Kawagoe city.

I took a walk at Kawagoe city. I visited two famous temples and prayed and offered incense sticks. This time I enter a building where Tokugawa Iemitsu (a Shogun) was born. The building was moved from Edo castle. I saw rooms where Shogun spent his daily life.



Kawagoe was a capital of Kawagoe clan in Edo era. There is a castle-keep -hall in the site of Kawagoe castle. Temples I visited are famous temples. Kitain and Nakain, both temples belong to Tendai sect. A famous monk in authority lived Kitain. His name is 天海上人(Tenkai shounin). He was an adviser of Tokugawa shogunate. 日蓮(Nichiren) who is the founder of Nichiren sect became a monk at Nakain.



Principal image of both temples are Amita-buddha (Amidabutsu in Japanese). Amita buddha has many names. Amita is sanskrit name. In Japan Amita is called as 阿弥陀仏(Amida-butsu), 無量寿仏(Muryoujyu-butsu), 尽十方無碍光如来(JIn-jippou-mugekou-nyorai).



Amita is, that is, lights and the all of this world. Amita doesn't has life span because Amita is infinite. (Although I don't mention about detail, some one say the idea of "Amita" was affected by Zoroastrianism. )



Amita was a monk named 法蔵菩薩(Houzou bosatsu). It is said that Houzou performed the ascetic practices and became Amita Buddha. Amita is a kind of master of pure land. The light is mercy itself. Like sun light, it illuminate every one with impartiality. If you have a chance to see a statue of Amita, please look at the lights and you will find something you can't find without the information.



無量寿仏(Muryoujyu-butsu) means "No life span Buddha". 尽十方無碍光如来(JIn-jippou-mugekou-nyorai) means "Buddha illuminating every thing.".



In Buddhist literatures, often Buddha's body become brilliant. The light is a symbol of wisdom. Buddhist wisdom contains mercy. wisdom and mercy are all-in-one. There is no wisdom without mercy in Buddhism.



The mantra is "南無阿弥陀仏, Namu-Amidabutsu". Namu means Depend on or become a believer. Although my dictionary explained "Become a believer", but I think "depend on" is closer to original meaning in sanskrit. "Namu" is "Nāma" of "Nāmaste" in India. If you interesting in Buddhism, if you want, I recommend you to try to pray and say the mantra with you imaging the light and mercy in front of a statue of Amita even if you don't want to become buddhist. I think people don't pray don't understand what buddhism is and the statue's value. Even if you believe in other God, Buddha never get angry. There is no problem in Buddhist side.



I sometimes visit Kawagoe and those temples. It takes 15 minuts from Tokorozawa staion.

Kawagoe is called "Ko-Edo", Ko means small, Edo is Tokyo's former name. You can see the information on

http://www.koedo.or.jp/1_english/index.html



I took the photo at Nakain in Kawagoe city. The statue is a Bosatsu(bodhisattva). Bodhisattva-s are disciplinants. Many of bodhisattvas stay in this world as a bodhisattva to help people.