Rokushō-ji


Rokushō-ji is a collective name for six related Buddhist temples in northeastern Kyoto, Japan.
Six independently constructed and endowed temples have come to be known collectively as the "Six Victorious Temples", encompassing monasteries which had each enjoyed extravagant Imperial patronage from their inception. They are sometimes identified as the "Superlative Temples" or the "Shō Temples" because of the middle syllable of the temple name.

History

The collective name of the Rokushō-ji was formalized in the early Heian period. The Rokushō-ji had a particular function within the Imperial Cloistered rule. The Rokushō-ji were "sacred vow temples" built by imperial command following a precedent established by Emperor Shirakawa's
Hosshō-ji. Although these temple complexes were ostensibly established for a presumptively pious purpose,
The Rokushō-ji were also called the six "Superiority Temples;" and each were uniquely dedicated to an aspect of esoteric Buddhist ontology, as in