Kaikoji Temple
Main Image Chukai Shonin and Enmyokai Shonin (Sokushinbutsu) Category Other
Impression TagsMysteryDepthTense Presence
DescriptionKaiko-ji is a Shingon Chisan temple known for preserving the ascetic traditions of sacred Mount Yudono. Its Sokubutsu Hall enshrines two sokushinbutsu: Chūkai Shōnin, who entered final meditation in 1755, and Enmyōkai Shōnin, who did so in 1822. Both undertook thousand-day disciplines and progressively renounced grain and other foods before their underground meditation. It is widely regarded as the only temple in Japan where two sokushinbutsu are enshrined together. The quiet hall confronts visitors with the extraordinary resolve of practitioners who dedicated their bodies and prayers to the salvation of others.
