Standing majestically in the center of Nara Park, the Great Buddha Hall of Todaiji Temple is known as one of the world’s largest wooden structures and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Japan, visited by many tourists from home and abroad every year. The structure, which houses a seated statue of Rushanabutsu (the Great Buddha) that stands approximately 15 meters tall and weighs 380 tons, is more than a mere temple structure; it is a crystallization of Japanese history, culture, and technological prowess. However, behind its magnificent appearance, there is a history and anecdotes shrouded in mystery.
In this issue, we will introduce some of the major mysteries surrounding the Great Buddha Hall of Todaiji Temple.
Mystery of the Great Buddha Hall of Todaiji Temple (1) Why was the construction of the Great Buddha begun?
Todaiji Temple was built in 718 by order of Emperor Shomu. There are various theories as to why Emperor Shomu chose Nara as the site for the construction of Todaiji Temple. One theory is that Nara was the political, economic, and cultural center of Japan at the time, and since Buddhism was a thriving religion, it was the perfect place to build a temple to protect the nation. Emperor Shomu himself was deeply devoted to Buddhism and tried to spread Buddhism throughout the country using Todaiji Temple as a base.
Emperor Shomu’s mother, Emperor Motomyo, promoted the construction of Todaiji in order to win the power struggle with the Fujiwara clan.
In any case, it is believed that the construction of Todaiji Temple in Nara was closely related to the political situation and religious background of the time. At the time, however, there was a large-scale famine known as the Tenpyo Famine, and national finances were tight. Under such circumstances, why were they able to erect the huge Buddha statue?
The key to solving this mystery lies in the relationship between Todaiji Temple and the Imperial Court. Todaiji Temple was built by Empress Komyo, mother of Emperor Shomu, and was under the patronage of the Imperial Court. It is believed that the construction of the Great Buddha was made possible by Emperor Shomu’s strong will to promote national prosperity and the spread of Buddhism, and the power of the Imperial Court to support this will.
Mystery of the Great Buddha Hall of Todaiji Temple (2) What is the Mystery of the Structure and Technology of the Great Buddha?”
The Great Buddha of Todaiji Temple is about 15 meters high and weighs about 500 tons, made of bronze. It was the world’s largest gilt bronze statue of Buddha at that time. The technology required to sculpt such a gigantic statue was unprecedented in the Nara period (710-794).
How could such a huge Buddha statue be made with the technology of the time? The total weight of the statue, including the supporting pillars, is estimated to be more than 1,000 tons, and the structure of the foundation to support such weight has been a mystery. Recent investigations have revealed that there is an 8-meter-deep hole under the foundation of the Great Buddha’s seat, and that inside the hole is a reinforcing structure made of masonry.
The casting technique was also a mystery. The Great Buddha was cast in eight parts and assembled later by welding the joints. The inner surfaces of the eight parts were smooth, but traces of the casting mold remained on the outside. For a long time, it was unknown what the molds were made from. Recent research has revealed that the mold was made of porcelain, a material of the highest quality, and that a high level of skill was required to ensure that each of the eight sections of the Great Buddha was joined seamlessly. It is thought that the Buddha was held in place with lead and iron fillings, rather than bolts or welding.
The technique of using such a high-grade porcelain mold for the gigantic Daibutsu was the most advanced technology in the world at that time.
The Great Buddha is made of bronze with gold plating. The area of gold plating is estimated to be about 130 square meters, and the total amount of gold is said to be about 200 kg. If the standard layout of a newly built detached house is 4LDK with a floor area of around 100 square meters, 130 square meters is the size of a slightly larger house. In other words, it is a new house of gold wrapped in gold plating. The technique of stretching several hundred kilograms of gold into foil and applying it evenly over the entire Daibutsu is thought to have been state-of-the-art metalworking technology.
It is estimated that mercury was used for the gilding. This is a sophisticated technique in which gold and mercury are alloyed and then heated to disperse the mercury. Although this chemical method was essential for the uniform gilding of large areas, there is a backstory of the many craftsmen involved in the construction of many of these buildings who became victims of mercury poisoning.
The construction of the Great Buddha Hall also required an enormous amount of money. According to the records of the time, the construction cost amounted to 26.5 million ryo. The theory that the construction cost was 26.5 million ryo was proposed by Doshun Hayashi (1768-1828), a Confucian scholar in the late Edo period. Hayashi Doshun estimated the construction cost of the Great Buddha Hall from various records and old documents of Todaiji Temple. As a result, he came to the conclusion that the total cost was “about 8,055 million sen,” or approximately 26.5 million ryo. This was a tremendous amount of money for the time. Although a complete conversion is difficult, it is highly likely that the construction cost of the Great Buddha Hall of Todaiji Temple was equivalent to the current huge cost of several hundred billion yen to about 1 trillion yen.
Mystery of the Great Buddha Hall of Todaiji Temple (3) What is the dream of its construction and the secret story of its restoration?
The Daibutsuden suffered two major disasters during the Heian period (794-1185), the first being a major fire in 864. The first was a great fire in 864, followed by another in 1180 during the Genpei War. In particular, the Great Buddha Hall was destroyed by fire during the burning of Nanto Daiji Temple in 1180, and the Great Buddha was partially melted down.
Each time, however, the Great Buddha was restored. The restoration of the Great Buddha required enormous expense and skill, and was done with the cooperation of many people.
It is said that Emperor Shomu, who initiated the construction of the Great Buddha, was so impressed by the gigantic statue of Buddha in a dream that he decided to build the Great Buddha in order to realize it. The restoration of the Great Buddha is also an expression of the strong will of the people who supported Emperor Shomu’s dream to not only revive the Buddha statue but also to carry on the history and culture of Todaiji Temple.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
