Konpuku-ji explained

Konpuku-ji
Location:20 Saikatachi-chō, Ichijōji, Sakyō-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture
Religious Affiliation:Zen, Rinzai sect, Nanzen-ji school
Deity:Kannon
Founded By:An'e
Year Completed:864

is a Zen Buddhist temple in Sakyō-ku, Kyoto, Japan.

History

In 864, as Ennin's dying wish, the Buddhist priest An'e built this temple and installed a statue of Kannon that had been made by Ennin himself.[1] At first the temple was part of the Tendai sect, but eventually the temple fell into ruin. During the Genroku era (1688-1704), the temple was restored by Tesshu from the nearby Enkō-ji, and acted as a branch of that temple. It was also converted to the Rinzai sect.

When Matsuo Bashō traveled to Kyoto to visit his friend Tesshu, he stayed in a thatched hut in the back of the garden, and after some time, the hut was named Bashō-an. However, it fell into ruin, and in 1776 Yosa Buson restored it.[2] The thatched roof hut stands on the east side of the garden, and inside is a tea room.

Buson's grave is also located at the temple.[3]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Konpuku-ji. 11 February 2011.
  2. Book: Crowley, Cheryl A.. Haikai poet Yosa Buson and the Bashō revival. 2001. 90-04-15709-3.
  3. Book: Kerkham, Eleanor. Matsuo Bashō's poetic spaces: exploring haikai intersections. 2006. Macmillan. 1-4039-7258-3.