(76) (76) Nakamura’s last statement is the first allusion to the woman as … They were hung on each side of a large offertory box. . Ac- cording to D. P. Singhal, author of Japan was not, of course, a religiously deprived country before Buddhism was introduced; religion existed, but it was scattered and varied. (And even if they did, does this mean they prejudicially altered Buddhism, straying farther from the true Path?) Three interpretations are: she “who has perceived sound”; she “who perceives the sounds of the world” (Birnbaum 11); and, more explicitly, “she who hearkens to the cries of the world” (Blofeld 17). After that the successive Tokugawa Shoguns had often visited Senso-ji and the belief in Kannnon of the Senso-ji had spread among common people during the Edo Period(1603-1867).Senso-ji is the oldest temple in Tokyo and also called Asakusa Kannon because it houses the Kannon, It is known throughout Japan. From the beginning, Tara had always been an attractive being; Blofeld believes the Ćhinese borrowed this aspect from Tara and combined it with Avalokitesvara’s canonical backing to form Kuan Yin. When Ennin (794-864), head priest of Enryaku-ji (the main temple of the Tendai School of Buddhism) visited Senso-ji in the mid-ninth century, he created a statue identical to the main image (absolutely Hibutsu) so that it could be shown rarely to the public.During the Kamakura Period (1185-1333), the Shoguns demonstrated great devotion to Senso-ji. Instead, the individual clans each had their own protective deities, and religious ideas and beliefs were passed down orally.4 The parenthetical “or her” designates a modern addition, since the original Buddhism did not include females in its nirvana-instruct- ing doctrines.5 Of course, all humans will never simultaneously become free of troubles; the bodhisattva therefore voluntarily offers his or her spirit for an eternity of assistance to sentient beings.7 As a final emphasis on the solid, heart-felt concern that bodhisattvas must have for sentient beings, consider this quotation from a Sanskrit text, as translated by J. J. Jones: “As it is not possible for any bird to reach the confines of the sky, so it is not possible for any man to comprehend the good qualities of the self-becoming Buddhas.” The “self-becoming Buddhas” are, of course, bodhisattvas (Hamilton, ed., 109).8 John Blofeld prescribes the proper terminology in an instance such as this, citing the Chinese worship of the “goddess” Kuan Yin for the past one thousand years: “In truth she is not a goddess but a celestial Bodhisattva” (17). Their transformation attests to an almost universal religious desire that can be satisfied only by a female “goddess” of compassion: a Kannon, a Kuan Yin, or a Maria.1 Granted, the recognition of Buddhism as a religion in Japan was gradual; the sixth century (and even more precisely 538 or 552) dates an occurrence that eventually led to national awareness and endorse- ment of Buddhism, even if at first only among members of the aristoc- racy.2 This and other non-annotated facts in the next four paragraphs on the introduction of Buddhism to Japan come from lecture notes on Buddhism and Japanese religion by Professor Jane Marie Law, Depart- ment of Asian Studies, Cornell University. Shotoku sent envoys of scholars to China for Buddhist texts and wrote commentaries and expositions of these works himself. She has 33 shapes or forms, represented on the ground floor by 33 different sculptures. The current gate was rebuilt in 1964 with a donation by Yonetaro Otani, founder of Otani Heavy Industries and Hotel New Otani.Originally built by the military commander Taira no Kinmasa in 942, Kaminari-mon Gate is the main gate of Senso-ji. Sorry, this image isn't available for this licence. Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage to 33 temples in Japan - Duration: 7:22. Kannon Bosatsu stands for God of Mercy and it is believed that he reincarnates in various forms to help the suffering.