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In Ikoma City, Nara Prefecture, there is Hozanji Temple, which is known as “Shoten-san of Ikoma”. It is known as a temple of the common people’s worship that prays for the profits of this world and the prohibition of drinking. At the entrance of Hozanji Temple, a large torii stands as if it hits the heavens. There are rare temples where you can see torii gates, because the temple enshrines the god of the heavens. The gods of the heavens are Brahman gods before the establishment of Buddhism, and after the establishment of Buddhism, they are positioned as guardian deities of Buddhism. Brahma, Four Tenno, Benzaiten, Daikokuten, Kongorikishi, Seiten, etc. are the gods of heavens. Hozanji Temple has come to be nicknamed “Shoten-san of Ikoma” because it is a temple that enshrines Hozanji. Shoten is also called “Kangiten”, and in the “Shoten-do” behind the main hall, the secret Buddha of the male and female gods hugging each other, “Daisyo Kangiten soshin Statue” is enshrined. In 1678 during the Edo period, Tankai, a high priest, carved a “Daisyo Kangiten soshin Statue” with his own hands in a place that was originally a place of training for nature worship (spirit worship, animism) that had existed in Japan for a long time. It was enshrined and became the founder of Hozanji Temple. It was enshrined and became the founder of Hozanji Temple. The area around Hozanji Temple is a powerful power spot that anyone who is interested in knows, and although it is near the city, it is a place where the mystery and a mysterious aura is tense, and even now, 3 million worshipers visit every year.
奈良県生駒市に「生駒の聖天さん」で親しまれている宝山寺があります。商売繁盛の現世利益や禁酒といった断ちものを祈願する庶民信仰の寺として知られています。宝山寺の入り口には天を衝く大鳥居が立っています。寺院で鳥居を見かけることがまれにありますが、それはその寺院が天部の神様を祀っているからです。天部の神様とは、仏教成立以前のバラモン教の神々であり、仏教の成立後は仏教の守護神として位置づけられています。梵天、四天王、弁財天、大黒天、金剛力士、聖天などが天部です。宝山寺はこの内、聖天を祀る寺院であることから「生駒の聖天さん」と愛称されるようになりました。聖天は「歓喜天(かんぎてん)」とも呼ばれ、本堂の後ろにある「聖天堂」には、抱きあう男女神の秘仏「大聖歓喜双身天像」が安置されています。元々日本に古くからあった自然崇拝(精霊崇拝、アニミズム)の修行の場であった所に、江戸時代の1678年に湛海律師が自らの手で「大聖歓喜双身天像」を彫り、それを祀って宝山寺の開祖になりました。宝山寺周辺は知る人ぞ知る強力なパワースポットで、都会の近くありながら、謎めいた神秘的なオーラが張りつめ場所で、現在でも年間300万人の参拝客が訪れています。