見真 “See Truth”
-title given to Shinran by the Emperor Meiji, hung above alter in The Goei-do/Founder’s Hall at the Higashi-Honganji Temple
Higashi Honganji Temple: Dragon fountain Kyoto, Japan
Human Hemp Hybrid
Like a modern day Frankensteinian tale, the Buddhist Higashi-Honganji Temple holds a secret…
To complete the construction of the worlds largest wooden structure, a partnership was needed between man and nature…
The Human Hemp Hybrid was alive!
‘Portrait of Anjo’ – A portrait of the monk Shinran on scroll at Honganji Temple in Kyoto
“Like the cherry blossom, the heart planning on tomorrow is ephemeral indeed, what sudden storm may not arise in the middle of the night”
-Shinran wrote at age 9 after losing his parents and entering Shoren-in Temple
Founded by the monk named Shinran (1173–1263), The Pure Land Buddhism Sect in Japan is one of the most popular forms practiced in the country today.
In a simplified teaching Shinran theorized that chanting “namu amida butsu” or “Praise to Amida Buddha” would be all encompassing. Shinran believed that Amida Buddha had vowed to save all those who sincerely repeated these words…
The Higashi-Honganji Temple – Kyoto, Japan
The Higashi-Honganji Temple complex would first be built in 1604 although the original Temple wouldn’t last long…
Hagashi-Honganji would burn to the ground a total of 4 times with the most recent coming in a 1864 during a political and civil uprising.
Construction on the current Temple began in 1895 with the Founders Hall, but there was a huge problem…
A giant wooden beam in the Higashi Honganji ‘Founders Hall’ Temple, Kyoto, Japan
To raise the gigantic beams in the new Higashi-Honganji Temple an unique solution was needed. Ropes of the time could not support the massive weight of the beams, so a Frankenstein idea was hatched…
The Human Hemp Hybrid was born…
Tradition says when a Buddhist temple is built, followers are to give something of themselves to help (usually meaning time or money). The Women of the Pure Land Sect took this teaching to the next level…
In a pure act of solidarity in a soul purpose more then 30,000 Buddhist women of the Sect shaved off their hair… Sending the strands of hair to the builders, human hair was weaved around a Hemp core to make ‘Kezuna’ or a Hemp Human hair hybrid rope…
This rope was strong enough to lift the massive beams into place safely, making it possible to construct Japans largest wooden structure by hand. At the time it was also the Worlds largest wooden structure…
Human Hemp Hybrid rope or ‘Kezuna’ on display at the Higashi-Honganji Temple, Kyoto, Japan
In all 53 human hemp hybrid ropes were made, the largest rope measuring 225 feet long, had a circumference of 13 inches weighing over 827 pounds…
With the ‘kezuna’ ropes to lift the massive beams into place, getting the giant wooden timbers to the site was another story…
Again this problem called for a similar solution… Hemp. Hemp tied wooden sleigh’s were used in sliding the massive beams down from the forest and through the city, finally arriving at the Temple site.
Wooden sleigh used to transport the wooden beams of Higashi-Honganji Temple tied with hemp rope. Higashi-Honganji Temple, Kyoto
Here again at Higashi-Honganji Temple in Kyoto, Japan, we find Hemp at the core of humanity, right where it belongs…
Early postcard of the Higashi Honganji Temple, Kyoto, Japan