It had been well over a month since the new statue of Kobo Daishi had made it's appearence at the front entrance of the Koyasan Buddist Temple located in the heart of Little Tokyo. It was a generous gift to the temple which had long served the Japanese-American Community since just before the outbreak of war in 1941. After some careful planning, the dedication took place this month before the monthly Goma Fire Ritual. 
Kobo Daishi is credited with bringing Shingon Buddhism to Japan during the Heian Period. The statue depicts Shugyo Daishi at the age of 42 before he became known as Kobo Daishi.
This statue was described as not neccessarily being historiclly accurate to the physical appearence of Kobo Daishi, rather the image of the founder of Koyasan Buddhism that resides in the hearts of it's followers.
The Kobo Daishi Statue Dedication Ceremony was well attended by many people and we were fortunate enough to be there for this most rare and special occassion. Magnificently cast, this statue will greet both visitors and worshipers alike to the Koyasan Buddhist Temple for many years to come.
Thank you for the post. Someone else commented on my blog about this dedication as well. The post I did about the statue.
ReplyDeleteYou made a great post about the new statue on your blog weeks earlier before mine. I merely set out to write about the dedication ceremony I participated in. It was a beautiful ceremony and I was happy to share my experience on my blog for all who could not be there.
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