Gobyō 御廟ごびょう

Mausoluem of Kōbō-daishi

The holiest of holies at Oku-no-in and the very reason why this enormous cemetery developed over the centuries is the Gobyō, the resting place of Kūkai (known posthumously as Kōbō-daishi). It is situated behind the large Tōrōdō Lantern hall and can be accessed through its side doors.

While the term Gobyō may be translated as mausoleum, the faithful of Mt. Kōya believe that Kūkai did not die in the ordinary sense. They profess the belief that when he left this world in 835 AD at the age of 62, he entered into a state of deep meditation (known as nyūjō) in which both breathing and the beating of the heart are suspended. His seated body, with hands positioned in the mudra for Dainichi Nyorai, is enshrined within the Gobyō.

It is believed that he will remain in this state until the appearance on Earth of Maitreya (Miroku in Japanese), the Buddha of the Future. This event is supposed to take place at Mt. Kōya in roughly 5.6 billion years from now.

The belief that Kūkai is not dead is made manifest twice a day when priests prepare and present meals to the Gobyō. (See the entry for the Ajimi Jizō.) In addition, his robes are changed annually.

The closest all but the highest ranking priests can get to the mausoleum is the fence before a border of stones and the wooden barrier surrounding the building itself. Vegetation, large artificial lotus flowers, and enormous lanterns -- not to mention a nearly constant cloud of incense -- obstruct a direct view

As one of the holiest places at Mt. Kōya, it is the setting for devout prayer and the recitation of the Heart Sutra by the faithful.

Rare postcard photo of the Gobyō (courtesy of the Institute of Kisyu Economic and Cultural History of Wakayama University)

"Shippo-mamori"

Another stark demonstration of the remarkable lengths to which the Gobyō is venerated can be seen in the measures taken by the workmen tasked with the job of making repairs.

While the mausoleum is sacrosanct, it is still a building made by humans and needs to be maintained from time to time. Among the most recent repairs was a re-thatching of the roof undertaken in preparation for the 1200th anniversary of the founding of Mt. Kōya.

Since it would be improper for ordinary workmen to look down upon the body of Kūkai, the repair work posed obvious problems. How could the laborers replace the roof without violating its sanctity?

The solution was to have them wear a cloth band around their waists with a single strip hanging down like a tail. The accessory is called a shippo-mamori, which may be translated as “tail-talisman.” The idea is that the tail temporarily transforms the wearer into a beast, which allows the custodians of the mausoleum to preserve the inviolability of the Gobyō. In addition to wearing the shippo-mamori, the workmen are also required to undergo initiation and ordination as Buddhist priests.

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Gobyō

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Gobyō

Gobyō 御廟ごびょう

Mausoluem of Kōbō-daishi

"Shippo-mamori"