古都京都の世界文化遺産・西本願寺 / Nishi Hongan Ji - Kyoto World Cultural Heritage

京都駅から一番近いお寺は「本願寺」のはずです。京都駅の周りに二つの「本願寺」があります。その二つのお寺は「西本願寺」と「東本願寺」です。しかし、今週は「西本願寺」を紹介します。どうしてですか？実は「西本願寺」は浄土真宗本願寺派の本山です。その「浄土真宗本願寺派」は日本で一万以上のお寺があります。海外で二百以上のお寺もあります。たぶん昔で「浄土真宗本願寺派」は重い影響と権利があるので、だから京都で「本願寺」を分けなければなりませんでした。面白いですよ。
The temple or shrine that was located closest to 'Kyoto Station' should be 'Hongan Ji'. In fact there are 2 'Hongan Ji' located near 'Kyoto Station'. The names of the 2 temples are 'Nishi Hongan Ji' and 'Higashi Hongan Ji'. However, I would only be introducing 'Nishi Hongan Ji' this week. This is because 'Nishi Hongan Ji' was the head temple of 'Jodo Shinshu Hongan Ji Sect'. This sect had more than 10 thousand temples in Japan and more than 200 temples around the world. Maybe it is because of the power and the influence the sect had over the people of Japan in the older days, hence they were forced to split 'Hongan Ji' into 'Nishi Hongan Ji' and 'Higashi Hongan Ji'. Isn't it interesting?

以下は「西本願寺」の境内の写真：
The following were photos taken in the compound of 'Nishi Hongan Ji':

残念でした。僕は「西本願寺」へ来たとき、たぶん「親鸞聖人750回大遠忌」を準備中、 だから様々な文化遺産が見られませんでした。やはり、残念でした。 Actually I was pretty disappointed when I was paying a visit to 'Nishi Hongan Ji'. This is because the place was probably preparing for the major event of the '750th death anniversary of Shin Ran Sho Nin', therefore a lot of cultural assets were inaccessible.

もし皆さん「西本願寺」で参りたかったら、「親鸞聖人750回大遠忌」のために、
現在から2012年1月まで行った方がいいですよ。あそこで「親鸞聖人750回大遠忌」の雰囲気を気にする、「浄土真宗本願寺派」の認識をどんどん深めるようになります。
If you want to visit 'Nishi Hongan Ji', for the sake of the major event of the '750th death anniversary of Shin Ran Sho Nin', I would recommend you to either do it now or make a trip there before Jan 2012. Immersing yourself into the event, might bring you closer to the studies of 'Jodo Shinshu Hongan Ji Sect'.

* こちは「西本願寺」の資料です。
^ こちは「親鸞聖人750回大遠忌」の資料です。
~ こちは僕が「西本願寺」に撮るの写真です。
* Click here to find out more about 'Nishi Hongan Ji'.
^ Click here to find out more about 'Shin Ran Sho Nin 750th death anniversary'.
  (In Japanese Only.)
~ Click here for the photos of 'Nishi Hongan Ji' that was taken by me.