Seiryō-ji Audio Guide

Seiryō-ji: what does the audio guide cover?

1. 01

   Welcome to Seriyō-ji temple

   Welcome to Seriyō-ji temple, written 清凉寺 in Japanese. It stands in the Saga district of Kyoto's Ukyō ward, on the western side of the city near Arashiyama, in a neighborhood whose address even carries the temple's nickname: Saga Shakadō-Fujinoki-chō. Shakadō means the Hall of Shakyamuni, and it hints at what this place is famous for. The story told here sticks to the essentials of the temple: its sect, its founders, its central Buddha and its literary connections. Seriyō-ji is a Pure Land Buddhist temple of the Jōdo school, with the mountain name Godaisan. Over the next few minutes you will hear about a living Buddha, a prince from the world of classic literature, and a style of statue that took its name from this very hall.

2. 02

   Founders of Seriyō-ji temple

   Every Japanese temple has a founder, and Seriyō-ji has two. The monk Chōnen is recorded as its kaiki, the founding patron who set the temple's creation in motion. His disciple Jōsan is its kaisan, the founding abbot who opened the temple as a working community. Together they gave the temple its start as the home of its central image. That central image is the heart of the place. The main object of worship is Shaka Nyorai, the historical Buddha Shakyamuni. This is no ordinary statue in the eyes of the faithful, because the temple venerates it as the living Shakyamuni. That idea shapes everything about how the hall is understood, and it leads straight to the next story.

3. 03

   The Living Buddha of Seriyō-ji temple

   Here is the detail that makes Seriyō-ji temple unusual. Its principal Shaka Nyorai is spoken of as a living Buddha, a statue said to possess the five viscera and six internal organs, just as a living body does. For visitors, it changes the way you look at a carved figure. It is treated less as an artwork than as a presence. The statue also gave rise to a whole category in Japanese Buddhist art. Enthusiasts speak of the Seiryō-ji style of Shaka statue, a recognizable type of Shakyamuni image named after this temple's central Buddha. If you ever meet one of these statues in another temple, you are meeting an echo of the figure enshrined here in the Shakadō. The temple is also known for its Amida triad, a group of three figures centered on Amida Buddha, which fits well with the Pure Land tradition the temple belongs to.

4. 04

   Genji, Minamoto no Tōru and Seriyō-ji temple

   Seriyō-ji temple has roots in the Heian period, and it is deeply tied to literature and legend. The site is associated with Minamoto no Tōru, the courtier traditionally regarded as a model for Hikaru Genji, the shining prince of The Tale of Genji. He is credited with building a hall here that was known as the Saga no Midō, the Saga Hall. That makes this a favorite stop for anyone following the footsteps of Genji in Kyoto. The link between the fictional prince and the real nobleman is an interpretation passed down through the tradition, a model rather than a portrait. It adds a second layer to the temple. Alongside the Buddhist devotion centered on the living Shakyamuni, the grounds also hold the memory of Heian court life in the Saga countryside.

5. 05

   Before You Head Off

   Seriyō-ji temple sits close to Arashiyama, so it fits naturally into a day in western Kyoto, but it rewards a slower look all by itself. As you walk the grounds, think about the two founders, Chōnen and Jōsan, and about how a single statue gave a temple its nickname. Take a moment with the Shakadō and ask yourself what it means to call a Buddha living. Then let your mind drift to the Heian nobleman said to have inspired Genji. Between devotion and literature, you may find this temple holds more stories than one visit can gather.