At the height of 15 metres (49 feet), this statue is the world’s largest bronze statue of Buddha Vairocana (Birushana-butsu)

Todai-ji Temple, also known as the Great Eastern Temple, is an ancient Japanese Buddhist temple located in the city of Nara, Japan. This historic temple was unveiled in 752 CE during the Nara period and it was the largest building project on Japanese soil at that time. There are various sources but according to the majority, this temple is 1,267 years old as of 2019. The temple is listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Site as one of the “Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara’ together with seven other sites including temples, shrines and places in the city of Nara since 1998. This temple houses the world’s largest bronze statue of Buddha Vairocana (in Japanese known as Birushana-butsu).

History

Emperor Shomu who built the Toda-ji temple eventually abdicated and became a Buddhist monk as the great Toda-ji temple’s main Buddha Vairocana was completed.  (click to enlarge)

The construction of Todai-ji Temple was initiated by Emperor Shomu in 745 CE. It was a tumultuous period – a rebellion in 740 CE, poor crops, smallpox epidemic, and the death of his infant son – that spurred the Emperor to construct provincial temples throughout the nation as a gesture of appeasement.

The construction of the Todai-ji Temple was completed in 752 CE, and the main building in the temple, The Great Buddha Hall had undergone reconstruction twice due to fire. The current building was rebuilt in 1709 and it is only two-thirds of its predecessor’s original size.

Todai-ji Temple served as the nation’s head Buddhist temple, and was the central administrative temple for a nationwide network of provincial temples and six main Buddhist schools – the Hosso, Kegon, Jojitsu, Sanron, Ritsu and Kusha. All six Buddhist schools had offices at Todai-ji with their own administrators, shrines and library.

Todai-ji Temple was originally built as a Kokubun-Ji temple, a dojo to pray for the well-being of the nation and the happiness of the people. It also had an important role in Buddhist studies, scholarly training and ordination ceremonies, where all officially licensed monks were required to take their ordination under the Vinaya lineage. However, since the centre of power in Japanese Buddhism shifted out from Nara and with the decline of authority, ordination ceremonies no longer take place at Todai-ji Temple today.

The Great Buddha Hall (The Daibutsu Hall)

The Great Buddha Hall houses the main attraction of the whole temple, a colossal 15 metre-tall (49 feet) bronze Buddha Vairocana statue (later known as Dainichi Nyorai in Japan’s esoteric Buddhism). The statue was created between 743 CE to 752 CE and the building of this statue required all the available copper in Japan at that time as bronze is an alloy that traditionally composed of copper and tin.

During its completion, the entire Japanese court, government officials and Buddhist dignitaries from China, India, and Persia attended the Buddha’s “eye-opening” ceremony. The ceremony was overseen by the then Empress Koken and attended by the retired Emperor Shomu and Empress Komyo. An Indian monk, by the name of Bodhisena, painted the eyes of the Buddha, symbolically imbuing it with life.

The statue sits on a bronze lotus pedestal engraved with images of Buddha Shakyamuni and various other Bodhisattvas. Sadly, the petals on the pedestal are the only reminders of the original statue that was built in 752 CE which was destroyed by fire in the 12^th century. The statue that is in the hall today is a replica.

The worship of Vairocana Buddha started as early as in the Heian period (794-1192AD). Devotees of esoteric Buddhism worshipped him as the Cosmic Buddha or the central Buddha of the universe. The word Vairocana means “belonging to/ coming from the sunlight”. It is translated as “Dainichi”, which means the “Great Sun”, and transliterated into Japanese as Birushana.

Birushana Nyorai is one of the earlier Buddhist deities to arrive in Japan in the 6th and 7th centuries A.D. He is considered to be the enjoyment-body (sambhogakya) of Buddha Shakyamuni which means he represents the true Buddha body. He appears in the Kegon-Kyo (Flower Garland Sutra) and other texts where Birushana is described as encompassing everything in the cosmos.

Manjushri is a Bodhisattva associated with Vairocana, the Resplendent Buddha, who is like the sun at its zenith [highest position] in all its glory. He is the patron Bodhisattva of the Kadampa (ie. Gelugpa) denomination, famous for producing erudite scholars of the teachings, known as geshes.

The Sanskrit name Manjushri is interpreted to mean “wonderfully auspicious,” or “sweetly glorious.” However, in Tibetan his name Jampel-yang (contracted to Jamyang) means “gentle friend.” In Chinese, he is called Wen Shu Shi Li; in Japanese, Monju.

Manjushri is viewed both as a historical Bodhisattva, and as an emanation of Vairocana, the primordial Buddha, white in colour, who is compared to the sun. His nature is “everywhere-pervading.” He manifests as a Bodhisattva to inspire investigation into such topics as Emptiness (or voidness) and the nature of the self.

When the primordial Buddha Vairocana vowed to emanate throughout the universe as the princely and ever-youthful, Bodhisattva of Wisdom Manjushri, his purpose was to lead beings through self-discovery whereby they can investigate and find the true nature of reality and all phenomena. Thereby, Manjushri is normally depicted holding the stem of a lotus which is the seat for a wisdom sword and the Prajnaparamita Sutra.

The Nandaimon (Great South Gate) is currently the main entrance into the Todai-ji Temple. The entrance is guarded by two 8.5 metre-tall (28 feet) Nio figures carved by the famous sculptors, Unkei and Kaikei, around the 12^th century; which serves as the best carving examples in Japan today.

Nandaimon Gate

The Todai-ji Museum which is next to the Nandaimon Gate opened in 2011 and it houses different religious and cultural treasures. The west of The Great Buddha Hall is the Kaidanin which is the premier ordination hall for new monks that was set up in 754 CE, and it contains some ancient and exquisite clay statues of the Four Heavenly Kings.

The park is home to hundreds of freely roaming deers. Considered in Shinto Buddhism as messengers of the gods, Nara’s nearly 1200 deers have become a symbol of the city and have even been designated as a natural treasure. Nara’s deers are surprisingly tame, although they can be aggressive if they think you will feed them. Deer crackers are for sale around the park, and some deers have learned to bow to visitors to ask to be fed.

How to Get Here

Click to enlarge

Todai-ji is located in the northern part of Nara Park. It is a 30-minute walk from Kintetsu Nara Station, or about 45-minute walk from JR Nara Station. Nara Kotsu buses run to the temple from both stations including the yellow Nara City Loop Line Bus #2, #70, #72, #97 and #160. Get off at Todai-ji Daibutsuden bus stop.

Address: 406-1 Zoshicho, Nara

Opening Hours:
8am-5pm (November to March)
7am-5.30pm (April to October)

Admission:
Adult: ¥600
Primary School: ¥300

A voice guide (earphone guide) is available for visitors in English, Chinese and Japanese for ¥500.

More Pictures from Todai-ji Temple Complex

Birushana-butsu with Kokuzo Bosatsu (Akasagarbha Bodhisattva) statue

Birushana-butsu with Niyorin Kannon Bosatsu (Wish Fulfilling Avalokitesvara)

Birushana-butsu with Niyorin Kannon Bosatsu (Wish Fulfilling Avalokitesvara)

Kokuzo Bosatsu (Akasagarbha Bodhisattva) statue

Nio guardian figures at the Great South Gate (Nandaimon)

A Buddha image engraved on Buddha Vairocana’s lotus petal.

Sources:

• MacDonald, Dr. Deanna, “Todai-ji”, Khan Academy, https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/south-east-se-asia/japan-art/a/todai-ji (accessed 4 May 2019)
• “Todaiji Temple Nara”, Japan Visitor, https://www.japanvisitor.com/japan-temples-shrines/todaiji-temple#ftb (accessed 4 May 2019)
• “Todai-ji Temple, Nara”, taleofgenji.org http://www.taleofgenji.org/todaiji.html (accessed 4 May 2019)
• “Todai-ji”, Wikipedia.org https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C5%8Ddai-ji (accessed 4 May 2019)

For more interesting information:

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