Noriko Shinzawa: Where the Tenpyo Era and the Present Intersect

According to a researcher of ancient Japanese literature who is well-versed in the affairs of Nara, Nara City this autumn is busier than it has been since the consecration of the Great Buddha.

While the fact that the Osaka-Kansai Expo has just closed may be a factor, more importantly, this year marks the 150th anniversary of the 1st Nara Exhibition held at Todai-ji Temple's Great Buddha Hall in 1875 (Meiji 8).

The grounds of Todai-ji are truly international, crowded with people speaking many different languages. In the "Manyoshu," a poetry collection containing works up to the mid-8th century, the pillow word "kotosahiku" is used in relation to "Kara" (Korea/China) and "Baekje." It refers to speaking loudly in an unintelligible language; it seems that finding incomprehensible speech noisy is a sentiment shared by both the ancients and people today.

Looking up at the Great Buddha Hall beyond the waves of people, I briefly reflect on the fervor of the Great Buddha Consecration Ceremony, of which it was said, "The brilliant colors of robes filled the ground, and the temple buildings of Todai-ji floated in this sea of color" (Tetsuro Watsuji, "Pilgrimage to Ancient Temples").

On April 9, 752 (Tenpyo Shoho 4), the consecration ceremony for the Vairocana Buddha of Todai-ji was held on a grand scale. Bodhisena, an immigrant monk, served as the officiant and used a giant brush and ink to dot the eyes of the Great Buddha. It is said that through this consecration, the Vairocana Buddha became an entity that governs the visible world through Buddhist law (Tokio Sakaehara, "The Structure and Political Significance of the Great Buddha Consecration Ceremony").

During the Buddhist service, Gagaku (court music), music from various temples, and ancient Japanese and foreign songs and dances passed down by royal officials and clans were performed and dedicated. In the "Shoku Nihongi," the scene is recorded with the scribe's overflowing emotion: "The wonders and majesty of the performance are beyond description. Since Buddhism came to the East, there has never been a ceremony as grand as this."

Among the Shosoin treasures, there remains an oversized brush said to have been used at this time, along with light blue twisted threads (ru) that were reportedly tied to the brush. It is said that people each held onto the threads extending from the brush to offer their prayers to the Great Buddha.

The Shosoin Exhibition displaying that giant brush and the threads was also quite crowded, and I could only peer into the display cases over people's shoulders. However, once I saw the actual objects, the mood I had earlier—complaining about it being "noisy" or "too crowded" while ignoring my own presence there—vanished. I felt a mysterious sensation, as if I were connected to the others looking at the threads and being guided together by the Great Buddha.