Showing posts with label ichibata yakushi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ichibata yakushi. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Ichibata Yakushi revisited

ichi2741

I paid another visit to Ichibata Yakushi, the mountaintop temple to the buddha of healing Yakushi Nyorai, located between Lake Shinji and the Japan Sea up in Izumo.

ichi2742

There are more than 8,000 of these little statues left by pilgrims who come here from all over Japan, mostly to pray for relief from eye problems.

ichi2740

The bronze statues are 24 cms high and depict a Kenzoku, a guardian of Yakushi Nyorai.

ichi726

Each one costs 30,000 yen ( approx $300). Inside each one is a small piece of paper upon which is written the prayer of the pilgrim.

ichi727

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Myriad Yakushi

ichibata3740

Yakushi Nyorai is the Japanese name for the Buddha of Medicine & Healing.

ichibata3714

These statues, about 25cms tall, are at the Ichibata Yakushi Temple between lake Shinji and the Japan Sea coast up in Izumo.

ichibata3717

Ichibata Yakushi is primarily known as a temple to pray at for eye problems.

ichibata3720

Originally of the Tendai sect, it is known as a Rinzai temple, but actually it is the head of its own "religious corporation", with 31 temples nationwide.

ichibata3715

Not sure exactly how many little statues there are, but it runs into the many thousands.