is a sub-temple of the temple complex of
Myōshin-ji
is a temple complex in Kyoto, Japan, and head temple of the associated branch of Rinzai Zen Buddhism. The Myōshin-ji school is by far the largest school in Rinzai Zen, approximately as big as the other thirteen branches combined: it contains wit ...
in
Kyoto
Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...
,
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 ...
. As such, it is affiliated with the Myōshin-ji school of
Rinzai
The Rinzai school ( ja, , Rinzai-shū, zh, t=臨濟宗, s=临济宗, p=Línjì zōng) is one of three sects of Zen in Japanese Buddhism (along with Sōtō and Ōbaku). The Chinese Linji school of Chan was first transmitted to Japan by Myōan E ...
Zen
Zen ( zh, t=禪, p=Chán; ja, text= 禅, translit=zen; ko, text=선, translit=Seon; vi, text=Thiền) is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, known as the Chan School (''Chánzong'' 禪宗), and ...
Buddhism
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...
.
Name
The temple is named for
Donglin Temple () at the base of
Mountain Lu
Mountain Lu or Lushan (, Gan: Lu-san), officially named Mountain Lu National Park, is a mountain in China. It was also known as Kuanglu () in ancient times. It is situated in Jiujiang, Jiangxi Province, and is one of the most renowned mountai ...
near
Jiujiang
Jiujiang (), formerly transliterated Kiukiang or Kew Keang, is a prefecture-level city located on the southern shores of the Yangtze River in northwest Jiangxi Province, People's Republic of China. It is the second-largest prefecture-level city ...
in China.
Due to a famous 300-year-old
sal tree
''Shorea robusta'', the sal tree, sāla, shala, sakhua, or sarai, is a species of tree in the family Dipterocarpaceae. The tree is native to India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Tibet and across the Himalayan regions .
Evolution
Fossil evidence from lig ...
on the grounds, it is colloquially known as the . A festival is held every June to celebrate the sal tree and its flowers.
History
The temple was founded in 1531 in
Kamigyō-ku as a family temple for the
Hosokawa clan
The is a Japanese Samurai kin group or clan.
Ancestors
# Emperor Jimmu
# Emperor Suizei
# Emperor Annei
# Emperor Itoku
# Emperor Kōshō
# Emperor Kōan
# Emperor Kōrei
# Emperor Kōgen
# Emperor Kaika
# Emperor Sujin
# Emperor Suinin
# Emper ...
, and named . In 1556, it passed to the
Yamana clan
The was a Japanese samurai clan which was one of the most powerful of the Muromachi period (1336-1467); at its peak, members of the family held the position of Constable (''shugo'') over eleven provinces. Originally from Kōzuke Province, and late ...
, whose family temple it remains to this day, and was moved to its current location within Myōshin-ji and renamed to Tōrin-in.
Visiting
The temple is not generally open to walk-up visitors, but is open year-round for
shukubō (monastery lodging, reservations by
return postcard
A postcard or post card is a piece of thick paper or thin cardboard, typically rectangular, intended for writing and mailing without an envelope. Non-rectangular shapes may also be used but are rare. There are novelty exceptions, such as wood ...
) and
shōjin-ryōri
Buddhist cuisine is an Asian cuisine that is followed by monks and many believers from areas historically influenced by Mahayana Buddhism. It is vegetarian or vegan, and it is based on the Dharmic concept of ahimsa (non-violence). Vegetarian ...
(devotional cuisine, 3 or more people). The current head priest, is a noted researcher on devotional cuisine, frequently appearing on television and in magazine articles, and a class on devotional cuisine is held every Tuesday.
Further, the temple holds three annual events, which are open to the public (admission charged, reservations not required):
* – second half of January, from January 15, celebrating (daytime, devotional cuisine meal)
* – second half of June (daytime, with tea or with devotional cuisine meal)
* – early/mid-October (10 days, from first or second Friday, 6–9 pm)
External links
塔頭寺院案内 東林院(sub-temple information: Tōrin-in)
JR (Japan Rail) information page on temple and sal tree festival
Events
東林院・小豆粥で初春を祝う会(Adzuki-bean gruel festival, Kyoto Tourism)
*
(blog post)
東林院・沙羅の花を愛でる会(Sal tree festival, Kyoto Tourism)
*
(blog post)
*
(blog post)
東林院・梵燈のあかりに親しむ会(Lantern festival, Kyoto Tourism)
*
(Lantern festival, Yomiuri, video)
*
７日から東林院で「梵燈のあかりに親しむ会」(Lantern festival, Kyoto Newspaper)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Torin-in
Buddhist temples in Kyoto
Rinzai temples