Carpe Diem #390, Konsenji (Temple 3)

Dear O-henro ... Haijin, visitors and travelers,

What a joy to host this month our Carpe Diem Haiku Kai Pilgrimages along the 88 temples on Shikoku Island and The Way of St. James (Santiago De Compostela). This month(s) we will wander through two countries, Japan and Spain, and maybe we will grow spiritual.
As you will understand ... it's not possible to visit all the 88 temples, but we will visit the most during this pilgrimage.

Today we arrive at temple 3 Konsenji also known as The Temple of Golden Spring.The temple was founded by Gyōgi in the 8th century and originally called Konkōmyōji. It was renamed Konsenji (Golden Well Temple) by Kōbō Daishi when a golden stream of water sprang out of a well he dug by thrusting his staff into the ground. (This particular legend — of Kōbō Daishi digging wells — is found throughout both Shikoku and Japan) The hondō was burnt to the ground by Chōsokabe and his armies in 1582 and rebuilt during the Tokugawa Period. Gyōgi is also credited with carving the honzon. 
In the temple yard is a large (4 ft by 2 ft) stone called the Benkei Stone and the tomb of Emperor Chōkei, a 14th century emperor of the southern court. Legend states that Benkei (a legendary 12th century warrior priest and bodyguard for Yoritomo Yoshitsune) lifted the stone to demonstrate his strength when he and Yoshitsune stopped here in on their way to a battle on Yashima Island. 

Every temple has his own mantra which refers to an act of the Buddha. At Konsenji Temple the mantra is:

Nômaku Sammanda bodanan baku

Konsenji Temple

Over 2500 years ago, a young prince was born in north India and his name was Gautama, Siddhartha (completed goal). His family belonged to the Sakya clan and when after his years of religious quest, he became Enlightened, he then came to be called the Sage (Muni) of the Sakya clan, or Sakyamuni. This is the title of the historic Buddha Sâkyamuni who was the founder of Buddhism.

Shakyamuni Buddha

Early in life Siddhartha was impressed with the suffering of this world and with the suffering that we experience because of old age, sickness, and death. He left the householder’s life and searched out religious teachers who could teach him the meaning of life. For six years, Siddhartha practiced painful austerities but with no religious result. He discovered that self torture and total self-denial were useless in the search for understanding. Instead of attempting to totally control his body, he then began to control his mind. One morning while seated under a large Bodhi Tree, he attained supreme wisdom and understanding and became an awakened being, or Buddha. After his enlightenment experience, he devoted the rest of his life to wandering from place to place, preaching to all who would listen to him. The Buddha died at age eighty.

This is how it will look the nextdays too, because I love to tell you more about Buddhism and the role of it in haiku. I hope you all will enjoy this pilgrimage and I hope to read wonderful haiku.

a prince suffers
his richness is just a burden -
a new path is dawning

(c) Chèvrefeuille

Now it's up to you my dear O-henro ... Haijin, visitors and travelers. Enjoy the read, be inspired and share your haiku with us all.

This episode will be open for your submissions tonight at 7.00 PM (CET) and will remain open until February 4th 11.59 AM (CET). I will try to publish our next episode, Dainichji, later on today.