This major new exhibition at Tokyo National Museum features revered statues, paintings, and other objects from the Yakushi-ji Temple one of the seven great temples of Nara, and the headquarters of the Hosso School of Buddhism. It has been organised to commemorate the 1,300th anniversary of Heijo-kyo, established in Nara as the national capital.
The highlight is the presence of two bronze sculptures of the deities Nikko Bosatsu (suryaprabha) and Gakko Bosatsu (Candraprabha), who flank the temple’s main divinity, Yakushi-nyorai (Bhaisajyaguru), in the temple’s kondo (main hall). These two figures, designated as National Treasures, are being displayed outside the temple for the first time. A number of other National Treasures are also on view, including a bronze statue of Sho-kannon (Avalokitesvara), wooden sculptures of the Hachiman Triad (Hachiman-shin, Jingu-Kogo, Nakatsu-hime-no-mikoto), portrait of Jion Daishi, and a painting of Kichijo-tennyo (Mahasri).
Yakushi-ji is part of the Hosso sect, founded by Xuanzang (in Japanese Genjo) in China around 630, and established in Japan by the middle of the 7th century. The temple was planned by Emperor Temmu in 680, but was actually constructed by his Empress (Jito) after the Emperor’s death. Ironically, the Emperor had commissioned the temple to pray for the recovery of the Empress from a serious illness. Yakushi-ji was originally constructed in Fujiwara-kyo south of Nara (present day Kashihara city), and was finally completed in 698. The temple was moved to its present location in 718, after the capital was moved to the north of Nara in 710.
Today, the Yakushi-ji temple compound consists of several buildings including the kondo, the kodo (lecture hall), the East and West Pagodas, and the toindo (east hall). However, most of the original temple buildings have been destroyed over the years by fires, warfare or other natural disasters. Only the East Pagoda has survived intact, and is the only architecture from the 7th-century Hakuoh period in Japan. The ony other building that is not a recent restoration is the toindo, which was initially rebuilt in 1285, and underwent extensive restoration in 1733. These two buildings are also visually distinct from the others, as they have not been painted in the red and white style. Other buildings in the complex are recent restorations built in the past 30 years.
The approach to Yakushiji is along a winding path that passes the Yasumigaoka Hachimangu a building that was constructed in 1603 and is still used to celebrate the Hachiman festival every 15 September. The first buildings encountered are the pagodas – in the Nara period pagodas were considered to be the most important in the temple complex. The original West Pagoda (saito) was burned down in 1528 and the current pagoda was reconstructed in 1981 and now stores sacred relics from the Gandhara period (1st to 3rd century) in India.
The 7th-century East Pagoda (toto) looks as if has six stories, it actually only has three. The other three ‘stories’ are additional lean-to roofs (mokoshi) and smaller than those of the three main floors. This roof style is rare and is know as ‘frozen music’, because of its rhythmical appearance. The other remarkable feature of the toto is the bronze roof ornament (sorin), which weighs over 3,000 kg and is 10 meters tall. It is composed of six elements: Hoju (the Sacred Jewel), Ryusha (the Dragon Vehicle), Suien (the Water Flame), Kurin (the Nine Rings), Fukubachi (the Lotus Flower), and Roban (the Inverted Bowl). The Nine Rings represent the Buddhist deities and the Water Flame is a charm to protect the pagoda from fire. In addition to its religious symbolism, the sorin is important to the structural stability of a pagoda as well as serving as a lightning rod.
The kondo (restored in 1976) is situated behind the pagodas and houses the three figures that comprise the Yakushi Triad from the Hakuho Period (645-710). Two of these figures now form the centrepiece of the museum’s exhibition: the Nikko and Gakko Bosatsu. The Yakushi Nyorai is seated between Nikko (Bosatsu of the Sun) to the right and Gakko (Bosatsu of the Moon) to the left. They were originally covered with gold, but the fire of 1528 gave them their current rich black colour.
The Yakushi Nyorai is worshiped to cure disease of the mind and body as well as for long life - more common depictions have the figure typically holding a medicine pot in his left hand, but in the figure at Yukushi-ji is sitting on a medicine chest. The designs on the chest are significant as they combine elements from the cultures of Greece (grape-vine scroll pattern along the top edge), the Middle-East (lotus design from ancient Persia), India (barbarians crouching in the archways) and China (animal designs on each side: dragon on the east, phoenix on the south, tiger on the west, and tortoise on the north). This combination reflects an awareness in Hakuho-period Nara of the influence of the Silk Road trade as a conveyer of not only goods but also of ideas and knowledge.
The Sho Kannon (Merciful Deity), healer of pain and suffering, is also in the Tokyo National Museum exhibition. In Nara, the bronze figure is kept in the toindo, which was originally built in the Yoro Period (717-724), however, the current building dates from the Kamakura period (1185-1333). At Nara, the kannon is protected by the Shi Tennon (Four Heavenly Kings). These figures were originally four ancient devas in India and were introduced into Buddhism as ‘guardian kings’ placed around Shumisen (believed to be a huge mountain in the middle of the universe). In China, the four guardian kings were mixed with the four Chinese gods that represent the four corners of the world. The names of the Chinese gods signified four colours (blue, red, white and black). The Japanese Shi Tennos reflect this Chinese influence by using these four colours and are arranged around Sho Kannon; green faced Jikokuten in the East, red faced Zochoten in the south, white faced Komokuten in the west and black faced Tamonten in the north.
National Treasures from Yakushi-ji Temple runs until 8 June at Tokyo National Museum, Heiseikan, www.tnm.jp
