Hōdō (法道) or Hōdō

Sennin ''Xian'' () refers to a person or similar entity having a long life or being immortal. The concept of ''xian'' has different implications dependent upon the specific context: philosophical, religious, mythological, or other symbolic or cultural ...

(法道仙人) was an Indian hermit and sage. According to legend, from the 6th to 7th centuries CE, Hōdō traveled from India peninsula through Tang China and the

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n kingdom of

Baekje Baekje or Paekche (, ) was a Korean kingdom located in southwestern Korea from 18 BC to 660 AD. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla. Baekje was founded by Onjo, the third son of Goguryeo's founder Jum ...

and eventually arrived in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. He is recognized as the founder of temples in the mountains of

Harima Province or Banshū (播州) was a province of Japan in the part of Honshū that is the southwestern part of present-day Hyōgo Prefecture. Harima bordered on Tajima, Tanba, Settsu, Bizen, and Mimasaka Provinces. Its capital was Himeji. During the ...

and is associated with several ''chokugan-ji'' (勅願寺), Buddhist temples built at the request of the reigning emperor. Tradition holds that when Hōdō came to Japan, he was accompanied by the deity

Gozu Tennō Gozu Tennō (牛頭天王, lit. "Ox-Headed Heavenly King") is a Shinbutsu shūgō, syncretic Japanese deity of disease and List of health deities, healing. Originally imported to Japan from mainland Asia, he was regarded since the Heian period b ...

(牛頭天王;

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: ''Gośīrṣa devarāja''), who was later enshrined at Hiromine Shrine and

Yasaka Shrine Kanpei-taisha , once called , is a Shinto shrine in the Gion District of Kyoto, Japan. Situated at the east end of Shijō-dōri (Fourth Avenue), the shrine includes several buildings, including gates, a main hall and a stage. The Yasaka shrine is ...

and is venerated in the

Gion faith is a district of Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, Japan, originating as an entertainment district in the Sengoku period, in front of Yasaka Shrine (Gion Shrine). The district was built to accommodate the needs of travellers and visitors to the shrine. ...

. While engaged in ascetic practice on

Mount Rokkō is the name of a range of mountains in southeastern Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. Outline There is no single mountain or peak called "Rokkō," although the highest peak of the mountains is called , (literally, ''the highest peak of the Rokkō ...

at the Kumoga Iwa Rock (雲ヶ岩), Hōdō is said to have been approached by the deity

Vaiśravaṇa (Sanskrit: वैश्रवण) or (Pali; , , ja, 毘沙門天, Bishamonten, ko, 비사문천, Bisamuncheon, vi, Đa Văn Thiên Vương), is one of the Four Heavenly Kings, and is considered an important figure in Buddhism. Names The n ...

riding on purple clouds. It was after this encounter that Hōdō built Tamon-ji in

Hyōgo Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Hyōgo Prefecture has a population of 5,469,762 () and has a geographic area of . Hyōgo Prefecture borders Kyoto Prefecture to the east, Osaka Prefecture to the southeast, an ...

to enshrine the Kumoga Iwa Rock, Rokkō-Hime-Daizen-no-Kami (六甲比命大善神), and the Shinkyō Iwa Rock.

Other names

Legend says that Hōdō would fly through the air with food and money in an iron bowl to offer to those in need, which gained him the nickname Hihatsu no Hōdō (飛鉢の法道 lit. "Flying Bowl Hōdō"). It is also said that on one occasion, he happened upon a ship carrying rice that had been paid as land tax. Hōdō asked for one bowl of rice, which the tax man refused. As a result, when Hōdō flew away, the bags of rice rose into the air and followed him. The tax man pursued the ascetic into the mountains and apologized for his miserliness. He promised to provide Hōdō with one bowl of rice for the return of his rice bags. As the area around Ichijō-ji is known for its high-quality rice production, it is said that this originated from the bowl of rice procured by Hōdō. For this reason, he is also known as Kūhatsu Sennin (空鉢仙人, lit. "Empty Bowl Sage"), as he always gave away whatever he had obtained in his iron bowl.

Affiliated temples

Senkō-ji Senkō-ji (全興寺) is a Buddhist temple in Hirano-ku, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. See also *Thirteen Buddhist Sites of Osaka Thirteen Buddhist Sites of Osaka（おおさか十三仏霊場, ''Osaka jūsan butsu reijō''）are a group of 13 Bu ...

, in

Tonami 270px, Tonami-yotaka festival held in June is a city in Toyama Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 48,659 in 16,739 households and a population density of 384 persons per km². Its total area was . Geography Tonami i ...

Toyama Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Toyama Prefecture has a population of 1,044,588 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,247.61 km2 (1,640.01 sq mi). Toyama Prefecture borders Ishikawa Prefecture to the ...

* Kannon-ji, in

Fukuchiyama 250px, Fukuchiyama Castle 250px, Fukuchiyama city center is a city in northern Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 76,037 in 36412 households and a population density of 140 persons per km². The total area of t ...

, Kyoto Prefecture * Gaya-in, in

Miki Miki may refer to: Places *Miki, Hyōgo, a city in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan *Miki, Kagawa, a town in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan *Miki, Azerbaijan, a village in Astara Rayon, Azerbaijan People *Miki (given name) *Miki (surname) *Miki Núñez (born ...

* Kyōkai-ji, in Miki, Hyōgo Prefecture *

Ichijō-ji is a Buddhist temple of the Tendai sect in Kasai, Hyōgo, Japan. It was first established in 650 at Emperor Kōtoku's request, and the temple complex and buildings have undergone several periods of destruction and reconstruction since its ...

, in Kasai, Hyōgo Prefecture * Fukō-ji, in Kasai, Hyōgo Prefecture * Okusan-ji, in Kasai, Hyōgo Prefecture * Nyoi-ji, in

Kōbe Kobe ( , ; officially , ) is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture Japan. With a population around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Tokyo and Yokohama. It is located in Kansai region, which ...

, Hyōgo Prefecture * Shakubu-ji, in Kōbe, Hyōgo Prefecture * Tōri Tenjō-ji, in Kōbe, Hyōgo Prefecture * Kinkō-ji, in Kōbe, Hyōgo Prefecture * Hōju-ji, in Kōbe, Hyōgo Prefecture * Tamon-ji, in

, Hyōgo Prefecture *

Chōkō-ji Chōkō-ji (朝光寺 ''Chōkōji'') is a Buddhist temple, in Yashiro, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. History According to the official record of the temple, this temple was originally constructed on the Mount Gongen in the 7th century, by Hodo-Shon ...

, in Katō, Hyōgo Prefecture * Zenryū-ji, in Katō, Hyōgo Prefecture *

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, in Katō, Hyōgo Prefecture *

Kōmyō-ji Kōmyō-ji ( ja, 光明寺, link=no，) is the name of numerous Buddhist temples in Japan and other East Asian communities, and may refer to: *Kōmyō-ji (Ayabe), a temple in Ayabe, Kyoto Prefecture; see List of National Treasures of Japan (temples ...

, in Katō, Hyōgo Prefecture * Saihō-ji, in

Tamba-Sasayama , formerly known as , is a city in the central eastern part of Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 40,050 in 17523 households and a population density of 110 persons per km2. The total area of the city is Geograph ...

, Hyōgo Prefecture * Tōkutsu-ji, in Tamba-Sasayama, Hyōgo Prefecture * Sairin-ji, in Nishiwaki, Hyōgo Prefecture * Bodai-ji, in Sanda, Hyōgo Prefecture *

Jōshō-ji was a former Buddhist monastery in northeastern Kyoto, Japan, endowed by Emperor Sutoku in fulfillment of a sacred vow. It is known as one of the ,Adophson, Mikael S. (2000) ''The Gates of Power: Monks, Courtiers, and Warriors in Premodern Japan,' ...

, in Tanba, Hyōgo Prefecture * Hōraku-ji, in Kamikawa, Hyōgo Prefecture * Shippō-ji, in Kamikawa, Hyōgo Prefecture * Enman-ji, in

Taka The Bangladeshi taka ( bn, টাকা, sign: , code: BDT, short form: Tk) is the currency of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. In Unicode, it is encoded at . Issuance of bank notes 10 and larger is controlled by Bangladesh Bank, while ...

, Hyōgo Prefecture * Hōdō-ji, in Asago, Hyōgo Prefecture * Chōkoku-ji, in

Kurayoshi is a city located in the central part of Tottori Prefecture, Japan. As of October 1, 2016, the city has an estimated population of 48,558 and a population density of 180 persons per km², making it the third largest city in Tottori. The total a ...

Tottori Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Tottori Prefecture is the least populous prefecture of Japan at 570,569 (2016) and has a geographic area of . Tottori Prefecture borders Shimane Prefecture to the west, Hirosh ...

* Senryū-ji, in

Shikokuchūō is a city located in Ehime Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 83,635 in 28876 households and a population density of 200 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Shikokuchūō is the leading producer of pape ...

Ehime Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Ehime Prefecture has a population of 1,342,011 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 5,676 km2 (2,191 sq mi). Ehime Prefecture borders Kagawa Prefecture to the northeast, Toku ...

* Rakan-ji, in Nakatsu,

Ōita Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Ōita Prefecture has a population of 1,136,245 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 6,340 km2 (2,448 sq mi). Ōita Prefecture borders Fukuoka Prefecture to the northwest, Kumam ...

References

External links

* Indian Buddhists Japanese people of Indian descent India–Japan relations Shinbutsu shūgō Gion cult {{Gion cult