Last Sunday, I visited Toji Temple in Kyoto. The temple held a special winter opening for its five-storied pagoda. Only the interior ground level of the pagoda was openined to the public.
The opening was introduced on TV last Wednesday. Some personalities reported on this pagoda. They focused on the main pillar at the center of the pagoda that goes from the top to the bottom. The central pillar called Shinbashira in Japanese is not connected to any of the stories to absorb the swaying in the event of an earthquake. The force of vibrations is dampened as they move to the higher parts of th epagoda.
As a result, the pagoda remains intact. No pagoda has ever fallen down from an earthquake, though some have burn down from fire.
On the ground level, four kind of Buddha staues are enshried on a platform surrounding the main pillar. The statues are facing in four different directions. The main pillar is considered as -himself. It is the highest in the rank of the buddhas. 4 Buddha statues play thier own rile. For example -heal and cure sick people by giving medicine. 4 statues are accompanied by a couple of buddha-on both sides. It is a lower rank of the main statue.
The pagoda was burn down 4 times since it was built in the 9th century. The present one was built in 1644. After seeing the treasured images of the Buddha. I went out of the pagoda and took some pictures of it. It looked wonderful with the colored maples trees and a beautiful pond in the precints.
On the way back to Kyoto Station, I dropped by a Japanese confectionary shop to buy two small pancakes with red beans paste
fillings.
