Statue of Koyasu Enmei Jizo 聖林寺子安延命地蔵

Official explanation

Koyasu Enmei is a depiction of the bodhisattva Jizo, savior of sentient beings and protector of children. This statue, the principal object of worship at Shorinji, is modeled after a wooden version created by the Buddhist monk Monshun in the eighteenth century. At the time, many women in his area suffered from difficult childbirths, including his own sisters. Monshun set out on a pilgrimage across Japan to pray for them, carrying the wooden sculpture on his back for more than four years. When his pilgrimage was over, Monshun donated the statue to Shorinji, where it became the basis for the present granite version. Even today, it draws female worshippers praying for safe childbirth.

出典: 地域観光資源の多言語解説文データベース（観光庁） — www.mlit.go.jp/tagengo-db. この英語解説文は観光庁の地域観光資源の多言語解説整備支援事業で作成しました。
Source: Japan Tourism Agency, Multilingual Explanation Database. This English text was produced by the Japan Tourism Agency's multilingual explanation project and is shown unedited. Opening hours and services may have changed since it was written.