Chionin temple is the headquarters of the Pure Land (Jodo Shu) sect of Buddhism. Despite this being the most widely practiced form of Buddhism in Japan, most tourists don't go to see this magnificent site, which in some ways can be considered the Vatican of Pure Land Buddhism. The temple was founded in 1234 in order to honor the founder of the Pure Land sect, Honen. Honen preached that believers who chanted the nenbutsu could enter the Pure Land where Amida Buddha resided, a heaven-like afterlife. Buildings in the Choinin complex were burned down in 1633, but rebuilt with the help of the Tokugawa government. The sponsorship of the Tokugawa Shogunate can be see by their crests on the roof shingles.
When I visited Choinin, I got to listen to chanting in the main hall. It was pretty cool, but a little bizarre. Afterwards we poked around the complex and rested in the gift shop. It was Kyoto in July, humid and blisteringly hot, but the gift shop had the AC running full blast. This was the charm I chose while wandering out in the cool shop.
The writing on the charm means 'season of frost,' and I chose this one because it matched the season of my birth, Autumn. Choinin is inscribed on the back. These lacquer-like charms are pretty with their shiny black finishes, but the text can wear off if exposed to everyday abuse. I've been careful to keep this one and my Koudaiji charm in a bag to protect the designs.
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