Chion-in Temple – Area outside Seishi-do

360° VR panorama of the area in front of Seishi Hall at Chion-in (知恩院) temple, in Kyoto, Japan. The temple is built on Higashi-yama (East mountain).

Chion-in is the headquarters of the Jōdo-shū (Pure Land Sect) of Japanese Buddhism, which was founded by Hōnen. Genchi, Hōnen’s disciple, founded the temple in 1234 in memory of his master. Many of the temple buildings were burnt down in 1633, and were subsequently rebuilt with help from the shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu.

Seishi Hall (勢至堂; Seishidō) is the oldest building in Chion-in, rebuilt in 1530. It is named after the bodhisattva Seishi. Seishi is said to be the original form of Hōnen, so the hall is also known by the name Honjidō (本地堂), which means Hall of the Original Form.

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