege of Hojujidono

The 1184 siege of the Hōjūjidono was part of Japan's Genpei War, and was a key element of the conflict between Minamoto no Yoshinaka and his cousins Yoritomo and Yoshitsune for control of the Minamoto clan....

and kidnapping the Emperor Go-Shirakawa

Emperor Go-Shirakawa

Emperor Go-Shirakawa was the 77th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession...

.

Following the Genpei War

Genpei War

, there was a long period of relative peace, as the temples of Kyoto

Kyoto

and Nara

Nara, Nara

is the capital city of Nara Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. The city occupies the northern part of Nara Prefecture, directly bordering Kyoto Prefecture...

, including the Mii-dera, were rebuilt. As the temples regained strength, rivalries reappeared, though little to no violence actually erupted between Mii-dera and Enryaku-ji

Enryaku-ji

. In 1367, when a novice from Mii-dera was killed at a toll barrier established by the temple of Nanzenji, warrior monks from Mii-dera set out to attack Nanzen-ji

Nanzen-ji

, or Zuiryusan Nanzen-ji, formerly , is a Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan. Emperor Kameyama established it in 1291 on the site of his previous detached palace. It is also the headquarters of the Nanzen-ji branch of Rinzai Zen...

; when the Shogun's

Shogun

A was one of the hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867. In this period, the shoguns, or their shikken regents , were the de facto rulers of Japan though they were nominally appointed by the emperor...

forces were sent to quell the rebellion, they discovered Mii-dera's monks to be supported by sōhei
Sohei
were Buddhist warrior monks of feudal Japan. At certain points of history they held considerable power, obliging the imperial and military governments to collaborate....

from Enryaku-ji

Enryaku-ji

and Kōfuku-ji

Kofuku-ji

as well. A year later, another battle erupted, over comments made by the abbot of Nanzen-ji

Nanzen-ji

; the monks of Mii-dera, along with their allies, defeated the Shogun's

Shogun

forces once again.

Sengoku period and beyond

In the late 16th century, Mii-dera, along with many of the other nearby temples, sought alliances, for military (defensive) strength, as well as military power. The territories of the Asai and Asakura families were closest to Mount Hiei

Mount Hiei

, but these families, as well as others the temples had allied with, were rivals of Oda Nobunaga

Oda Nobunaga

was the initiator of the unification of Japan under the shogunate in the late 16th century, which ruled Japan until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was also a major daimyo during the Sengoku period of Japanese history. His opus was continued, completed and finalized by his successors Toyotomi...

. These two families suffered heavy defeats at the hands of Nobunaga

Oda Nobunaga

and his chief general Hideyoshi Toyotomi

Toyotomi Hideyoshi

was a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...

, so in 1571 they sought a stronger alliance with the temples. That same year, Nobunaga

Oda Nobunaga

set to destroying everything on Mount Hiei

Mount Hiei

, starting with the town of Sakamoto at the foot of the mountain, and setting his sights on Enryaku-ji

Enryaku-ji

at the summit. Much of Mii-dera was destroyed, as the warrior monks failed against Nobunaga's

Oda Nobunaga

large and highly trained samurai army.

Following these attacks, the monks of Mount Hiei

Mount Hiei

were finally granted a reprieve, and rebuilt their temples once more. Mii-dera has never been attacked or destroyed since then.

Halls & treasures

Within the Kondo

Kondo

Kondō is a Japanese surname, and is sometimes used in other contexts.People named Kondo:* Koji Kondo, musician, composer* Dorinne K...

and Hondo

Hondo

-Places:*Rio Hondo, the name of several locations*Hondo, Texas, a city in the United States*Hondo, New Mexico*Hondo, Kumamoto, a city in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan: old name for the main Japanese island of Honshū-Fiction:...

(the Main Hall and Buddha Hall) of Mii-dera, there are at least six statues of the Buddha

Gautama Buddha

Siddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian...

, sacred personal possessions of various Emperors

Emperor of Japan

, including Emperor Tenji, which are hidden away and shown only on rare, special occasions, as well as one large statue of the Miroku

Maitreya

Maitreya , Metteyya , or Jampa , is foretold as a future Buddha of this world in Buddhist eschatology. In some Buddhist literature, such as the Amitabha Sutra and the Lotus Sutra, he or she is referred to as Ajita Bodhisattva.Maitreya is a bodhisattva who in the Buddhist tradition is to appear on...

, or Maitreya, Buddha in the center of the Hall. The Kondo was built in 1599, and is a replacement for the original, built in 672 and destroyed by the Taiko

Sessho and Kampaku

In Japan, was a title given to a regent who was named to assist either a child emperor before his coming of age, or an empress. The was theoretically a sort of chief advisor for the emperor, but was the title of both first secretary and regent who assists an adult emperor. During the Heian era,...

Hideyoshi Toyotomi.
Mii-dera also has a Kannon-do, built in 1072, a hall dedicated to Kannon, Bodhisattva

Bodhisattva

In Buddhism, a bodhisattva is either an enlightened existence or an enlightenment-being or, given the variant Sanskrit spelling satva rather than sattva, "heroic-minded one for enlightenment ." The Pali term has sometimes been translated as "wisdom-being," although in modern publications, and...

of Compassion. Mii-dera is the fourteenth temple in a Pilgrimage of 33 Temples devoted to Kannon in the Kansai

Kansai

The or the lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshū. The region includes the prefectures of Mie, Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyōgo, and Shiga. Depending on who makes the distinction, Fukui, Tokushima and even Tottori Prefecture are also included...

area.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

Founding, and feuds

The Genpei Wars

Sengoku period and beyond

Halls & treasures

See also

External links