Nyonindo is located at the Fudo Slope Entrance of the Koyasan in Wakayama
prifecture.
Koyasan has been the strict buddhist training ground.
Therefore women were not allowed to enter Koyasan before 1872.
Originally there were seven different mountain trails leading to Koyasan
from below.
There were seven residences for women pilgims at each of seven entrances.
Those seven women residences were called Nyonindo.
Now there is only one remaining at the Fudo Slope Entrance.
Nyonin-do (“Kii meisho Zue” guide book in
18th century)
This is a facility for women who visit Mt.
Koya from various countries to stay. There is a Nyonin-do at each of the seven
entrances to Mt. Koya, but this hall is said to be the largest. Women have been
forbidden to enter the central area of ??Mt. Koya since
ancient times. We do not go into detail about the reason, but touch on it
briefly.
Kukai (Kobo Daishi) never hated women. His
teachings teach that "women are the origin of people, and they are the
ones who spread the family line and inherit the family."
However, when men and women get too close,
they can be drawn to each other by desire. Therefore, no matter how hard a
disciple trains, there is a possibility that he will make an unexpected
mistake. For this reason, the teaching has been passed down that "too
closeness is the cause of many evil deeds."
In addition, an order from Emperor K?nin
also prohibited men from entering nunneries and women from approaching
monasteries. This is due to a deep thought to cut off delusions and desires,
and we should understand its meaning.
If a devout woman were to stay in this Nyonin-do
hall for one night, bow down to the temple buildings (such as the main Garan
Temple complex) and pray from there, and if she were to make some kind of
merit, no matter how small, with all her heart, she would be able to escape
from a world of long delusion and enter a world of eternal enlightenment.