Saizen-in Temple (西善院)

Saizen-in Temple

Saizen-in Temple (西善院) is a Buddhist temple of the Koyasan Shingon sect, located along the sando (approach pathway) of Samukawa-jinja Shrine. Historically, the temple's priest served as the guso (供僧) — a Buddhist priest assigned to conduct rituals at a Shinto shrine — responsible for offering omiki (sacred sake) during Setsubun and the Yoka-sai, a festival held on the 8th of January, June, and November.

Samukawa-jinja Shrine had four more subordinate temples: Yakuo-ji Temple (薬王寺), which served as the betto-ji (a Buddhist temple that managed a Shinto shrine), Jinsho-ji Temple (神照寺), Nakanobo Temple (中之坊), and Sandaibo Temple (三大坊). Following the shinbutsu bunri (separation of Shinto and Buddhism) policy introduced by Japan's newly-formed Meiji government in 1868, Saizen-in Temple became independent from the shrine. The head priests of Yakuo-ji Temple and Jinsho-ji Temple became laypersons and later transitioned into Shinto priests serving at Samukawa-jinja Shrine. The honzon (principal image) and danka (parishioner families) of those temples were transferred to Saizen-in Temple. Nakanobo Temple and Sandaibo Temple, which had been without resident priests for some time, were eventually closed.

Kobo Daishi Ritsuzo

Akushu Daishi Zo

In front of the temple's main hall stand statues of Kukai (774–835), posthumously known as Kobo Daishi, the founder of Shingon Buddhism. On the left is the Kobo Daishi Ritsuzo (standing statue), and on the right is the Akushu Daishi Zo (hand-shaking statue). There are also two seated statues of Kobo Daishi from the former Yakuo-ji and Jinsho-ji Temples, which were the 62nd and 73rd temples of the Sagami-no-kuni Jun-Shikoku 88 Temples (相模国準四国八十八箇所) — a replica pilgrimage of the Shikoku Pilgrimage (四国八十八箇所) consisting of 88 temples located in Fujisawa, Chigasaki, Samukawa, and Izumi-ku of Yokohama.

Next to the two seated statues of Kobo Daishi are the Roku Jizo — six statues of Jizo Bosatsu (Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva), each representing one of the six realms of Buddhist cosmology.

Roku Jizo and the two seated statues of Kobo Daishi

Reference:

• samgid. (2019, June 17). 西善院の相模国準四国八十八ケ所62番、73番弘法大師座像. Samukawa-machi Guide (高座郡寒川町) (2). https://samukawaguide.blogspot.com/2019/06/6273.html
• Samukawa Town Tourist Association. (n.d.). 西善院（さいぜんいん）. さむかわの観光. https://www.samukawa-kankou.jp/?p=we-page-entry&spot=140680&cat=23196&pageno=3