Shingon sect Sennyu-ji School (真言宗泉涌寺派)
Shingon sect Sennyu-ji school is one of the Shingon line Buddhist schools that belongs to the Kogi Shingon school (Old Shingon school). Sohonzan (the general head temple of a Buddhist sect) is Sennyu-ji Temple.
The founder of the sect is Shunjo (also known as Kazirin daishi.)
History
The history of the Shingon sect Sennyu-ji school began when Shunjo made Sennyu-ji a dojo (place of Buddhist practice or meditation) of Shishu or Yonshu kengaku (learning the four sects of Buddhism) i.e. Mitsu (Tendai and Shingon), Zen, Ritsu and Jo and restored the temple. After that, the sect kept its own unique manner, and was designated as an Imperial mausoleum, Koge-ji temple (general name for temples where ihai or ancestral tablets are enshrined) and relations with the Imperial House was deepened.
At the beginning of Meiji period, protection from the Imperial House was lost and the temple became weakened financially and it declined in prosperity. Furthermore, with government policies concerning religions at the time, Shishu kengaku was abolished in 1872 and came under the Shingon sect. Although, for a while being administered by To-ji Temple, Sennyu-ji Temple was first publicly called the Sennyu-ji school in 1907 at the time of unification of the old schools of Shingon sect.
Along with Government policies on religions during the Pacific War, each of the new and old schools of the Shingon sect were unified into the Daishingon sect (literally, a larger Shingon sect) in 1941. After the war, the Sennyu-ji school became independent from the Daishingon sect, and on September 30, 1952, it became certified as an ecclesiastical corporation Shingon sect Sennyu-ji school. On October 17 the same year, registration was completed.
Jikaku (status of a Buddhist temple) in random order.
The general head temple, Sennyu-ji Temple (Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto City.)
Annexed temple, Unryu-in Temple (Sennyu-ji Temple's tatchu - sub-temples on the site of the main temple).
It also doubled as Bekkaku-honzan (a special head temple.)
Daihonzan (head temple), Jodo-ji Temple (Onomichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture), Horaku-ji Temple (Higashisumiyoshi Ward, Osaka City.)
Special Head Temple, Unryu-in Temple
Jun-bekkaku-honzan (Associate Head Temple), Kaiko-ji Temple (Tatchu), Sokuseiin (Tatchu), Higashimukai Kannon-ji Temple (Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto City.)
Branch Temples
School organization
Chief abbot, doubled as the patriarch of Sennyu-ji Temple.
School assembly (5 members are elected from the branch temples, tenure is 4 years.)
Head of the office clerk
Head of the temple office (who manages each of the following departments.)
Department of general affairs
Department of religious services
Department of education and learning
Department of finance
Secretary, Deputy secretary (installed at each of the Departments of general affairs, Department of religious services, Department of education and learning, and Department of finance).
Steward
Regional parish as the school organization is not settled.
Mitera Sennyu-ji wo mamoru kai (An organization for guarding Sennyu-ji temple.)
Head office
Priesthood and sokai (rank of priests, similar to a hierarchy.)
Sokai (15 ranks in total)
1st rank Daisojo (The highest priest)
2nd rank Gon-daisojo (Deputy Daisojo)
3rd rank Chu sojo (Middle ranked sojo)
4th rank Gon-chusojo (Deputy middle ranked sojo)
5th rank Sho-sojo (Junior sojo)
6th rank Gon-sho-sojo (Deputy junior sojo)
7th rank Dai-sozu (Major prelate)
8th rank Gon dai-sozu (Deputy prelate)
9th rank Chu-sozu (Middle ranked sozu)
10th rank Gon chu-sozu (Deputy middle ranked sozu)
11th rank Sho-sozu (Junior sozu)
12th rank Gon-sho-sozu (Deputy junior sozu)
13th rank Dai-risshi (Major discipliner)
14th rank Risshi (Discipliner)
15th rank Gon-risshi (Deputy discipliner)
The graduates of Shuchiin College are entitled to Gon-sozu and a freshmen of the college are entitled to Gon-risshi.
Qualification of a chief priest: He must hold the qualifications of a teacher and have completed tokudo (entered the Buddhist priesthood), and 2 years have passed since he had received an official certification, and he must have finished shidokegyo (four types of training), and received the religious precept and Denpo Kanjo (ceremony to invest someone with Ajari (rank of master)).
Appointment to chief priest (Either application submitted by the chief abbot or by special appointment.)
Propaganda
Workshops in education and learning held every August. No directly-managed overseas temples of the school are included.
Voluntarily preaching is carried out in North America
As for propaganda in the form of literature, the magazine 'Tenshin' (Literally, the truth of the heavens) is issued.
Annual events
Enki (or Onki) hoyo (Buddhist annual memorial service of the founder of the school) takes place once every 50 years.
Educational institutions
The Shuchiin University (partnership)
Rakunan High school and Junior High school Attached to Rakunan High school (partnership)
Tsukinowami Shoryu school of Kado (a school of flower arrangement) Iemoto (the head of the school) is the Choro (eldest) at Sennyu-ji Temple.)
Sencha (a sort of green tea) tea service of the Tosenryu school (Iemoto is the Choro of the Sennyu-ji Temple.)
Senzan Goryu school of Kodo (incense ceremony) (Iemoto is the Choro of the Sennyu-ji Temple.)
Senzan Kindergarten (Academic juridical person, Sennyu-ji Gakuen.)
Facilities
Homotsu-kan (a treasure hall) (Shinsho-kan hall): Located inside the precincts of Sennyu-ji Temple.
The creed
Pursuant to the old school of the Shingon sect.