Statue of Kōbō Daishi

This statue and surrounding area are dedicated to Kūkai (774–835), also known as Kōbō Daishi. Kūkai was the founder of the Shingon school of Japanese Esoteric Buddhism and studied at Shitennōji Temple in his youth. He is said to have come here to perform jissōkan, a meditative practice in which one visualizes the Pure Land by contemplating the setting sun. Shitennōji has historically been a popular place for this practice because of how the temple’s western gates frame the setting sun.

Kūkai is also known as the creator of the 88 Temple Shikoku Pilgrimage. Near the statue, sand has been collected from each of the 88 sites along the Shikoku Pilgrimage and embedded in the ground. For people unable to undertake the months-long pilgrimage, an alternative form of spiritual training called osunafumi was developed over 400 years ago. Rather than visiting each of the sites in person, the same benefits can be gained by treading on the sand from each of the locations while in the mindset of a pilgrim. If you would like to engage in osunafumi, please inquire at Daishidō Hall for specific information.

A small fee is required.