Shojoke-in Temple (清浄華院)
Shojoke-in Temple is one of the seven great head temples of Jodo Sect (the Pure Land Sect of Buddhism) located in Sakyo Ward, Kyoto City. It does not have an honorific mountain prefix. The temple was founded by Ennin during the Heian period at the order of Emperor Seiwa.
History
The origin of Shojoke-in Temple lies in the Buddha hall that Jikaku Daishi Ennin began to build in the Imperial Palace in the year 860 under the order of Emperor Seiwa.
The temple came to be devoted to the Pure Land Sect after Emperor Goshirakawa, Emperor Takakura and Emperor Gotoba studied the teachings of sect founder Honen and he was subsequently granted the temple. For this reason, Honen is considered to be the restorer of the Buddhist priesthood seminary in the Palace and also a founder of nenbutsu (a Buddhist invocation).
Layout
Goei-do Hall (main hall)
Large abbot's chamber and small abbot's chamber
Mausoleum
Ossuary
San-mon gate (mountain gate) and Chokuchi-mon gate (Emperor's gate)
There is the related 'Tsukikage-en' nursing home for the elderly.
Important Cultural Properties
Color painting on paper Naki Fudo Engi Emaki (Narrative Handscroll of the Legends of the Weeping Fudo)
Color painting on silk image of Amida (Amitabha) Sanzon
Other
Nehan (nirvana) painting of the sect founder