Tōdai-ji (東大寺 Tōdai-ji?, meaning the Eastern Great Temple),1 is a Buddhist temple complex located in the city of Nara, Japan. Its Great Buddha Hall (大仏殿 Daibutsuden), reputedly the largest wooden building in the world, houses a colossal bronze statue of the Buddha Vairocana, known in Japanese simply as the Daibutsu (大仏) The temple also serves as the Japanese headquarters of the Kegon school of Buddhism. The temple is a listed UNESCO World Heritage site as "Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara," together with seven other sites including temples, shrines and places in the city of Nara. Sika deer, regarded as messengers of the gods in the Shinto religion, roam the grounds freely.
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History
Roots
The beginning of building a temple where the huge Tōdai-ji complex sits today can be dated to 743, when Emperor Shōmu established Kinshōsen-ji (金鐘山寺) as an appeasement for Prince Motoi, his first son with his Fujiwara clan consort Kōmyōshi. Prince Motoi died a year after his birth.
During the Tempyō era, Japan suffered from a series of disasters and epidemics. It was after experiencing these problems that Emperor Shōmu issued an edict in 741 to promote the construction of Provincial temples throughout the nation. Tōdai-ji (still Kinshōsen-ji at the time) was appointed as the Provincial temple of Yamato Province and the head of all the Provincial temples. With the alleged coup d'état by Nagaya in 729, an outbreak of smallpox around 735 - 737, worsened by consecutive years of poor crops, then followed by a rebellion led by Fujiwara no Hirotsugu in 740, the country was in a chaotic position. Emperor Shōmu had been forced to move the capital four times, indicating the level of instability during this period.2
Role in Early Japanese Buddhism
Under the Ritsuryō system of government in the Nara Period, Buddhism was heavily regulated by the state through the Sōgō (僧綱? Office of Priestly Affairs). During this time, Tōdai-ji served as the central administrative temple for the provincial temples3 for the six Buddhist schools in Japan at the time: the Hossō, Kegon, Jōjitsu, Sanron, Ritsu and Kusha. Letters dating from this time also show that all six Buddhist schools had offices at Tōdai-ji, complete with administrators, shrines and their own library.3
Japanese Buddhism during this time still maintained the lineage of the Vinaya and all officially licensed monks had to take their ordination under the Vinaya at Tōdai-ji. In 754, ordination was given by Ganjin, who arrived in Japan after overcoming hardships over 12 years and six attempts of crossing the sea from China, to Empress Kōken, former Emperor Shōmu and others. Later Buddhist monks, including Kūkai and Saichō took their ordination here as well.4 During Kūkai's administration of the Sōgō, additional ordination ceremonies were added to Tōdai-ji, including ordination of the Bodhisattva Precepts from the Brahma Net Sutra and the esoteric Precepts, or Samaya, from Kukai's own newly established Shingon school of Buddhism. Additionally, Kūkai added an Abhiseka Hall for the use of initiating monks of the six Nara schools into the esoteric teachings.3 by 829.
During its height of power, Tōdai-ji's famous Shuni-e ceremony was established by the monk Jitchū, and continues to this day.
Decline
As the center of power in Japanese Buddhism shifted away from Nara to Mount Hiei and the Tendai sect, and later when the capital of Japan moved to Kamakura, Tōdai-ji's role in maintaining authority declined as well. In later generations, the Vinaya lineage also died out, despite repeated attempts to revive it, thus no more ordination ceremonies take place at Tōdai-ji.
Architecture
Initial Construction
In 743, Emperor Shōmu issued a law in which he stated that the people should become directly involved with the establishment of new Buddha temples throughout Japan. His personal belief was that such piety would inspire Buddha to protect his country from further disaster. Gyōki, with his pupils, travelled the provinces asking for donations. According to records kept by Tōdai-ji, more than 2,600,000 people in total helped construct the Great Buddha and its Hall.56 The 16 m (52 ft)7 high statue was built through eight castings over three years, the head and neck being cast together as a separate element.8 The making of the statue has started first in Shigaraki. After enduring multiple fires and earthquakes, the construction was eventually resumed in Nara in 745,5 and the Buddha was finally completed in 751. A year later, in 752, the eye-opening ceremony was held with an attendance of 10,000 people to celebrate the completion of the Buddha. The Indian priest Bodhisena performed the eye-opening for Emperor Shōmu.
The project nearly bankrupted Japan's economy, consuming most of the available bronze of the time.
Dimensions of the Daibutsu
The temple gives the following dimensions for the statue: 9
- Height: 14.98 m (49.1 ft)
- Face: 5.33 m (17.5 ft)
- Eyes: 1.02 m (3.3 ft)
- Nose: 0.5 m (1.6 ft)
- Ears: 2.54 m (8.3 ft)
The statue weighs 500 tonnes (550 short tons).
Reconstructions post-Nara Period
The central statue has been recast several times since for various reasons, including earthquake damage, and the Daibutsuden has been rebuilt twice after fire. The current hands of the statue were made in the Momoyama Period (1568-1615), and the head was made in the Edo Period (1615-1867).
The current building was finished in 1709, although immense, is actually 30% smaller than its predecessor. The original complex also contained two 100 m pagodas, perhaps second only to the pyramids of Egypt in height at the time. These were destroyed by earthquake. The Shōsōin was its storehouse, and now contains many artifacts from the Tempyo period of Japanese history.
The dancing figures of the Nio, the two 28-foot-tall guardians at the temple entrance, were closely evaluated and extensively restored by a team of art conservators in 1991. The Nio are known as Ungyo, which by tradition has a closed mouth, and Agyo, which has an open mouth. At that time, these twelfth-century sculptures had never before been moved from the niches in which they were originally installed. This complex preservation project, costing $4.7 million, involved a restoration team of 15 experts from the National Treasure Repairing Institute in Kyoto.10
Temple precincts and gardens
Various buildings of the Tōdai-ji have been incorporated within the overall aesthetic intention of the gardens' design. Adjacent villas are today considered part of Tōdai-ji.
Some of these structures are now open to the public. The time spent visiting one or more of these less well-known buildings can only enhance an appreciation of the temple complex itself.
Over the centuries, the buildings and gardens have evolved together as to become an integral part of a unique, organic and living temple community.
Tōdai-ji includes architectural master-works which are today classified as National Treasures:
| Romaji | Kanji |
|---|---|
| Kon-dō (Daibutsuden) | 金堂 (大仏殿) |
| Nandaimon | 南大門 |
| Kaizan-dō | 開山堂 |
| Shōrō | 鐘楼 |
| Hokke-dō (Sangatsu-dō) | 法華堂 (三月堂) |
| Nigatsu-dō | 二月堂 |
| Tegaimon | 転害門 |
Major events
- 728: Kinshōsen-ji, the forerunner of Tōdai-ji is established as a gesture of appeasement for the for the troubled spirit of Prince Motoi
- 741: Emperor Shōmu calls for nationwide establishment of provincial temples; 11 and Kinshōsen-ji appointed as the head provincial temple of Yamato.
- 743: The Emperor commands that a very large image Buddhist statue shall be built -- the Daibutsu or Great Buddha; and initial work is begun at Shigaraki-no miya.12
- 745: The capital returns to Heijō-kyō, construction of the Great Buddha resumes in Nara. Usage of the name Tōdai-ji appears on record.13
- 752: The Eye-opening Ceremony celebrating the completion of the Great Buddha held.14
- 855: The head of the great statue of Buddha suddenly fell to the ground; and gifts from the pious from throughout the empire were collected to create another, more well-seated head for the restored Daibutsu.15
UNESCO-sponsored music festival
On May 20, 1994, the international music festival The Great Music Experience was held at Tōdai-ji, supported by the UNESCO.
The Tokyo New Philharmonic Orchestra, X Japan, INXS, Bon Jovi, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Tomoyasu Hotei, Roger Taylor, classic Japanese drummers, and a Buddhist monk choir. This event was simultaneously broadcast in 55 countries on May 22 and May 23, 1994.
Trivia
- One of the supporting posts in the Great Buddha Hall has a hole that has been bored through the base (see photo below in "Additional Images" Section). Visitors try to pass through the hole which is said to be the same size as one of the Daibutsu's nostrils. Legend has it that those who pass through it will be blessed with enlightenment in their next life. Children usually have no trouble getting through but adults sometimes get stuck and need to be pulled out.
- The Gifu Great Buddha in Gifu's Shōhō-ji was modeled after the Great Buddha at Tōdai-ji.
Additional Images
 Main gate to Tōdai-ji |
 The Great South Gate (Nandaimon) is a National Treasure. 13th century |
 The Tegai-mon is also a National Treasure 8th century |
 View of Main Hall with main entrance altar in foreground. |
 Daibutsu at Tōdai-ji with caretaker at its base |
 Statuette from grounds of Tōdai-ji |
 The Daibutsu from another angle |
|
 A visitor passes through a hole in a pillar |
 One of the protective Buddha statues inside the corners of the temple |
 Another shot of the main Buddha |
 A close shot of Nandaimon |
 Bodisatvas Incised on Lotus Petal of the throne of the main Buddha, 8th century |
 Openwork playing flute Bodisatva in Octagonal Lantern Tower 8th century |
See also
Notes
- ^ The temple has acquired this name by the fact it was located to the east of the Heijō-kyō.
- ^ Hall, John W., et al., eds. (1988). The Cambridge history of Japan, pp. 398-400.
- ^ a b c Abe, Ryuichi (1999). The Weaving of Mantra: Kukai and the Construction of Esoteric Buddhist Discourse. Columbia University Press. p. 35, 55. ISBN 0231112866.
- ^ Hakeda, Yoshito S. (1972). Kūkai and His Major Works. Columbia University Press. pp. 35. ISBN 0231059337.
- ^ a b "Official Tōdai-ji Homepage" (in Japanese). Retrieved on 2007-03-11.
- ^ The same record keeps track of some prominent persons, among many others, being involved in the construction. Eg. Kuninaka-no-muraji Kimimaro, whose grandfather was an immigrant from the Baekje Kingdom in the Korean peninsula, is believed to have directed the construction of the Great Buddha and the Hall. Takechi-no-sanekuni is believed to have directed the sculpture part.
- ^ The height of the original Buddha.
- ^ Brown, Delmer et al. (1979). Gukanshō, p. 286.
- ^ 大仏さまの大きさ:
- ^ Sterngold, James. "Japan Restores Old Temple Gods." New York Times. December 28, 1991.
- ^ Varley, H. Paul. (1980). Jinnō Shōtōki, pp. 141-142.
- ^ Titsingh, Isaac. (134). Annales des empereurs du japon, p. 72; Brown, p. 273.
- ^ Titsingh, pp. 72-73.
- ^ Titsingh, p. 74; Varley, p. 142 n59.
- ^ Titsingh, p. 114; Brown, p. 286.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Todaiji |
- The official Tōdai-ji homepage (Japanese)
- Photos including Tōdai-ji at Oriental Architecture
- Photos of Tōdai-ji Temple, its Lotus Hall and Ordination Hall
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