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Show Davi- WPP ' Centuries of Competition in Homage to the Great Buddha NARA UTON entering Japan prepare to meet Daibutsu, principal of the Buddhistic divinities. Everywhere Ev-erywhere one turns is to be found evidence of this transplanted religion re-ligion out of India that entered Japan in 552 A. D. Today 71,193 temples and 41,902,000 adherents testify to its influence in the Flowery Flow-ery Kingdom. Out of Buddhism in this part of the world eleven sects have sprung up, the Shinshu, which discards the idea of celibacy for the clergy, with 20,000 temples and 13,000,000 devotees, devo-tees, leading by a great majority. During the earlier periods when sects were forming at a rate that threatened to retard rather than advance the teachings and spread of Buddhism, the Emperor Shomu, 749 A. D., caused to be erected at Nara a Daibutsu that still enjoys the distinction of being the largest metal image in the world. One standing in the presence of this amazing creation, more fear- some man woras can convey, cannot can-not but be impressed with its character char-acter and its immensity. The temple in which it is housed offers little or no light for the figure. From every angle mighty pillars obstruct the view of this somber, awe-spreading colossus, twice almost destroyed by fire, for centuries neglected, at last restored by the Emperor Meiji, 1903, and completed without the slightest alteration in style by Emperor Taisho, 1913. , Image is Sinister The Nara Daibutsu, containing 437 tons of bronze, 7 tons of vegetable vege-table wax, 288 pounds of gold, 165 pounds of mercury, the two latter ingredients used solely for gilding, although most of the glitter has disappeared, leaving only a black metallic epidermis, African in tone, which gives the image a sinister character, suggesting something medieval as it reposes cross-legged in the shadows of the temple. The right hand i3 open and held waist high, the left likewise and resting upon the knee, while the figure itself is seated upon a throne of lotus leaves 68 feet in diameter, made up of 56 petals. Behind this tarnished Daibutsu is a halo 38 feet in height, containing 12 small images of Buddha, each nine feet in height. The sheltering temple, built the following year, was completely destroyed de-stroyed by fire in the Twelfth century, cen-tury, and with it the head and shoulders of Daibutsu. By imperial order, the head was replaced and a new temple made ready in 1190. But the monument to Buddha, although al-though escaping destruction, was not to enjoy peace, for, 370 years later, the temple was again destroyed de-stroyed by fire and the unfortunate Daibutsu was exposed to the elements ele-ments for more than a hundred years, all of which added no luster to its appearance. In the year 1700, the temple, rebuilt re-built and completed after three years' labor, became the center of Buddhist pilgrimages to the extent of 3,000,000 people per annum, although al-though in the next century the temple tem-ple all but came to a complete ruin. The comparatively recent restoration restora-tion of the temple puts it in a class by itself: Width 183 feet, depth 166 feet, height 160 feet, and pillars, 60 in number, 45', feet in diameter. Said to be the. largest wooden structure struc-ture m tha , TV iU. A week later, at Kamakura, under a blue sky, the whole landscape shimmering midst the verdure of spring, in a forest of pine and maple mottled with cherry blossoms,- I came suddenly upon another an-other and smaller Daibutsu, cast 500 years later; a work in green bronze. u leet high, and weighing only 42 tons. Smaller Buddha Has Beauty But there was beauty in the face humility m the downcast eyes and incomparable serenity in the posture. pos-ture. The two hands are laid in the S' fhlmp a5.d thumbs touching, touch-ing, the Buddhistic sign for steadfast stead-fast faith. And over all, ineffable resignation approaching sublimity to whomsoever would "look careful- Byuddha himSClf" 8nd find the l2!2heJan ra Daibutsu, cast in 1252 by Ono Goroemon, was originally orig-inally mstalled in a large buildini, damaged in 1368 by storm and carried car-ried away by a tidal wave in 1494 two years after Columbus had sailed his caravels into the Caribbean. Since then it has remained uncovered, uncov-ered, a sublime symbol of patience, lTlSn its Postal agates which the waters of the sea arose with prophecy and , t, lh7 disturb the medita far 7n?at ad remaind unbroken lor 700 years. To this traveler, as between the merdidPthe Kamaka Daibutsu! he difference was as darkness and 8;'3 a mountain of crudity ?w g-ht7 wooden shed and the other a jade-tinted jewel gleaming sSyTky UndGr thC Wide and Copyright. WNU gervlo. |