The Overwhelming Presence of Tōdaiji’s Fukū Kensaku Kannon, Nara

This stately figure radiates the dignity of a divine sovereign who stands watch over the oldest hall at the celebrated Nara temple Tōdaiji.

The statue depicts Amoghapāśa (Fukū Kensaku Kannon), one of the manifestations of Kannon Bodhisattva (Avalokitesvara), and is the principal image enshrined in Tōdaiji’s Lotus Hall . The extraordinary form of the figure, with three eyes and eight arms, conveys an overwhelming sense of power and presence. Both the image and the Lotus Hall itself are national treasures.

(© Muda Tomohiro)

The Lotus Hall (Hokkedō) was part of the temple complex of Kinshōji, the temple that preceded Tōdaiji on this site. The building was originally known as the Kensakudō, after the main image housed inside it. Starting in 746, ceremonies were held here every year during the third month, to read the Lotus Sutra and preach its miraculous salvific powers. Over time the hall came to be known as the Hokkedō (Lotus Hall) and Sangatsudō (Third Month Hall). These ceremonies date to a period before the famous Great Buddha Hall was built, and the Lotus Hall can therefore be described as the oldest structure at Tōdaiji today.

Today, the Hokkedō (Lotus Hall) enshrines 10 sculptures that have been designated as national treasures. The prayer hall on the right was added by Chōgen (1121–1206) during the Kamakura period (1185–1333). The building as it stands today thus combines elements from two different eras. (© Muda Tomohiro)

The main image, believed to have been made around the same time as the hall, stands 3.62 meters tall. Visitors to the temple are immediately struck by the size of the image, and then find themselves entranced by the richness of the decorative adornments.

The jeweled crown, in particular, stands out for its unusually lavish decoration. Crafted from silver, the crown is approximately 88 centimeters high and weighs around 11 kilograms. At the center is an image of a manifestation of the Amida Buddha, depicted making the Abhaya mudra (semui-in in Japanese), a gesture of reassurance that symbolizes the Buddha’s removal of fear and offering of protection to all living things. Surrounding the Buddha are more than 10,000 precious stones, including jades, crystals, and turquoises.

(© Muda Tomohiro)

The bodhisattva wears a cloth made to resemble a deerskin over the left shoulder and an ornamental “heavenly scarf” (tenne) over the right. The jōhaku fabric draped around the neck crosses in front of the midriff and loops over two of the bodhisattva’s arms before hanging loosely to the feet. The left of this pair of hands holds the item that gives the sculpture its name. A kensaku or kenjaku was originally a five-strand rope that was used in ancient India as a snare to capture birds and animals. In Buddhism, it symbolizes the Buddha’s determination to save all living beings, ensuring that none are left to suffer.

The raised pair of arms hold a lotus and khakkara (pewter staff), while the two bottommost hands form the Varada mudra (Japanese: yogan-in), symbolizing the granting of blessings and the power to fulfil prayers. Another pair of hands are joined in prayer in front of the chest, carefully cradling a precious crystal between the two palms.

(© Muda Tomohiro)

The image was made using the hollow dry lacquer technique that was popular during the Tenpyō era. First a core was modelled in clay, and then multiple layers of cloth soaked in lacquer were wound around the core and left to harden. Once the lacquer was dry, the clay was removed. Surface details were applied using kokuso-urushi (a paste made by mixing lacquer, flour, and wood powder), and a further layer of lacquer was applied after coloring. The figure was then finished with gold leaf, to produce a smooth and glittering surface.

This method was labor-intensive and time-consuming and required large amounts of expensive lacquer, however, and fell out of use after the Tenpyō era ended. The Shōsōin monjo, a collection of documents relating to Todaiji’s treasure repository that are among Japan’s oldest written sources, record that “the lacquer used for the sculpture rivaled the cost of constructing the hall itself.” Just how much of this precious lacquer would have been necessary to produce the imposing torso of a towering figure like this one?

Because images made with this method were lighter than wooden sculptures, it was relatively easy to carry them to safety in times of war. This is no doubt part of the reason why the majesty and grace of the sculpture remain so miraculously intact, more than a thousand years after it was made.

There can be little doubt that this sublime, lavishly decorated image is one of the supreme masterpieces of Tenpyō sculpture.

(© Muda Tomohiro)

Image of the Bodhisattva Amoghapāśa (Fukū Kensaku Kannon)

• Height: 3.62 meters
• Date: Tenpyō era (Nara Period); 729–749
• Tōdaiji (Nara Prefecture)
• National treasure

(Originally published in Japanese. Banner photo: Amoghapāśa, the Fukū Kensaku Kannon, at Tōdaiji, Nara. © Muda Tomohiro.)