Matsuo Kannonji Temple 松尾観音寺
The temple of Kannon protected by dragons
In Ise, the Matsuo Kannon-ji dedicated to the goddess of mercy Kannon is the subject of several beliefs and legends that are particularly popular in Mie Prefecture. The place is protected since its creation 1300 years ago by a pair of dragons living in the ponds located at the back of the temple.
A temple founded by the great monk Gyoki
It was during his visit to the sacred sites of Ise City in Mie Prefecture in 712 that the great Buddhist monk Gyoki (668-749) founded the Matsuo Kannon-ji to the north of the two shrines of Ise. Jingu. The man who built around fifty places of worship during his lifetime chose to establish this temple dedicated to the goddess Kannon in a place with a mystical reputation already well established in Ise: the two ponds of Matsuo.
Indeed, Gyoki knew that these two ponds each housed a dragon; a male for the eastern one and a female for the western one. It is also said that the monk himself sculpted the statue of Kannon venerated in the hondo at the water's edge. Matsuo Kannon-ji was for centuries the temple of the Kitabatake clan who ruled the southern province of Ise.
It is also the third stop on the 33 sacred sites pilgrimage from Kannon to Ise; a holy route first cited in a writing by the writer and lord Takashi Ono (802-853).
Monk Gyoki
Wikimedia Commons
The Legend of Matsuo Kannon-ji: Kannon Saved from the Flames by Dragons
The statue of Kannon, still enshrined in the hondô of Matsuo Kannon-ji, is a Kannon Juichimen; a traditional representation of the goddess with eleven miniature faces arranged atop her head. The goddess of mercy would have seen her figure multiply because of her great concern for men.
One day in May 1403, a fire broke out in the main building of the temple. The fire was particularly intense, so no one was able to extinguish the flames. It was then that two black shadows darkened the sky. The dragons of the temple ponds had come out of the waters to help. While the male dragon protected the Kannon statue by swallowing the flames and enveloping it with his whole body, the female dragon sprayed water on the blazing brazier. The intervention of the ryujin was saving. Since that day, at the end of each month, a monk leaves an offering to the two dragons consisting of sake, rice, and eggs as a sign of gratitude.
- Read also: Enoshima, the island of the dragon
The dragon, guardian of Matsuo Kannon-ji
The celebration of the two creatures continues to this day. Thus in 1982, 300 azalea plants were planted and arranged to represent a dragon. It must be said that other stories, altogether less impressive and heroic than the previous one, feature the mythological creature. It is reported that the hondo has a secret passage through which the dragon can enter and exit discreetly. To do this, all he has to do is lift one of the ceiling tiles to release what is dubbed the "path of the dragon".
For good fortune, pet the dragon!
Very recently, the Matsuo Kannon-ji has acquired an additional legend attracting many curious people and making the headlines of local newspapers. Following repair work on the parquet floor of the hondo in 2006, a monk noticed the appearance of a very strange silhouette on the ground. Eyes, a nose, horns... Is it a dragon's head?
This discovery has since been accompanied by a new practice among believers and visitors. Now everyone likes to caress this dragon on the floor while pronouncing aloud "Ryu-san, please bring me luck". To ward off bad luck and protect yourself from disasters, you can also write your prayer on a temple ema. The latter, which are particularly charming, are marked with the kanji meaning "link" and take on a different color depending on their action: green acts on health, yellow for luck, red for couple relations, white for employment. and purple for any other type of wish.
Address, timetable & access
Address
Phone
0596-22-2722Timetable
From Ujiyamada station, take the Sanko bus and get off at the Matsuo Kannonji Mae stop. The temple is about a five min walk from the bus stop.Price
FreeAccess
Open every day
