英語訳
Sazae-dō (Spiral Hall) Located to the left inside the main gate, standing alongside the Tennō-den (Heavenly King Hall). The principal images are Byakue Kannon (White-robed Kannon), Gyoran Kannon (Fish-basket Kannon), as well as Amida Buddha, Seishi Bodhisattva, Jizō Bodhisattva, and others. The upper circuit represents the thirty-three sacred sites of Saigoku, the middle circuit represents the thirty-three sites of Bandō, and the lower circuit represents the thirty-four sites of Chichibu, totaling one hundred pilgrimage sites.
One hundred Kannon statues are enshrined, mimicking the sacred sites of Kannon, along with statues of the fifty-three good spiritual friends from the Avatamsaka assembly. The temple's restorer, Priest Shōsen, concentrated his ingenuity and, taking the intention that the supreme dharma practice of circumambulating rightward three times is the most excellent and foremost, constructed this in the first year of Kanpō (1741), the year of the metal rooster. By circumambulating rightward three times, one can ascend the three-story tower. Common people call it Sazae-dō (Turban Shell Hall), and it became the standard for constructing three-circuit halls in later generations. Its ingenious mechanism deserves praise.
[Plaque] Hung inside the front worship hall, written by Priest Setsson of this temple.
[Plaque] Hung under the eaves of the second floor of the same hall, written by Priest Shōsen of this temple.
Tennō-den (Heavenly King Hall)
Standing to the right of the same location. Inside are enshrined wooden statues of Hotei Priest of Kinzan Temple, Guardian Guan Di, Idaten, Bishamonten, Zōchōten and other heavenly beings, as well as Kimnara King. Each was created by Zen Master Shōun and established in the sixteenth year of Kyōhō (1731).
[Plaque "Ten'on-zan"] Hung under the eaves of the Tennō-den, written by Priest Hōshū of this temple.
Forbidden Stone Located in front of the Arhat Hall.
Temple Banner Poles Standing on the left and right of the same location. Said to have been first erected in the third month of the thirteenth year of Kyōhō (1728).
Zen Hall Located behind the right side of the same location.
[Plaque] Hung under the eaves of the same hall, written by Mokuan of Ōbaku.
Reception Hall Standing alongside the same location.
[Plaque] Hung under the eaves, written by Hosoi Kyūkō.
Wisteria Trellis Located beside the honorable seat. Said to have been first planted in the fourth year of Genbun (1739), the year of the earth sheep.
Bell Tower Located in front of the temple kitchen. In the ninth year of Genroku (1696), it was built by Lady Kōshōin-den, the wife of Makino Bingo-no-kami Narisada. The inscription was composed by Priest Tetsugyū of Kōfuku-ji Temple.
Bell Inscription with Preface for Ten'on-zan Five Hundred Great Arhat Zen Temple
The Five Hundred Great Arhat Temple of Ten'on-zan in Musashi Province was founded by the monk Shōun during the Genroku era. In the spring of the metal sheep year, Shōun came from the capital and said to this old monk: "This disciple has loved carving statues since childhood, and now has made a vow to carve five hundred arhats as a field of merit for sentient beings. However, my karmic connections for merit are weak, so I humbly hope that the priest will compassionately exercise great skillful means and bestow invisible protection." The old monk sighed and said: "This vow is extremely difficult to fulfill, but whether it succeeds or not depends not on the abundance of karmic merit connections, but entirely on whether the vow-mind is genuine or not. If the intention is sincere, then karmic merit connections exist among sentient beings—do not worry about it." The old monk agreed to support him, donated his clothing funds to carve the first statue, and also encouraged Zuishō and Kyokuho to each carve one statue. By the first month of spring in the year of the water rooster, fifty statues were completed. When they requested the old monk to perform the eye-opening ceremony, there were auspicious signs of earth tremors and drifting clouds. On that day, work began on the six-foot-tall statue of the Buddha holding a flower. In the third month of the wood dog year, the Empress Dowager Keishōin donated gold to carve and construct ten statues. From then on, through successive fundraising efforts, in the span of three to five years, the vow was almost fulfilled. How inconceivable! When the achievement reached the emperor's ears, in the autumn of the seventh month of the wood boar year, land was finally granted, and in the eighth month, Priest Kōsen of Ōbaku, who happened to be at the government office, was requested to perform the eye-opening ceremony for the six-foot-tall flower-holding statue. In the fourth month of summer in the fire rat year, a ten-day dharma assembly was held at the newly opened Great Arhat Temple, paying homage to three thousand sacred names and extending offerings universally to the four assemblies. They also requested the old monk to offer incense. Officials and commoners, young and old, men and women, all hurried to attend the victorious assembly and rejoiced. Was this not a magnificent event unprecedented in the world? Shōun was a cousin of my dharma brother Priest Tetsugen, and his character was pure, sincere, tolerant, and magnanimous. No matter how many affairs came competing for attention, he never showed signs of fatigue. Without being like this, how could he have fulfilled such a great vow? His merit and virtue would remain unchanged even after a thousand ages. Here, Lady Kōshōin-den Reigan Jidaishi, the wife of Lord Makino, Junior Fourth Rank Lower, Governor of Bizen Province Narisada, donated gold to cast a great bronze bell. On the day of its completion, she requested the old monk to strike it first and also asked for an inscription, so I composed this inscription:
On the sea of Buryō, a new Zen garden is founded / Wishing to cast a Pulao bell, the founder is greatly troubled
The great furnace completes the casting, its sound shaking whales and giant fish / The great thousand worlds become its mouth, swallowing mountains and rivers in reverse