Temple 17 Information
Our group was given the task of receiving several items and photographs from Temple #17, for the purpose of understanding and analyzing said items/photos so that we may gather a stronger understanding of pilgrimage, specifically Chichibu pilgrimage.
Temple #17, starts with a stone pillar with the name “Jorin-Ji” (the name of the temple) inscribed on it. Originally, temple #17 was temple #1, as it was closer to Chichibujinja, a place for worship among the locals. When the capital of Japan grew in popularity in the 18th century, the Chichibu route was reorganized, so that temple #1 would be closer to the capital.
The temple is known for its beautiful bell; the original was lost in a fire in the 17th century, but the current bell is a copy of the original and depicts one hundred images of Kannon. This represents the three pilgrimage courses of Saigoku, Bando, and Chichibu.
The temple has a strong connection with the subjects of infants and children. This stems from the temple’s origin legends; one tells of a military leader who sought solace at the temple grounds along with his wife and young son. The wife and leader died, but the son lived to be rescued and taught by a monk. The boy became a Buddhist monk and traveled with the monk who rescued him. Together they came across a warrior who was responsible for the boy-monk’s father’s expulsion. The warrior repented and appointed the boy-monk as his retainer, thus restoring the father’s honor. A temple was built to pray for the response of the lord’s actions and the temple was named Jorin-ji after the man’s name. Another legend of the temple’s origin depicts a story of a pregnant woman who underwent a pilgrimage and gave birth when she arrived at the temple’s location; the pilgrim left the baby and went to finish her pilgrimage. Upon returning home, the pilgrim discovered her baby in the entryway, and buried in the entryway was the statue of an eleven-headed Kannon of Jorin-ji.
It’s theorized that the temple’s connection with misfortune to children coincides with the widespread practice of infanticide that was common in feudal Japan. It’s believed that the sinners of those who killed their children (due to poverty) sought salvation by making pilgrimages, in this case, to temple #17.
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