Posted
on September 20, 2016
It
is fascinating to think about which things we create and build can
“stand the test of time,” can outlive us, can last decades or
centuries or even (rarely) millennia.
 |
For the most part, only things made of
stone, bone, shell, pottery, and other
hard materials can last for millennia. |
When
we study pre-historic cultures, it might be wise to stay humble by
reflecting how few of our actions and passions could be reconstructed
hundreds or thousands of years from now from the artifacts (objects)
that would still be around then. So we probably are unaware of a LOT
of what pre-historic people did and cared about, as well, right?
Still,
we have to use what evidence we do have to learn about their lives,
to reconstruct as much of their reality as we can. Those peoples who
drew pictures and/or recorded in writing their history left us a lot
more data about their lives and cultures.
Today
I bring you the history of a famous Japanese landmark: the Great
Buddha of Kamakura, in the Buddhist
temple called Kōtoku-in.
 |
This is a lovely statue of the Buddha statue, but it's hard to tell how large it is.
The photo below is helpful in showing the size: |
Around
1233, sculptors began carving a giant wooden Buddha, a project paid
for by the fundraising efforts of a noblewoman and a Buddhist priest.
After ten years of hard word, the Buddha was completed.
However,
just five years after the completion, a storm damaged the sculpture
and destroyed the building (or “hall”) that housed the statue.
Back
to the fundraising efforts, big time. This time around, the Buddhist
priest suggested that the statue be a little more sturdy, made of
bronze.
They
were going to need a LOT more money.
The
statue was probably cast in 1252, and it was gilded with gold. Once
again a hall was built to house the statue.
That
hall was destroyed by a storm in 1334.
It
was rebuilt.
The
hall was damaged by another storm in 1369. (What's with it with these
building-maiming storms?)
It
was rebuilt again.
This
time the hall lasted more than a hundred years. That is a really long
time, for sure. This time, when it was destroyed, it wasn't by a mere
storm – it was by a tsunami!
You
see, on this date in 1498, an earthquake caused a tsunami – and
that gigantic wave washed away the hall built to protect the Great
Buddha statue.
But
the statue itself was fine. Sure, by now almost all of the gold had
flaked or washed off – we can still see a little in the folds of
the statue's ears – but the statue is more than 43 feet (13 meters)
tall! And it weighs about 102 tons (93 metric tonnes)! It wasn't
going to wash away...
Ever
since that day, the bronze statue has remained uncovered,
unprotected, in the open air.
 |
You can see what the inside of the Great Buddha looks like --
and how light enters the hollow interior -- in these photos.
I believe that the graffiti is removed as soon as it is discovered. |
 |
Pigeons no doubt leave
unsightly droppings on
the statue. But they can't
read and understand the
sign; people can, and they
should know not to graffiti the
statue even without a sign! |
By
the way, it almost seems silly to think of a merely wooden building
protecting a monumental bronze sculpture, but maybe the whole idea
wasn't protection from storms and waves. It may have been meant as
protection from people! I read that there used to be 32 bronze lotus
petals at the base of the statue, but now only 4 remain. And I'm sad
to report that there is graffiti in the hollow insides of the statue!
Whoever
would graffiti an amazing and really old statue, a work that is holy
to some, has got to be lacking some pretty important qualities. I
think that they probably didn't read the sign at the entrance to the
grounds – or at least they didn't take the message to heart:
“Stranger,
whosoever thou art and whatsoever be thy creed, when thou enterest
this sanctuary remember thou treadest upon ground hallowed by the
worship of ages. This is the Temple of Bhudda [sic] and the gate of
the eternal, and should therefore be entered with reverence."
(In
case you don't know, “[sic]” is placed into quotes to indicate
that a misspelling or other mistake is original to the quote. In this
case, I didn't misspell “Buddha”; whoever created the temple's
sign did.)
 |
| The Great Buddha of Kamakura in the snow! |
Also
on this date:
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ahead:
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out my Pinterest boards for:
And
here are my Pinterest boards for:
This holiday has a variety of dates, names, and customs, but most commonly it is celebrated on the 8th day of the 12th lunar month of the Chinese calendar. Japanese people like their holidays to fall on the same date each year, and Bodhi Day (called Rōhatsu) is celebrated in Japan every December 8.
