Seiryu Gongen (Seiryo Gongen) (清瀧権現)
Seiryu Gongen (清瀧権現), or Seiryo Gongen, is a guardian goddess of Daigo-ji Temple, the grand head temple of the Shingon sect Daigo-ha branch in the Fushimi Ward of Kyoto City. Additionally, it is called Seiryu Daigongen (Seiryo Daigongen) and is also written as 清滝権現 (Seiryu Gongen, Seiryo Gongen). Honjibutsu, the original Buddhist identity of a Shinto deity, is Jundei Kannon and Nyoirin Kannon.
Seiryu Gongen isn't described in Kyoki (sutra), but according to Kukai's Goyuigo (written will) it was Zennyo Ryuo, (Dragon King Zennyo) the third (also said to be fourth) daughter of Shakara (Sakara, Shagara), one of the Hachidai Ryuo (the eight dragon kings of Indian myth), and lived in Munetsuchi (無熱池) (a legendary pond that is said to be located in the Himalayas). There are two kinds of dragons--good and evil--and Zennyo Ryuo was a good dragon who did not do harm; it is a golden snake of 2.5 cm long who appeared with the respect of the dharma of mantra, Shingon, and stands atop a snake of about 3 meters long. It is said that it appeared at the time of a religious ceremony to pray for rainfall held by Kukai at Shinsen-en.
Zennyo Ryuo came flying to Shoryu-ji Temple (Qinglongsi Temple) in China, where Mikkyo was guarded, and became a guardian goddess of the temple, 'Seiryu.'
In later years, when Kobo-daishi Kukai visited Seiryu-ji Temple and learned Buddhism, he begged to be given Samaya-vrata but it was not permitted. When Kukai came back to Japan, it appeared in a ship and Kukai swore to guard Mikkyo, so that it was transferred by praying at the foot of Mt. Takao-san in Rakusai, Kyoto.
At that time it crossed the sea so that it came to be called 'Seiryu Gongen (清瀧権現)' with respect in Japan, adding the left-hand radical of 'Sanzui (sense of water)' to the Chinese character, 龍 (dragon). Accordingly, the name of the river at the foot of Mt. Takao-san was changed to Kiyotaki (清滝）. Moreover, Eun was invited to pray when transferring it to Ansho-ji Temple.
After Seiryu Gongen came flying to Japan and visited various temples, it descended to the peak of Daigo-ji Temple, in the present place, in around 900 by the invocations of Shobo. Subsequently it became the goddess that guarded Shingon Mikkyo, which has been transmitted in that temple.
In 1097, Shokaku separated Daigo-ji Temple into the upper and lower parts of the mountain, so that in 'Kami-Daigo (the upper part of Daigo),' where Seiryu Gongen is said to have descended; at the front of the Daigo-sui spring stands 'Seiryu-gu Haiden,' a national treasure, which was built during the Muromachi period, and in 'Shimo-Daigo (the lower part of Daigo),' which is at the foot of Mt. Daigo-san, stands 'Seiryu-gu Honden,' a national important cultural property.