Koyasu Kannon (Child-Protection Kannon)
Koyasu Kannon (Child-Protection Kannon)
When the princess went into labor and suffered greatly, she was guided by Kokusho Myojin, who appeared in the form of an elderly man, to pray to the Kannon Bodhisattva at Anjo-ji. She safely delivered a baby boy.
From this occasion onward, the Kannon Bodhisattva of this temple came to be called Koyasu Kannon.
Safe childbirth and fertility
Imperial Princess Inoe
1.Origin of Koyasu Kannon
Imperial Princess Inoe (Inoe Naishinno, also pronounced Igami Naishinno), eldest daughter of Emperor Shomu, was banished from the capital and went into labor while suffering on her journey to this region (former Uchi District) during her late-in-life pregnancy. At that time, guided by Kokusho Myojin who appeared in the form of an elderly man, she prayed to the Kannon Bodhisattva at Anjo-ji and safely delivered a baby boy. Following this event, the Kannon Bodhisattva of Anjo-ji came to be called Koyasu Kannon.
2.History of Anjo-ji
Kokusho-ji later changed its name to Anjo-ji and became widely revered by people as a temple for fertility and safe childbirth. Anjo-ji was originally called Shinkosan Kokusho-ji when first established. It was founded by En no Gyoja (also known as En no Ozunu), the founder of Shugendo, toward the end of the Asuka period. Later, when Empress Monmu sought counsel from En no Gyoja regarding the birth of a male heir, she was instructed to pray to the principal image of Shinkosan Kokusho-ji, the Eleven-Faced Kannon Bodhisattva. When she did so, the imperial prince (later Emperor Shomu) was born safely. The emperor was greatly pleased and renamed the temple Shinkosan Anjo-ji in honor of fertility and safe childbirth.
3.Traditions of Anjo-ji
Later, Emperor Shomu ascended to the throne, and in the spring of Tenpyo 9, he constructed the temple buildings of Anjo-ji and designated it as his imperial temple. The fact that Imperial Princess Inoe, Emperor Shomu’s eldest daughter, successfully achieved safe childbirth at the advanced age of 57 was also due to her prayers to the Eleven-Faced Kannon Bodhisattva, the principal image of Anjo-ji. By that time, it had come to be called Koyasu Kannon.
Eleven-Faced Kannon Bodhisattva Statue
The Kannon who brings safe childbirth
During the reign of the 49th Emperor Konin, Imperial Princess Inoe, Imperial Prince Sawara, and Imperial Prince Osabe were falsely accused by Fujiwara no Momokawa and exiled to Uchi District in this province.
Moreover, Imperial Princess Inoe was pregnant and had entered her final month, enduring pain throughout the journey. She had taken refuge in the mountain shadows of a place called Kurino in Ooka Village when she went into labor, suffering from the pain of difficult childbirth.
At that moment, an elderly man (actually an incarnation of Kokusho Myojin) came forward and said: “Beyond this mountain there is a Kannon Bodhisattva of miraculous efficacy. The temple is called Anjo-ji. It was established by En no Gyoja through his connection with Kokusho Myojin. When Empress Monmu, who devoted herself to En no Gyoja, prayed for the birth of a male child at his recommendation, her prayers were answered without fail, and a prince was born safely. That prince is your father, the later Emperor Shomu.”
He explained the origins of the Eleven-Faced Kannon Bodhisattva at Anjo-ji regarding fertility and safe childbirth, saying, “It is possible to transform difficult birth into safe birth.” He also said, “This is why everyone calls it ‘Koyasu Kannon.’ Please face toward the Kannon and pray.”
Imperial Princess Inoe was convinced by the old man’s words… She purified herself with water and prayed with utmost sincerity: “Namu kimyo chorai (I take refuge and bow respectfully) to the Eleven-Faced Kannon. Please grant that the prince may be born safely and peacefully.” Without delay, the prince was born peacefully… In this way, she successfully gave birth to the young prince safely and without suffering.
The above is excerpted from the “Brief Record of the Origins of Anjo-ji in Uchi District, Yamato Province” (Genroku 16 [1703]).
The fact that she achieved safe childbirth at the advanced age of 57 truly demonstrates the miraculous efficacy of Koyasu Kannon.
Komochi-ishi (Child-bearing Stone)
Protective stone for safe childbirth
Our temple has deep connections with “komochi-ishi” (child-bearing stones), which are considered stones for safe childbirth in various regions. Many child-bearing stones carried by the current from the Kongo Mountains can be seen in the Uchi River that flows east of the temple.
Academically, these child-bearing stones constitute geological strata called the Izumi Group. Toward the end of the Cretaceous period of the Mesozoic Era, massive amounts of pebbles, gravel, and sand carried by rivers were deposited on the seabed near land. Over 80 million years, they solidified and became rock, which is technically called conglomerate.
The conglomerate of the Izumi Group is characterized by being densely packed with colorful pebbles of red, green, white, and other hues, making it both rare and extremely beautiful. The stones for safe childbirth, komochi-ishi, and the temple for safe childbirth, Anjo-ji—one cannot help but feel an extraordinary connection between them.
Komochi-ishi Map
Komochi-ishi Spot
——————Fujioka Family Residence——————
NPO Uchinono-kan Registered Tangible Cultural Property "Fujioka Family Residence"
