or the "Great Western Temple" is a
Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
temple that was once one of the powerful
Seven Great Temples in the city of
Nara
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an " independent federal agency of the United States government within the executive branch", charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It i ...
,
Nara Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Nara Prefecture has a population of 1,321,805 and has a geographic area of . Nara Prefecture borders Kyoto Prefecture to the north, Osaka Prefecture to the northwest, Wakayama P ...
,
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
. The temple was first established in AD 765 as a counterpart to
Tōdai-ji
is a Buddhist temple complex that was once one of the powerful Nanto Shichi Daiji, Seven Great Temples, located in the city of Nara, Nara, Nara, Japan. Though it was originally founded in the year 738 CE, Tōdai-ji was not opened until the year ...
and it is the main temple of the sect of
Buddhism
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...
after the sect's founder, , took over administration in 1238.
It has undergone several reconstruction efforts since then during the succeeding centuries.
One building, the Aizen-dō, houses a statue of
Aizen Myō-ō Aizen may refer to:
* Aizen Myō-ō (愛染明王), a popular deity in Japanese Buddhism.
* Sōsuke Aizen
is a fictional character from the manga series ''Bleach'' created by Tite Kubo and the main villain of the first half of the series (and th ...
, while the main image is of
Shakyamuni Buddha, erected by Eison in 1249.
Building list
*
Main Hall (Hondō – 本堂) –
Important Cultural Property. It was rebuilt in 1808.
*Shiō-dō (四王堂) – It was rebuilt in 1674.
*Aizen-dō (愛染堂) – It was reconstructed in 1762.
File:Saidai-ji Nara Japan03n.jpg, Shiō-dō
File:Saidai-ji5.JPG, Aizen-dō
File:Kishi Monju pentad (Saidaiji Nara).jpg, Manjushri Bodhisattva (Monju Bosatsu)
See also
* For an explanation of terms concerning Japanese Buddhism, Japanese Buddhist art, and Japanese Buddhist temple architecture, see the
Glossary of Japanese Buddhism
This is the glossary of Japanese Buddhism, including major terms the casual (or brand-new) reader might find useful in understanding articles on the subject. Words followed by an asterisk (*) are illustrated by an image in one of the photo galle ...
.
*
List of National Treasures of Japan (crafts-others)
The term " National Treasure" has been used in Japan to denote cultural properties since 1897,
although the definition and the criteria have changed since the introduction of the term. The crafts items in the list adhere to the current definiti ...
*
List of National Treasures of Japan (paintings)
The term " National Treasure" has been used in Japan to denote cultural properties since 1897.
The definition and the criteria have changed since the inception of the term. These paintings adhere to the current definition, and were designated na ...
*
List of National Treasures of Japan (sculptures)
In the mid-6th century, the introduction of Buddhism from Korea (Baekje) to Japan resulted in a revival of Japanese sculpture. Buddhist monks, artisans and scholars settled around the capital in Yamato Province (present day Nara Prefecture) and pa ...
*
List of National Treasures of Japan (writings)
Lists of National Treasures of Japan cover different types of National Treasure of Japan. They include buildings and fine arts and crafts.
Buildings and structures
* List of National Treasures of Japan (castles), for structures that are part of ...
*
Nanto Shichi Daiji
Nanto Shichi Daiji (南都七大寺), literally "the seven great temples of the southern capital (meaning Nara)", is a historical common name generally referring to the powerful and influential seven Buddhist temples located in Nara. There have bee ...
, Seven Great Temples of Nanto.
*
Thirteen Buddhist Sites of Yamato
Thirteen or 13 may refer to:
* 13 (number), the natural number following 12 and preceding 14
* One of the years 13 BC, AD 13, 1913, 2013
Music
* 13AD (band), an Indian classic and hard rock band
Albums
* ''13'' (Black Sabbath album), 2013
* ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saidai-Ji
Religious organizations established in the 8th century
Buddhist temples in Nara, Nara
Shingon Ritsu temples
Historic Sites of Japan
Important Cultural Properties of Japan
8th-century establishments in Japan
Buddhism in the Nara period
Religious buildings and structures completed in 765