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 ...
,
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, Wakaya ...
,
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 n ...
. The temple was first established in AD 765 as a counterpart to
Tōdai-ji 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 ...
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 t ...
, 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.
*
List of National Treasures of Japan (crafts-others)
*
List of National Treasures of Japan (paintings)
*
List of National Treasures of Japan (sculptures)
*
List of National Treasures of Japan (writings)
*
Nanto Shichi Daiji, Seven Great Temples of Nanto.
*
Thirteen Buddhist Sites of Yamato
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