Shippōzan Renge-ji Temple
Sect: Omuro School of Shingon Buddhism
Principal Image: Eleven-Headed Avalokiteśvara (Jūichimen Kannon Bosatsu)
Mantra: On Rokei Jinbara Kiriku
Founder: Gyōki Bosatsu
Established: 724
Temple Hymns (Go-eika):
Saving all people without cease, Avalokiteśvara endures through a thousand ages, in this temple of lotus blooms.
Reflecting upon the deep compassion of Kannon, I come once again today to this temple of lotus blossoms.
Brief History of Renge-ji
Renge-ji traces its origins to the Jinki era (724–728) of the Nara period, during the reign of Emperor Shōmu. It is said that when Gyōki Bosatsu was traveling throughout the provinces to spread the Dharma, he passed through this region and witnessed an auspicious vision: purple clouds drifting over the hills of Maeyama, within which appeared an image of Kannon.
Hearing from local villagers that there was a lotus pond on the southern hillside, Gyōki ascended the mountain and found pure spring water welling forth, with red and white lotus flowers in full bloom, evoking the serenity of the Pure Land. Moved by this sacred sight, he recognized the place as holy ground, built a hall, carved an image of Kannon, and enshrined it—thus marking the founding of the temple.
In the medieval period, the present Main Hall was first constructed under the patronage of Nakamura Mimasaka-no-kami, the castellan of Ikeda Castle. Thereafter, until the end of the Edo period, the temple was protected and supported by the Nakamura family.
Formally known as Shippōzan Kōmyō-in Renge-ji, a temple of the Omuro School of Shingon Buddhism, it has long been revered as a principal image for warding off calamities and inviting good fortune. Through the unbroken transmission of the Dharma lamp, the temple has continued to the present day.
The principal image, the Standing Statue of the Eleven-Headed Kannon, is a single-block cherry-wood carving from the late Heian period. It was designated an Important Cultural Property of Tokushima Prefecture in 1954.
Renge-ji serves as a designated temple of the Awa Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage (No. 18) and the New Shikoku Mandala Pilgrimage (No. 64).