Sanjūsangen-dō
1001 Kannon statues 500 on each side of the seated figure of Senju Kannon and the only Sentai Kannon-dō (thousand-Kannon hall) left in existence.
“Sanjūsangen-dō” means hall with 33 (sanjusan) spaces between columns. The sculptures in Sanjūsangen-dō date from the Heian to Kamakura periods. It is a Buddhist temple of the Tendai sect and belongs to the Myōhō-in temple complex. It is officially known as Rengeō-in (Hall of the Lotus King).
The temple was founded by Taira no Kiyomori (1118-1181) for the cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa (1127-1192). Go-Shirakawa was a devout Buddhist, who while on retreat became overwhelmed by the presence of Kannon, the personification of Amida’s mercy.
Amidism had its start in Heian times. The monk Eshin preached that reciting “namae amida butsu” was sufficient for salvation, for the Buddha of Compassion, Amida, would lead one to rebirth in the Western Paradise or Pure Land. Kannon is a bosatsu (a Boddhisattva or living Buddha) regarded as a savior of the world and is the personification of Amida’s mercy.
Built in 1164, the Sanjūsangen-dō burnt down in 1249 and priests risked their lives to save what they could, but 876 of the original Kannon were destroyed.
The present building was completed in 1266. It was a massive project. The three groups of busshi (sculptors of Buddhist carvings), Keiha, Enpa and Inpa, were tasked with this massive project over the course of 16 years. Tankei (1173-1256), the master sculptor, was given the main job. His family, the Kei family, dominated sculpture of the age. He was 82 when he completed the sitting statue in the center, Senju Kannon.
The original temple complex had a five storied pagoda, a hall of Kannon and a Hall of the Four Heavenly Kings, but these were not replaced. The original building also had vivid colors.
Senju Kannon (1000 armed, 1000 eyed Kannon) was created in 1254 by Tankei. It is in the Yoségi style (the combination of fine oblong rods of wood chosen for their grain, texture and colour). Its eleven heads shows Kannon’s all-seeing nature, its 42 arms, 2 ordinary and 40 symbolic, shows all-giving mercy, for each arm bears an item of comfort.
Behind Senju Kannon are the figures of Fūjin, the god of wind and Raijin, the god of thunder. Raijin carries circular drums on his back and drumsticks in each hand and is depicted gazing down at the earth from heaven. He makes thunder by beating on the drums. There were 28 guardian spirits, including Raijin and Fujin. These figures represent deities from both Hinduism and Buddhism. The Kannon are so aligned so that the viewer looks westward, towards the Pure Land.
It is the longest wooden building in Japan, 387 feet in total. Its hondō (main hall), as well as the Thousand-Armed Kannon and its 28 attendants, including the statues of Fūjin and Raijin, are designated National Treasures of Japan.
The Kannon statues were sculptured in Kamakura Era. There are 10 rows of 50 on each side of the center. The statues are covered in gold leaf, filling the dimly-lit hall with a mysterious golden light.