Enpukuji Hokyoin Pagoda

Two Kamakura Pagodas Side by Side

Enpukuji Hokyoin Pagoda (圓福寺宝篋印塔, Enpuku-ji Hōkyōintō) is a pair of late Kamakura-period stone hōkyōin pagodas in the grounds of Enpukuji Temple in Arisato-cho, Ikoma City, Nara Prefecture, one of them inscribed with a date of 1293; the two were designated together as an Important Cultural Property in 1955. They stand next to each other in the temple grounds.

A hōkyōin pagoda is a stone tower built from a square base, a cubic body, a stepped cap with ear-like corner projections, and a tall finial of stacked rings. The type began as a container for the Hōkyōin Dhāraṇī sutra.

The Agency for Cultural Affairs records the two as (1) and (2). Number (1) carries an inscription dated the 16th day of the 12th month of Einin 1, or 1293; number (2) has no inscription and is thought to be of about the same date. Both fall under one designation, with a quantity of 2.

A Dated Pagoda and Its Companion

Dated stones are the fixed points by which others are placed. Many Kamakura hōkyōin pagodas survive, but few record when they were made, and the inscription on Enpukuji Hokyoin Pagoda gives the full year, month and day.

According to Ikoma City, the text states that the pagoda was raised in the hope that sins might be wiped away and good be born for oneself and others, that all might be reborn in the Pure Land, and that benefit might reach the ancestors of seven generations, the four benefactors and every living being alike. Names that appear to be those of the donors follow, partly illegible. This is a monument to broad salvation rather than a single grave.

The uninscribed pagoda is dated by comparison. With a precisely dated stone standing beside it, the age of its partner can be judged against a firm reference. The pair was designated an Important Cultural Property in 1955 as a single set.

Telling the Two Apart

The two towers of Enpukuji Hokyoin Pagoda differ in how they present the Buddhas. Ikoma City explains that the dated one has, on its body, Sanskrit seed syllables for the Four Buddhas of the Diamond Realm: Ashuku, Hōshō, Amida and Fukūjōju. The Buddhas are represented by letters rather than images.

The other has Buddha figures carved on all four sides of its body, and lotus petals cut into the underside of the cap and the top of the base. Letters on one, figures on the other: that contrast is the reason to linger.

Ikoma City records the surviving heights as 244.0 centimetres for the dated pagoda and 240.0 centimetres for the carved-figure one, so both stand about 2.4 metres tall.

Seeing Them in Person

The grounds of Enpukuji Temple are open freely, and Enpukuji Hokyoin Pagoda can be seen at any time. Do not touch the stones; walk around both towers to compare the four faces of each. The seed syllables and inscription are shallowly cut, so raking light makes them easier to read. Directions are on the Enpukuji Temple page.