▁member ▁of ▁the ▁T end ai ▁sect ▁and ▁sub ordinate ▁to ▁Sh ō ren - in ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 2 th ▁century ▁until ▁ 1 9 4 9 ▁when ▁it ▁founded ▁its ▁own ▁religious ▁body . ▁The ▁object ▁of ▁worship ▁is ▁es oter ic ▁and ▁unique ▁to ▁the ▁temple . ▁It ▁is ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁founded ▁by ▁a ▁dis ci ple ▁of ▁J ian z hen . ▁ ▁Situ ated ▁in ▁se cluded ▁w ilder ness ▁at ▁the ▁base ▁of ▁Mount ▁Kur ama , ▁it ▁is ▁accessible ▁by ▁its ▁own ▁cable ▁car ▁line , ▁the ▁Kur ama - der a ▁C able . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁temple ▁was ▁founded ▁in ▁the ▁ 8 th ▁century ▁AD . ▁Its ▁orig ins ▁are ▁histor ically ▁unclear , ▁but ▁it ▁is ▁said ▁that ▁the ▁Chinese ▁mon k ▁J ian z hen ▁initi ated ▁a ▁dis ci ple ▁into ▁the ▁Buddh ist ▁path , ▁who ▁saw ▁in ▁a ▁dream ▁in ▁ 7 7 2 ▁that ▁Mount ▁Kur ama ▁had ▁a ▁spiritual ▁power ▁and ▁built ▁an ▁es oter ic ▁temple ▁to ▁concent rate ▁and ▁control ▁this ▁power . ▁It ▁was ▁burn ed ▁down ▁many ▁times ▁throughout ▁the ▁medieval ▁era ▁but ▁the ▁Buddh ist ▁stat ues ▁and ▁tre asures ▁inside ▁it ▁were ▁always ▁res cu ed ▁and ▁are ▁today ▁National ▁Tre asures . ▁It ▁is ▁still ▁believed ▁today ▁that ▁t engu ▁and ▁other ▁mountain ▁spirits ▁live ▁in ▁this ▁area . ▁ ▁The ▁temple ▁switched ▁between ▁three ▁different ▁Buddh ist ▁sect s ▁over ▁the ▁centuries . ▁Finally ,