Page 115 - WDT Winter 2018 japan

The Great Buddha is the most prominent statue in
the Great Buddha Hall. Other sculptures include
bodhisattvas in gleaming gold leaf and wooden
sculptures of heavenly guardians.

Flanking the Great Buddha on either side are two gleaming was about as solemn as a high school football game in Texas.
bodhisattvas, each of which is impressive but overshadowed by The temple grounds are expansive and include a museum and
the Buddha. Two other statues, of heavenly guardians, stand in several other structures, besides the Great Buddha Hall. It was
corners of the hall. easy for us to lose ourselves for the day at Todai-ji, exploring
the grounds, absorbing the culture, and dodging the deer. u
While the scene inside the hall was calmer than outside – the
deer are barred from the hall – it was by no means serene. In
one corner schoolchildren were staging a drama, and lines of
people strode past as if enjoying a carnival. All in all, the scene

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