Sanzen-in Temple

Overview

Sanzen-in is a Tendai school monzeki temple located in Ōhara, Sakyō-ku, Kyoto. Its mountain name is Gyozan and its principal image is Yakushi Nyorai (the Medicine Buddha). Along with Shōren-in and Myōhō-in, it is counted as one of the three monzeki temples of the Tendai Sanmon school.

Highlights

• ●One of the three monzeki temples of the Tendai Sanmon school, whose head priests were once members of the imperial family
• ●Principal image is Yakushi Nyorai, with the mountain name Gyozan
• ●Set in the rural town of Ōhara, once known as a place of retreat for nobles and Buddhist practitioners
• ●A historic temple designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan

History

Sanzen-in is a Tendai temple set in Ōhara, a rural area once known as a place of retreat for nobles and Buddhist practitioners. As a monzeki temple, its head priests were once drawn from the imperial family, and the temple is also known as Sanzen-in Monzeki, alongside Shōren-in and Myōhō-in among the three monzeki temples of the Tendai Sanmon school.

Map

35.1197, 135.8344 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Follow the approach through the town of Ōhara and enter through the front gate
2. 2Pass through the connected temple buildings, including the guest hall and main hall
3. 3Walk through the moss garden toward the Ōjō Gokuraku-in Hall
4. 4Enjoy the famous view of the hall framed by maple and cedar trees, especially in autumn

Did you know?

💡 The name Sanzen-in derives from the Tendai teaching of "Ichinen Sanzen" (three thousand realms in a single thought).

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