One interesting feature of Ichibata Yakushi Temple is the 84,000 Buddhas project.
Buddhism says that we have 84,000 mental impurities that impede us from enlightenment. Also, it is said that the Buddha had 84,000 teachings. The project here is to amass 84,000 statuettes of Yakushi, the healing Buddha.
I'm not sure how many have been set up, though it is many, many thousands. New ones are being put in the 5th hall to be built to house them. This newest hall is enclosed in windows, so shots like the first in this post won't be possible there. They plan to build 8 halls to house the full 84,000.
Each bronze statue is 24 cms tall, and the purchaser of one, at a mere 50,000 yen, gets their prayer, in ink on washi paper, placed inside the statue.
The standing Yakushi is a cast of the original by Eri Kokei, said to be a leading sculptor of Buddhist statues....
It is fascinating to look for and notice the different patinas as the statues age and are exposed to climatic conditions...
Several of the halls are open to the front and so leaves blow in and are caught among some of the statues.....
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Great shots!
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