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Gion worship (祇園信仰,Gion shinkō) is a Shinto cult. Originally it revolved solely aroundGozu Tenno, but during theSeparation of Shinto and Buddhism of theMeiji era the government mandated it shift to revolving aroundSusanoo.[1]
The main shrines areYasaka Shrine in Kyoto,Hiromine Shrine inHyogo Prefecture,[2] andTsushima Shrine inAichi Prefecture
There are many other cults of Susanoo that are not derived from the Gion faith, but rather from indigenous Shinto traditions without Buddhist influence.[citation needed] These includeSusa Shrine, andYaegaki Shrine.[citation needed]
Gozu Tenno was originally aBuddhist-styleOnmyōdō deity, and is generally considered to be the guardian deity ofJetavana, the monastery wherethe Buddha studied.[3][4]
According to legend, from the 6th to 7th centuries CE,Hōdō traveled from India through China and theKorean kingdom ofBaekje and eventually arrived inJapan. He is recognized as the founder of temples in the mountains ofHarima Province and is associated with severalchokugan-ji (勅願寺), Buddhist temples built at the request of the reigning emperor.[5]
Tradition holds that when Hōdō came to Japan, he was accompanied by the deityGozu Tennō (牛頭天王;Sanskrit:Gośīrṣa devarāja), who was later enshrined atHiromine Shrine andYasaka Shrine and is venerated in theGion faith.[5]
While engaged in ascetic practice onMount Rokkō at theKumoga Iwa Rock (雲ヶ岩), Hōdō is said to have been approached by the deityVaiśravaṇa riding on purple clouds. It was after this encounter that Hōdō built Tamon-ji inHyōgo Prefecture to enshrine the Kumoga Iwa Rock,Rokkō-Hime-Daizen-no-Kami (六甲比命大善神), and theShinkyō Iwa Rock.[6]
The description inShinnaiden [ja] is prominent. In China, he was influenced byTaoism, and in Japan, he further merged with Susanoo, theKami ofShinto. This is because both Gozu Tenno and Susanoo were considered to be plague gods.[7] He was considered to be the BuddhaBhaisajyaguru.[1]
The cult began in theHeian period, and the original form of the Gion faith was to prevent epidemics by comforting the god of pestilence. In the late 10th century, the citizens of Kyoto began to hold a festival atYasaka Shrine (then known as Gion Shrine) which became known asGion Matsuri.[8][9] By the Middle Ages, the Gion faith had spread throughout the country, and Gion shrines or Gyototenno shrines were created to enshrine Gyotenno, and the Goryokai (or Tenno Festival) was held as a ritual procession.[10]
In the Meiji era (1868–1912), theSeparation of Buddhism and Shinto banned Buddhist rituals at shrines and prohibited the use of Buddhist words such as "Gozu Tenno" and "Gion" in the names of deities and company names, so Gion Shrine and Gozu Tenno Shrine became shrines dedicated to Susanoo and changed their names.[1]
At Hiromine Shrine there is a quite different Gion cult revolving around agriculture rather than protection from disease. Interestingly Susanoo/Gozu Tenno is often observed as more intimidating in this tradition taking on elements of ajinushigami.[11]: 124–125
There are many Gion shrines,Yasaka Shrine being the most prominent.[2] Others include:
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