kaki kueba kane ga naru nari Horyuji
poem by Masaoka Shiki (1867-1902)

as I eat a persimmon the bell starts ringing at Horyuji Temple
(translation by Susumu Takiguchi)
 

Although it’s true that not much is free in Japan, on the day of our visit to Horyuji (temple) which contains
the world’s oldest wooden structures, we discovered that indeed the best things in life come without
a hefty price tag.
 
Shortly after passing through the impressive Nandaimon (South Main Gate) of Horyuji, we were approached by
a man asking us if we would like an English-language tour of the temple grounds.  We quickly asked him how
much he was charging for the service to which he laughed reassuring us that his neck would be cut (the Japanese
gesture for being fired) if he asked us to pay for the tour.  He was a retired engineer, resident of Nara,
volunteering for the Nara Tourism Board.  We were thrilled and took him up on his offer.
 
Of the temples we visited in Nara, Horyuji stands out in my mind, not only because it was the first UNESCO
World Heritage site in Japan, but because I came to further my knowledge of Japanese temples and Buddhism
through the information provided by our guide.
 
He began by explaining that the temple was dedicated to Yakushi Nyorai (Bhaisajyaguru in Sanskrit), the healing
Buddha.  The temple dates back to the Asuka Period (A.D. mid 6th-8th century) and was established by
Prince Shotoku, the founder of Buddhism in Japan.  His image graced the front of 5000 and 10,000 yen currency
notes until 1988.  Our guide laughingly stated that Japan’s economy began its decline following the removal of
Prince Shotoku’s image from the currency.
 
In his talk, our guide referred often to the Mahayana Buddhism (Greater vehicle) connection to India and to
the Sanskrit language.  In fact pagodas, such as the one on Horyuji’s grounds, are octagonal adaptations of the
stupa (circular burial building of India), and are said to house the relics of Buddha.  Although Horyuji is still
an active temple, the number of monks has dwindled significantly over the years.

Halfway through our tour it began to rain which made us dash from building to building to see the national
treasures contained within. We ended the day at Daihouzouin (Gallery of Temple Treasures) where we heard
the story of the “tiger sacrifice” sutra, where Buddha in one of his previous incarnations hung his t-shirt on
a branch and jumped into a ravine to save a tigress and her seven starving young. We also gazed upon
the Dream-Changing Kannon, a boddhisatva said to turn your nightmares into pleasant dreams.
 
I only hope to have dreams of peaceful Nara and my new favourite temple, Horyuji, for years after returning
to Canada.  Thank you, Koike-san,  for your generous tour.

 

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