Toshodaiji Temple

In the Nara Period, the Imperial Court invited scholar monks from China, because time had passed from the introduction of Buddhism to Japan and so whether or not correct commandments established in China were performed in Japan was not known. Ganjin Wajo was one of the trainer monks invited by the Imperial Court. Toshodaiji Temple was opened by Ganjin Wajo in 759 as a learning dormitory for trainee monks studying the commandments after he had served in Todaji Temple for 5 years. Toshodaiji Temple, accordingly, isn’t a state-sponsored temple, established by command of the Emperor, but a private temple of Ganjin Wajo.
Buddhism in the Nara Period was Theravada Buddhism in which only a handful of selected men (monks) studied a method for achieving enlightenment and they underwent ascetic practices while obeying the strict commandments to liberate themselves from desires and to become a Buddha. Temples were places where Buddhist monks practiced under the strict commandments and rules. Monks shut themselves in temples and spent all their time training, and so they didn’t have contact with other common people. Toshodaiji Temple is the head temple of the Ritsu school of Buddhism, one of the six schools of Buddhism during the Nara Period.
To get to Toshodaiji Temple, please take the Kintetsu Railway, change at Saidaiji Station to the Kashihara Line, and get off at Nishinokyo Station. Then, walk toward the north from the station for about 10 minutes. The area seems now to be on the outskirts of Nara City, but it was the central part when the temple was established. Toshodaiji Temple was built on the site of the former residence of Imperial Prince Niitabe, a prince of Emperor Tenmu, and there were originally only the lecture hall and scriptures and treasure houses.

Below let me show you a map of the precincts of Toshodaiji Temple when the temple was built.

(A) Nandaimon Gate (Southern Great Gate)
(B) Inner Gate
(C) Kondo (Main Hall)
(D) Corridor
(E) Kodo (Lecture Hall)
(F) Jikido (Dining Hall)
(G) Bell Tower
(H) Koro or Shariden (Reliquary Hall)
(I) Rye-do (Chapel)
(J) Higashi Sobo (East Communal Quarters for Monks)
(K) Nishi Sobo (West Communal Quarters for Monks)
(L) Hozo (Treasury)
(M) Kyozo (Scripture House)
(N) East Tower

Now, when entering Nandaimon Gate (Southern Great Gate A), we can see Kondo (Main Hall C) and Kodo (Lecture Hall E) behind Kondo C. Bell Tower G and Koro (Reliquary Hall H) stand on the west side and east side of Kodo E, respectively. A long large building, called Rye-do (Chapel I), stands on the east of Koro H. On the east side of Rye-do I, Kyozo M and Hozo L stand. Inner Gate B, Corridor D linking Kondo to Inner Gate, East Tower N, and West Sobo have disappeared.

Would you join us for a stroll in the precincts of Toshodaiji Temple?

(1) Nandaimon Gate (Southern Great Gate A)
Although the gate seems to have become worn, it was actually rebuilt in 1960 in the Tenpyo style. The gate has 5 spaces (6 pillars), 3 doors in the center part, and mortar walls. You can see the garret and can well understand the wooden framework a structure of the gate when you look up in the gate.

(2) Kondo (Main Hall C)
It was built in the latter half of the eighth century, and the stately appearance remains even now, which has been designated as a national treasure. Kondo has a lateral size of 7 spaces (8 pillars), the length of the central space being 4.7 meters, the length being narrower as approaching to the end, the length of the end space being 3.3 meters. The depth is 4 spaces, and the front space is an open space structure with no walls. Pillars have a diameter of 60 centimeters, the two thirds from the bottom of the pillar being straight and the remaining one third gets thinner toward the top. The principal image of this temple, Rushanabutsu (Vaircana Buddha) and Bhaisajyagura are enshrined inside the hall.

(3) Kodo (Lecture Hall E)
Kodo had been originally constructed as an office building in the Imperial Court complex, then the court give it to Ganjin, and it was relocated to its present site in about 760. The building was designated as a national treasure. The size of the building is 9 spaces in length and 4 spaces in depth. It was used as an assembly and lecture hall for all the surrounding temples.

(4) Hozo and Kyozo (Treasury L and Scripture House M)
These buildings stood in the former residence of Imperial Prince Niitabe, and so they were built before 759, as Toshodaiji Temple was establish in 759. They are the oldest buildings among those in Toshodaiji Temple. Hozo stands on the north side and Kyozo, which is smaller than Hozo, stands on the south side. They are typical and the oldest raised-floor-style ancient log storehouses using interlocked triangular logs. They were also designated as a national treasure.

(5) Koro (Reliquary Hall H) and Rye-do (Chapel I)
Koro is the only one two-storied building in this temple, and Buddha’s ashes brought by Ganjin Wajo are enshrined. The building was rebuilt in 1240. Rye-do is located on the east side of Koro. The building was built in 1284, and originally used as communal quarters for monks. It is a long and narrow building having a size of 19 spaces from north and south. Now, 8 spaces on the south side are used as the chapel and 10 spaces on the north side were used as the communal quarters for monks. Rye-do is a hall for worshiping the Buddha’s ashes enshrined in Koro, which stands next to Rye-do.

There are many trees in the precincts of Toshodaiji Temple, and small buildings stand in thick woods. When you see the roofs of Kondo or Kodo from that place, you must have different impressions from those when you see them up close.