Konjoin Temple
Until the Edo period (1603–1867), monks lived and trained at 12 temple buildings at Yamadera, on the slopes of Mt. Hoju. Konjoin is one of just four that remain, and the current temple building dates to 1840. The principal image of Konjoin is the bodhisattva Jizo, guardian of children and savior of all sentient beings. The statue on the altar inside the temple depicts the deity flanked by two children. On Jizo’s left is Shoaku holding a vajra, a mythical, indestructible club symbolizing triumph over worldly desire. Shozen, on the right, holds a white lotus leaf which represents purity. Many smaller Jizo statues adorn the walls around the altar. These are the Sentai Jizo (literally “one thousand,” meaning “countless”), deities that watch over the forgotten departed, those in unknown or untended graves.
