Category:

Municipally Designated Tangible Cultural Property (Archaeological artifact)

Title:

Marugasaki rokujizo sekibutsu

The Six Stone Jizo (Kṣitigarbha) of Marugasaki

丸ヶ崎六地蔵石仏

No. of features:

6 figures

Designated:

April 14, 1977

Location:

Tamonin Temple

1186 Marugasaki, Minuma Ward

Owner:

The religious juridical person of Tamonin Temple

Description:

 One figure is inscribed with an auspicious date in May of 1642, while another is marked as a “gyakushu” memorial tower dedicated towards the buddhas of Amida’s Pure Land ( Sukhāvatī).

“Gyakushu”, or reverse rites, refers to the practice of performing Buddhist memorial rites while one is still alive, with the goal of securing merits for one's own soul after death.

The remaining four memorial towers are inscribed with characters that denote  “gyakushu” based on Confucian and Zen precepts.

The inscriptions are carved on the back of the Jizos` halos in hollow relief. The statues range from 36.0 cm to 53.0 cm in height. Five statues are made of sandstone, while the other is made of andesite.

Associated Texts:

(1980). “Survey Report on Omiya City’s Cultural Properties” (vol. 4). Omiya Municipal Board of Education.

(1986). “Cultural Properties in Omiya” (vol. 2). Omiya Board of Education.

This cultural property is not currently on public display. Please seek permission from its owners/curators before viewing. Please be courteous towards other visitors and the site’s owners/curators when visiting this cultural property.

Inquiries (Japanese only)

Cultural Heritage Preservation Division, Department of Lifelong Learning, Board of Education Secretariat　

TEL：048-829-1723 FAX：048-829-1989

https://www.city.saitama.jp/004/005/006/001/017/013/003/p000387.html