The land of "Karma and Connections"

　It was towards the end of Nara era in Japan, while the 49th Emperor Kounin (709 - 781) was ill in bed, an old man with grey beard (God Spirit) had appeared to him in his sleep. The old man pointed his location and told to enshrine him there.
　The emperor woke up with surprise, sent his envoy to the place told in the dream, where the envoy party was mystified and halted by a glowing mountain. It was not long before a sacred white dog appeared and led them to the top of the mountain.
　There was another mysterious and particular happening with this trip of search. When they were treading into the versant of the mountain, they heard some indescribably serene melody surrounding them from nowhere (the area is supposed to be the village presently known as Ouchi, Higashi-honme-cho). The envoy reported every event they had gone through in detail to the emperor, who gave an imperial command to build a temple at the site.
　 The emperor soon recovered and the temple construction was completed and named “Gakuon-ji” after the music the envoy had heard. (The temple still exists and is well looked after by the villagers)
　 It was not only once that the old man with grey beard (God Spirit) appeared to Emperor in his sleep and told to visit and bow to the gods at this temple. It occurred twice later in Heian era to the 72nd Shirakawa Emperor (1053 - 1129) and the 79th Goshirakawa Emperor (1127 - 1192) and they both visited the temple to prayer.
　 Both emperors, after these dreams, strengthened their faith, lived nearby this temple after their abdications and passed away here. They were also lied in their grave at one of the summit of Yastuo mountain, known as Kakuchouryou.
The temple was maintained for long time since then, and the imperial offering of cloth and food had been bestowed. These descriptions appear in the local history book of Kameoka.
　 Another legend says that Tagakou (the organisation of Taga Shrine’s followers) had been the landlord of this area. It all seems to be the ties and relations of this sort that we could build the Shrine of the faith to Taga-oomikami and other Buddha and bodhisattvas.