Ishiyama-dera Temple

Overview

Ishiyama-dera (石山寺, いしやまでら) is a Buddhist temple in the Ishiyamadera neighbourhood of Ōtsu, Shiga Prefecture, Japan. It was founded in 747, the nineteenth year of the Tenpyō (天平) era, which places its origin in the Nara period (710–794). The temple belongs to the Shingon-shū Tōji-ha (真言宗東寺派), the Tōji branch of Shingon Buddhism, and its full name is Ishiko-san Ishiyama-dera (石光山 石山寺).

The temple's central object of worship is a hibutsu (秘仏) image of Nyōirin Kannon (如意輪観音). A hibutsu is a Buddhist image kept permanently hidden from public view; the Nyōirin Kannon at Ishiyama-dera is one of the most famous hidden images in Japan. The temple is the thirteenth stop on the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage (西国三十三所), a circuit of thirty-three temples across western and central Japan dedicated to Kannon, the bodhisattva of compassion.

Ishiyama-dera also belongs to several other pilgrimage networks: the Kōsei Saigoku Sanjūsankasho (近江西国三十三箇所), the Lake Biwa 108 Pilgrimage Sites, and the Shinbutsu Reijō Junpai no Michi (神仏霊場巡拝の道), a route linking Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples.

History

The temple was founded in 747, during the reign of Emperor Shōmu (聖武天皇). According to tradition, the monk Rōben (良弁) — the founder of Tōdai-ji in Nara — was the founding figure. The temple was established on the orders of Emperor Shōmu, who commissioned it as a place of worship dedicated to Kannon.

The site was chosen for its natural feature: a large outcropping of wollastonite rock, a rare mineral. The temple takes its name from this rock, which is known as the Ishiyama-dera wollastonite rock. The rock is one of the temple's designated parts, alongside the Tahōtō (多宝塔) and the Main Hall (本堂).

Ishiyama-dera became an important centre of Buddhist practice in the Nara and Heian periods. It is closely associated with the development of Shingon Buddhism in Japan, and its location near Lake Biwa made it a significant religious site on the routes connecting the capital at Nara and later Kyoto with the provinces to the east.

The temple is also the owner of the Ishiyamadera engi emaki (石山寺縁起絵巻), an illustrated handscroll that recounts the temple's legendary origins and history. Engi emaki (縁起絵巻) are picture scrolls that narrate the founding legends and miraculous events associated with temples and shrines; the Ishiyama-dera version is a notable example of the genre.

What Stands There Today

The temple complex is built on and around the wollastonite rock formation that gives the site its name. The Main Hall (本堂, hondō) is the principal building, housing the hidden Nyōirin Kannon image. The hall is constructed on the rock itself, with the natural stone incorporated into its foundation and structure.

The Tahōtō (多宝塔) is a two-storeyed pagoda, a style associated with esoteric Buddhism. Tahōtō (多宝塔) means "pagoda of Many Treasures", referring to the Buddha Tahō (Prabhūtaratna) who appears in the Lotus Sutra. The Ishiyama-dera Tahōtō is one of the temple's most important structures.

The Ishiyama-dera wollastonite rock is itself a designated part of the temple. Wollastonite is a calcium silicate mineral, and the outcrop at Ishiyama-dera is a rare natural example. The rock is both a geological feature and a religious object, venerated as the sacred ground on which the temple was founded.

The temple grounds also include other halls, a bell tower, and a garden. The site overlooks Lake Biwa, and the view from the temple is one of its attractions.

The Name in Japanese

The Japanese name of the temple is 石山寺. Its reading in kana is いしやまでら, and its romaji is Ishiyama-dera.

Breaking the name down character by character:

• 石 — read here as ishi. This kanji means "stone" or "rock". It refers to the large wollastonite rock on which the temple is built.
• 山 — read here as yama. This kanji means "mountain". In compounds, it often refers to a hill or elevated ground rather than a high mountain. Together, 石山 (ishiyama) means "stone mountain" or "rocky hill".
• 寺 — read here as dera. This kanji means "temple". It is one of the standard kanji for Buddhist temples in Japanese place names and temple names. When it appears alone, it is read tera; in compounds, it often voices to dera.

So the full name 石山寺 means "Stone Mountain Temple" or "Temple of the Rocky Hill". The name is a direct reference to the wollastonite rock outcrop on which the temple stands.

The temple's full formal name is 石光山 石山寺 (Ishiko-san Ishiyama-dera). Here 石光山 is the sangō (山号), the "mountain name" that many Buddhist temples carry. 石光山 is read Ishiko-san; 光 means "light" or "radiance", so the full name can be understood as "Stone-Light Mountain, Stone Mountain Temple".

Visiting and Context

Ishiyama-dera is located in the Ishiyamadera neighbourhood of Ōtsu, Shiga Prefecture, at coordinates 34.9604194, 135.9056250. Ōtsu is the capital of Shiga Prefecture and sits on the southern shore of Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake. The temple is a short distance from the lake and is accessible from Kyoto and central Ōtsu.

As the thirteenth stop on the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage, Ishiyama-dera is visited by pilgrims following the thirty-three-temple circuit. The pilgrimage route is one of Japan's oldest and most famous, and Ishiyama-dera is one of its major sites. The temple is also part of the Kōsei Saigoku Sanjūsankasho, the Lake Biwa 108 Pilgrimage Sites, and the Shinbutsu Reijō Junpai no Michi.

The temple is particularly associated with the Heian-period court and with the development of Japanese literature. It is traditionally linked to Murasaki Shikibu (紫式部), the author of The Tale of Genji, who is said to have visited Ishiyama-dera and been inspired to write part of the work while gazing at the moon over Lake Biwa. The temple maintains a room known as the Genji no Ma (源氏の間), where this tradition is commemorated.

The hidden Nyōirin Kannon image is shown to the public only on rare occasions, in accordance with the hibutsu tradition. The temple grounds, the Main Hall, the Tahōtō, and the wollastonite rock are the principal features of a visit. The site is especially popular in autumn for its maple leaves and in spring for its cherry blossoms.