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The Making of the Temple
The Making of the Temple
Commissioned by Emperor Shõmu, the Todai-ji promoted spiritual unity among the Japanese provinces to unite them beneath his rule. It was a monumental temple centered on the Kegon sect of Buddhism in Nara. It displayed the power and prestige of the Japanese Imperial court.
Although, each member of Japan had to contribute to its construction through taxes. Some citizens suffered because they couldn't afford to pay the taxes, which worried the clans.
Another use of the temple was to be the Buddhist protector of the state and to be headquarters of a nationwide network of temples.
Later on, as the years passed, it was destroyed in the Kamakura Era (1185-1333), which was during the Genpei Civil War (1180-85). However, as we see now, it was one of the first reconstructions of the new Shogun, Minamoto Yoritomo.
Today, the Todai-ji temple is half the original's size and several stories shorter.
FUN FACTS ABOUT THE TODAI-JI
There are all sorts of interesting events, materials, and meanings of the temple. All you need to do is look here, and get hit by the train of cool facts about it!
So know when you look at the Todai-ji, feel the importance of the temple to its culture, and why people are so keen on keeping the temple alive.
What was the temple a part of?
What was the temple a part of?
The Todai-ji is associated with the 7 great temples of Nara which includes, Yakushi-ji, Saidai-ji, Kofuku-ji, Horyu-ji, Gango-ji, Daian-ji temples.
The temple is the chief from all the temples of the Kokubun-ji system & was the center of a national ritual.
Construction
Construction
It's constructed mainly from wood and on a raised platform. It also brought the best craftspeople in Japan to build the temple.
Meaning of the name
Meaning of the name
The name of the Todai-ji translates to "Great Eastern Temple."
What's it famous for?
What's it famous for?
The Todai-ji temple is famous for many things, but one of the main aspects are the stautes and how it was a main temple during it's time.
The temple holds the largest broze statue of the Buddha Vairocana. (As you can see from the picture)
Another famous feature is that it was the head temple of the Buddhist temples in Japan in 752.
How was it destroyed?
How was it destroyed?
Before its destruction, the temple used to cover about 16 blocks of the city. However, it was partially destroyed in a fire during the Genpei War.
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