Daikakuji Temple

In 794,Emperor Kammu relocated the capital to Kyoto and so begun the Heian period. 20 years later, Emperor Saga succeed to the throne. He loved this remote land of Sagano (named after Mt. Saga in China by the Emperor), and built there a new palace, Saga-in, to live in with the empress. This is the origin of Saga-rikyu (Imperial villa), which later became Daikakuji.

Emperor Saga shared a good relationship with Kobo- Daishi Kukai, who studied Buddhism in China and founded Japanese Esoteric Buddhism, known as Shingon Buddhism.

In 818, when a mighty famine and plague epidemic struck the nation, Emperor Saga, encouraged by Kukai, performed Shakyo (transcribing sutra) of Hannya-Shingyo* as a prayer for the safety of the nation and the happiness of its people. On the cover of the sutra was a picture of Yakushi-Sanson-zo (buddhist sculpture) drawn by the Empress. Meanwhile, Kukai prayed to Godai-Myo-o (five great vidyarajas) in Gogaku-in in the detached palace.This Shakyo of Hannya-Shingyo by Emperor Saga is now enshrined in Shingyo-den, Daikakuji.

In 876, Empress Seishi, one of Emperor Saga’s daughters, took over the ideals cherished among the fellowship of her father and Kukai, and renovated the palace as the Daikakuji Temple.

During the Kamakura period (around 12th century), some emperors retired and became Buddhist priests or ho-o.Among them were Gosaga,Kameyama, and Gouda, all of whom controlled political affairs from Daikakuji. In 1268, after the retirement of Emperor Gosaga, the clans of the royal family conflicted over the succession of the monarch and split into two, the Southern Court and the Northern Court, so that they could alternate the throne. This was called the Nanboku-cho period, the Age of the South and North Courts.

The Southern Court (Nan-cho) was also known as the Daikakuji line because Emperor Gouda, who became a priest, lived in Daikakuji, and the Northern Court (Hoku-cho) was known as the Jimyoin line.

In 1392, a peace conference was held in Daikakuji, and finally, the two courts became united.

Literally, Shakyo means transcribing sutra.

It is believed that a sutra brings merit just by reading it, and even greater merit if it is recited and transcribed.Just as the saying, “One Buddha appears as one word transcribed ”conveys, it is considered extremely venerable to devotedly transcribe sutras without any desires.