JJRS > Volume 24 Issue 1-2 In Search of the Dragon: Mt. Murō’s Sacred Topography

Fowler, Sherry

Download PDF

This article considers the worship of the dragon, a spirit believed to reside in the caves on Mt. Murō, and the early history of the temple of Murō-ji located in southern Nara prefecture. Throughout Murō-ji history, these dragon caves have functioned as sites considered to be particularly efficacious for conducting prayers for rain. This study uses the evidence of literature and material culture to explore the relationship between the dragon belief, agricultural rituals, and relics on Mt. Murō. A particularly compelling connection is the momitō, or rice-grain stupas, discovered inside the Miroku-dō (Maitreya Hall) on the grounds of Murō-ji.