Bukkō-ji
| Bukkō-ji 佛光寺 | |
|---|---|
Amitābha Hall | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Jōdo Shinshū Bukkōji-ha |
| Status | Head temple |
| Location | |
| Location | 397 Shinkai-chō, below Bukkō-ji and Takakura-dōri, Shimogyō-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture |
| Country | Japan |
Shown within Japan | |
| Coordinates | 35°00′03″N 135°45′44″E / 35.0007°N 135.7623°E |
| Architecture | |
| Founder | Shinran (acc. legend) |
| Completed | 1212 (acc. legend) |
| Website | |
| http://www.bukkoji.or.jp/english/index.html | |
Bukkō-ji (佛光寺, Bukkō-ji), also known as the "Temple of the Buddha's Light", was originally named Kōshō-ji, a Jōdo Shinshū temple in the Yamashina ward of Kyoto, which later moved to the heart of Kyoto. The temple was founded and officially opened by a disciple named Ryōgen in 1324, but by the 15th century, Bukkō-ji was the largest and most successful temple, and its network of branch temples extending throughout the provinces of western Japan. As a rival to the Hongan-ji, it received much criticism for its evangelical practices from Kakunyo the head of the Hongan-ji. Around 1481, however, Bukkō-ji became a subordinate temple to the Hongan-ji. Many of the Bukkō-ji's congregation thus became members of the Hongan-ji, thus greatly reducing the stature.
While Bukkō-ji is technically an independent Jōdo Shinshū branch it has had close links to the Hongan-ji lineage since the time of Rennyo.