In 724, Emperor Shomu had a dream of Amaterasu Omikami (the Sun Goddess) and got her message, 'There is a small island in Lake Biwa and as it is the holy place of Benzaiten, you must found a temple', so he sent Gyoki to Chikubushima Island as an Imperial envoy and had a temple built.
神亀元年（724年）、聖武天皇の夢に天照大神が現れ、「琵琶湖に小島があり、そこは弁才天（弁才天）の聖地であるから寺院を建立せよ」との神託があったので、行基を勅使として竹生島に遣わし寺院を開基させた。