Kyōto, Minamiyamashiro no butsuzō: Jōruriji Kutai Amida shūri kansei kinen tokubetsuten

Uittreksel

"In the southernmost part of Kyoto Prefecture lies an area of scenic beauty nurtured by the Kizu River. This is Minami Yamashiro, and a unique Buddhist culture bloomed here under the influence of the nearby ancient capitals of Nara and Kyoto, with many outstanding Buddhist images passed down at temples built throughout the region during the Nara and Heian periods. During the Heian period (794-1192), Japan's nobility would often enshrine nine statues of Amida Nyorai (Skrt. Amitābha) in Amidadō halls with a prayer for rebirth in the Pure Land. The only surviving example of such a hall and statues can be found at Jōruriji Temple, also known as Kutaiji (Nine-Statue Temple). When lined up together, these nine Amida statues seem to represent the Pure Land itself. Other renowned statues from the area include the Standing Eleven-Headed Kannon Bosatsu (Ekādaśamukha) at Kaijūsenji, a mountainside temple facing Mikanohara, site of the ancient capital Kunikyō. With its sharp, well-defined carving, this work amply demonstrates the charm of Buddhist statues from the early Heian period. Another example is the Standing Eleven-Headed Kannon Bosatsu at Zenjōji, a temple founded at the end of the 10th century by Heiso Shōnin, a priest from Tōdaiji Temple. This monumental work exhibits the characteristic features of an age when sculptural formations were starting to become more Japanized. Minami Yamashiro is also home to a number of works by the Kei school, a group of sculptors active in Nara during the Kamakura period, with one prime example being Gokurakuji Temple's Standing Amida Nyorai. These statues speak volumes about how Minami Yamashiro served as a holy site of Buddhist culture over several periods of Japanese history"-- Greetings (page [ii]).