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Garden of the Pure Land
(Gokuraku Jōdo no Niwa)
The garden that surrounds the Abbot’s Quarters was renovated and opened to the public in 2003. Shitennōji Temple is known for offering rites to help souls find their way to Amida Buddha’s Pure Land paradise, so the garden fittingly follows the same theme.
The garden is inspired by a Buddhist parable called “Two Rivers and a White Path” (nigabyakudō), in which a river of fire represents wrath, a river of water represents greed, and a slim white path between them represents virtue and the path to paradise. Elements in the garden represent these two rivers and the white path. Following the white path leads to the Lotus Pond of the Pure Land where three rocks symbolize Amida, Kannon, and Seishi. Another pond called “Rurikō no Ike” has a waterfall and features rocks with names like “Treasure Ship Rock,” “Crane Rock,” and “Turtle Rock.”
Other elements of the garden include the small, hilly Garden of Fudaraku next to the reception hall of the Abbot’s Quarters and a blue pavilion called Hakkakutei. Constructed in 1903, Hakkakutei was originally a small concert hall used at the fifth National Industrial Exhibition, and it reflects the Western architectural trends of the Meiji era (1868–1912). It was moved here soon after the Exhibition ended. The pavilion was designated a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 1997.
The garden is inspired by a Buddhist parable called “Two Rivers and a White Path” (nigabyakudō), in which a river of fire represents wrath, a river of water represents greed, and a slim white path between them represents virtue and the path to paradise. Elements in the garden represent these two rivers and the white path. Following the white path leads to the Lotus Pond of the Pure Land where three rocks symbolize Amida, Kannon, and Seishi. Another pond called “Rurikō no Ike” has a waterfall and features rocks with names like “Treasure Ship Rock,” “Crane Rock,” and “Turtle Rock.”
Other elements of the garden include the small, hilly Garden of Fudaraku next to the reception hall of the Abbot’s Quarters and a blue pavilion called Hakkakutei. Constructed in 1903, Hakkakutei was originally a small concert hall used at the fifth National Industrial Exhibition, and it reflects the Western architectural trends of the Meiji era (1868–1912). It was moved here soon after the Exhibition ended. The pavilion was designated a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 1997.