The central figure of the Nara period was Emperor Shōmu. He tried to save the country through the power of Buddhism and carried out the grand national project of constructing the Great Buddha at Tōdaiji.
Basic Knowledge
Emperor Shōmu was the 45th emperor and reigned from 724 to 749. His father was Emperor Monmu, and his mother was Fujiwara no Miyako (the daughter of Fuhito). His wife, Empress Kōmyō, was the daughter of Fujiwara no Fuhito, strengthening ties with the Fujiwara clan.
Many disasters continued during Emperor Shōmu’s reign:
・737: A major smallpox epidemic (the Four Fujiwara Brothers also died)
・740: The Rebellion of Fujiwara no Hirotsugu
・Frequent earthquakes, famines, and epidemics
To respond to these events, Emperor Shōmu relied on the idea of “protecting the state through Buddhism” and carried out the following policies.
・741: Edict ordering the construction of provincial monasteries and convents - A provincial monastery and convent were to be built in every province
・743: Edict ordering the construction of the Great Vairocana Buddha - The Great Buddha at Tōdaiji was to be built
・752: Eye-opening ceremony for the Great Buddha - Completion ceremony for the Great Buddha
The Great Buddha is about 15m tall, enshrined at Tōdaiji, and remains a symbolic presence in Japan today.
724 Emperor Shōmu ascended the throne
737 Major smallpox epidemic; Four Fujiwara Brothers died
740 Rebellion of Fujiwara no Hirotsugu; capital moved to Kuni-kyō
741 Edict ordering the construction of provincial monasteries and convents
743 Edict ordering the construction of the Great Buddha; Permanent Private Ownership Law for Newly Cultivated Land
745 Capital returned to Heijō-kyō
749 Emperor Shōmu abdicated; Empress Kōken ascended the throne
752 Eye-opening ceremony for the Great Buddha at Tōdaiji
756 Retired Emperor Shōmu died; his belongings were placed in the Shōsōin Repository
Further Study (Background・Impact)
The background to Emperor Shōmu’s decision to build the Great Buddha was the national crisis of the time. It is estimated that about 30% of the population died in the major smallpox epidemic of 737. All four Fujiwara brothers died, throwing the government into confusion. In addition, the Rebellion of Fujiwara no Hirotsugu (a rebellion in Kyushu) broke out in 740, and Emperor Shōmu, shaken by these events, moved the capital repeatedly to Kuni-kyō, Naniwa-kyō, and Shigaraki Palace.
In these circumstances, Emperor Shōmu relied on the idea of protecting the state through Buddhism. This was the belief that people should revere the Golden Light Sutra and the Lotus Sutra and pray to the Buddha for national peace. The construction of provincial monasteries and convents was also intended to mobilize the power of Buddhism nationwide for the defense of the state.
The formal name of the Great Buddha is Vairocana Buddha, considered the Buddha who embodies the truth of the universe. It is about 15m tall and weighs about 250 tons. Its construction required large amounts of labor, copper, gold, and other resources. Immigrants from Korea and China played an active role in providing technical guidance. To gain the cooperation of the people, Emperor Shōmu employed a famous popular monk named Gyōki. Gyōki was loved by ordinary people, and through his cooperation, support among the people for the construction of the Great Buddha spread.
At the eye-opening ceremony for the Great Buddha in 752, the Indian monk Bodhisena was invited and performed the eye-opening ritual by painting the pupils with a brush. This internationally diverse ceremony shows that Japan during the Nara period was connected with the wider world.
- Emperor Shōmu = ascended the throne in 724; struggled to respond to disasters
- 737: Major smallpox epidemic; 30% of the population died
- Relied on Buddhism through the idea of “protecting the state”
- 741: Edict ordering the construction of provincial monasteries and convents
- 743: Edict ordering the construction of the Great Buddha (Vairocana Buddha)
- Gyōki = popular monk who helped construct the Great Buddha
- 752: Eye-opening ceremony for the Great Buddha (Bodhisena performed the eye-opening)
- Great Buddha = about 15m tall, enshrined at Tōdaiji
Points to Note (Easy to Confuse)
① Remember the years of the edict ordering the construction of provincial monasteries and convents (741) and the edict ordering the construction of the Great Buddha (743). ② The formal name of the Great Buddha is Vairocana Buddha. “Great Buddha of Tōdaiji” = “Great Buddha of Nara” = “Vairocana Buddha.” It is different from the Great Buddha of Kamakura (Amitabha Buddha). ③ The eye-opening ceremony was held in 752. Emperor Shōmu had already abdicated, but attended as a retired emperor. ④ Gyōki was initially prohibited from preaching by the government, but later became a senior Buddhist priest and directed the construction of the Great Buddha. ⑤ Empress Kōmyō was Emperor Shōmu’s wife and the daughter of Fujiwara no Fuhito. She was the first empress who was made empress from outside the imperial family. ⑥ Emperor Shōmu’s belongings were placed in the Shōsōin Repository, where they are still preserved today.
Practice
- What were the contents of the two edicts Emperor Shōmu issued in 741 and 743?
- What was the formal name of the Great Buddha at Tōdaiji?
- What was the name of the popular monk who helped construct the Great Buddha?