In fact, one of the main reasons Buddhism became popular was due to his efforts. "Without [Shotoku's] inspiring patronage Buddhist art could hardly have flourished so successfully among his countrymen." (Anesaki 1975: 20) The main temple he built was the Horyu-ji temple near Nara, now the oldest wooden structure in the world. Inside the kondo, or golden hall, sit large statues of Buddha and two Buddhist saints (bodhisattvas).
(more content follows the advertisement below) A D V E R T I S E M E N T
Also at Horyu-ji are carved wooden Guardian Kings of the Four directions, and the Tamamushi shrine. Similar temples appeared at this time through the Kinai provinces, or western Japan, where Shotoku travelled.
Buddhist art continued to flourish under the reign of Emperor Shomu in the eighth century, who built the enormous sculpture of Buddha at Todai-ji.
This 16 metre high sculpture used up all the copper in Japan, which for several hundred years had no bronze production because of it. The construction of this temple, and similar temples in Japan's provinces was "inspired by a fervent desire on the part of secular leaders of the time to create in Japan the ideal Land of the Buddha." (Ishizawa 1982: 15)
In the imperial ordinance the Emperor issued in 743 he justified the using of the gold involved in the construction of the statue by stating the gold was "a testimony of the marvellous teaching of Buddha." (Tsuda 1976: 38) However, it is likely the emperor also wanted the sculpture to show what Japan was capable of as an independent power from China.
In any case, similar structures were constructed all over Japan because of an imperial decree that stated each province should build a pagoda and a temple. Artists of this Nara period also created statues where they removed the clay in the core and replaced it with a wooden frame to make it light enough to be carried in religious festivals.
During the eighth century Early Heian period, Buddhist art and architecture intermingled with the traditional Japanese Shinto culture. The Shinto and Buddhist faiths were not separate religions in the western sense, but instead could co-exist with each other. So Buddhism influenced the Shinto religion and Buddhist and Shinto leaders often co-operated, with Buddhist temples being erected within Shinto shrines.
|