Homanji — Attraction in Kobe

Fukuhara 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #2 Homan-ji Temple My last visit to the member temples among the Fukuhara 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was that of #2 Homan-ji Temple, which was slightly removed from any station in Kobe, and which was not on any route between other member temples. I decided to take a subway line to Subway Nagata Station. I walked out of the station, past Kosoku Nagata Station, and finally stepped out of the underground walkway at the Nagata Ward Office. I took a rather winding narrow street, guessing it to be an Ancient or Medieval path from my experience of visiting Ancient or Medieval 33 Kannon pilgrimage temples. On my way to Homan-ji Temple, I found a historic spot. Sugawara Michizane (845-903) visited here on his demotion from the central government in Kyoto to the regional office in Kyushu, allured by the scent of plum trees here. He composed a tanka poem: "Winds blow cold "Snow? No, plum blossoms! "I hope the scent perfumes my sleeves." There was even a stone on which Michizane rested. Believe it or not. Anyway, I was right. I was following the Ancient or Medieval path in the area. I found a Kannon statue between the temple gate and the main building of #2 Homan-ji Temple. Tosa Hidenobu (?-?) published Butsuzo-zui (Illustrated Compendium of Buddhist Images) in 1783. In the compendium, he listed 33 popular subjects of Buddhism Avalokitesvara drawings and paintings: #1 Holding-Willow-Spray Avalokitesvar, #2 Naga Avalokitesvar, #3 Holding-Buddhism-ScriptureAvalokitesvar, #4 Halo Avalokitesvar, #5 Sitting-on-Cloud Avalokitesvar, #6 Pandara Vasini Avalokitesvar, #7 Sitting-on-Lotus-leaf Avalokitesvar, #8 Looking-at-Cascade Avalokitesvar, #9 Listening-to-Stream Avalokitesvar, #10 Holding-Fish-Cage Avalokitesvar, #11 Virtuous-Lord Avalokitesvar, #12 Looking-at-Reflected-Moon Avalokitesvar, #13 Sitting-on-Leaf Avalokitesvar, #14 Blue-Head Avalokitesvar, #15 Great-Commander Avalokitesvar, #16 Life-Prolonging Avalokitesvar, #17 Relief-from-Ruination Avalokitesvar, #18 In-Cave-with-Venom Avalokitesvar, #19 Wave-Reduction Avalokitesvar, #20 Anavatapta Avalokitesvar, #21 One-Knee-Drawn-Up Avalokitesvar, #22 Leaf-Robe Avalokitesvar, #23 Holding-Lapis-Lazuli-Censer Avalokitesvar, #24 Tara Avalokitesvar, #25 Sit-in-in-Clam Avalokitesvar, #26 Twenty-Four-Hour Avalokitesvar, #27 Universal-Benevolence Avalokitesvar, #28 Celestial Beauty Avalokitesvar, #29 Putting-Palms-together Avalokitesvar, #30 Controlling-Thunderbolt Avalokitesvar, #31 Peaceful-Vajrapani Avalokitesvar, #32 Holding-Lotus-Flower Avalokitesvar, and #33 Sprinkling-Purified-Water Avalokitesvar. The statue appeared to be #6 Pandara Vasini Avalokitesvar.

My Fukuhara 33 Kannon Pilgrimage has ended. It took me 4.1 days, 3 Chinese lunch set meals, one Vietnamese Banh Mi, and one piece of Lacte Citron.

I went out of Homan-ji Temple. That meant I’d finished my first ever 33 Kannon pilgrimage in my life. I had to go home. Subway Nagata and Kosoku Nagata Stations were back in the north on the hill side. Subway Karumo Station was in the south on the seaside. JR Hyogo Station was a little farther in the east on my way back to the city center of Kobe. I was totally at a loss which way to go, wondering whether the loss came from the location of the temple or caused by the end of my endeavor on the Fukuhara 33...

国指定重要文化財　金剛山宝満寺大日如来像拝観させて頂き感動致しました。来年も参拝したいです。 ありがとうございました。重文なので写真は御座いま...

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