The world of “Gokuraku” with golden luster

What was reported to western society regarding Japan for the first time is, as far as I know, “The travels of Marco Polo”. He told his friend what he had experienced and heard from others on his journey to China in the 13th century, and his friend left them out. This book says that Japan was the country of gold. It is said that this book involved much fictions, but in Japan at that time there was place which he talked about. It was Hiraizumi.


Hiraizumi is located in Iwate prefecture in the north-east of the Honshu approximately 450Km from Tokyo. Hiraizumi in the 12th century had produced gold and sustained prosperity independently very far from Kyoto which was the capital of Japan at that time. The lords of Hiraizumi for four generations had contributed their assets to Buddhism on the hills of Chuson-ji and one lord built the Golden Hall. It gathered great popularity and its reputation seemed to be transferred to China.


You can see it as it was built in 1124 thanks to the big project of the overall repair in the 20th century. I would like you to see it even though you spend much time on your journey. Because it is the most visible creation of the Amitabha’s Heavens in English, Sukhavati in Sanskrit that is old Indian language and “Gokuraku-Jodo” in Japanese. Besides, because you can know the spirituality of the people who had been suffering from many actions in their lives at that time, it is the original spiritual spring of Buddhism continuing to the present Japanese people subconsciously.

Why was the Golden Hall built?




The Golden Hall is adorned with gold leaves, black lacquer, great green shells and ivory apart from the roof. Great green shells and ivory aren’t able to be produced in Japan, then the lord gathered them from abroad. What did make him do? He was suffering from battle, devastation and killing in this area. And he hoped eagerly to be reborn in Gokuraku-Jodo after his death and prayed that all the ordinary people who were suffering from their wrongdoings would be saved by Amitabha Tathagata (Amida-Nyorai in Japanese). Then he build it in order to represent the world of Gokuraku-Jodo. The people at that time believed the idea that the people who imagined Gokuraku-Jodo vividly were able to be reborn in Gokuraku-Jodo under the slogan; “Give up the success and prosperity along with wrongdoings in the real world. Hope to be reborn in Gokuraku-Jodo”.

The world of Gokuraku-Jodo




In Amitabha Sutra, which is one of the many Sutras in Buddhism and which teaches salvation to people, Shaka who was the founder of Buddhism says as follows;

“Shari Putra(a disciple of Shaka), why we named that land “Gokuraku”(Heaven in English) is because the people in that land receive no suffering but a lot of various pleasure and enjoyment.

Shari Putra, in the land there are seven beautiful fences, seven layered nets adorned with precious stones and seven rows of lined trees. Moreover these are made by four treasures, gold, silver, lapis lazuli and crystal at every turn. Thus we named it Gokuraku.

Shari Putra, there are seven ponds made by seven treasures and water with magical power fills them. In the bottom of the ponds gold sand is laid and there are stairs made of gold, silver, lapis lazuli and crystal. There is a tower on the shore which is adorned beautifully with gold, silver, lapis lazuli, crystal, giant clam shells, red pearls and agate. There are big lotus flowers like wheels in these ponds, blue lotus flowers shed blue light, yellow lotus flowers shed yellow light, red lotus flowers shed red light and white lotus flowers shed white light, all of them are beautiful and the aroma cast from them are noble and clean.

Shari Putra, the land of Gokuraku has such a beautiful appearance.”

In addition, the depiction of the many residents with Amitabha Tathagata and many saints in Gokuraku by Shaka continues in detail. Finally Shaka says how to be reborn in Gokuraku.

“Shari Putra, If people knew the appearance of Gokuraku, they would be able to hope to be reborn there. They can meet great saints in Gokuraku.

However, Shari Putra, they aren’t able to be reborn by a little virtue.

Shari Putra, If a good person hears the name of Amitabha Tathagata and notes it in his heart and concentrates on it without diffuse for a day, by the second day, by the third day, by the forth day, by the fifth day, by the sixth day and by the seventh day, when he is about to die, Amitabha Tathagata with many saints will come to him in order to welcome and bring him to Gokuraku. Finally when he is dead he can be reborn in Gokuraku.”

The influence of Gokuraku on Japanese people  


The depiction of Gokuraku-Jodo is similar to the picture of the Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo, I think. However in Japan Amitabha Tathagata will come to whoever notes his name without his judgement. Amitabha Tathagata doesn’t want to make a contract with you in return for his protection and it’s up to you whether you note the name of Amitabha Tathagata or not. Moreover after approximately fifty years since the establishment of the Golden Hall, an easier notion of Amitabha Tathagata aiding as follows was taught by Shinran.

 “Amitabha Tathagata exists for saving all of the suffering people. Then a good person saying the name of Amitabha Tathagata, of course, will be saved and even a bad person saying the name of Amitabha Tathagata must be saved because a bad person is suffering from his wrongdoings rather than a good person.”

In western society Zen Buddhism is known, but the thoughts of Gokuraku-Jodo (Jodo means the sacred pure land) pierced the Japanese people at that time before Zen. 

And the image of Gokuraku-Jodo was shared between the people via the Edo period to the early Showa period.

The Japanese people at that time believed in the reincarnation and they hoped to be reborn in Gokuraku-Jodo. For almost all people their lives were not good enough, on the other hand they haven’t desired greed nor haven’t abandoned themselves to despair. This spirituality became the honest behavior of the Japanese, I think.

By the way, “7” is the most important number in Buddhism as with Christianity.


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