Great Buddha Adorned with Flowers

　The Great Buddha at Tōdai-ji Temple in Nara was adorned with a profusion of flowers. Apparently, the entrance ceremony for Tōdai-ji Gakuen school took place yesterday. It is said that new students and their parents are allowed to ascend the pedestal, an area normally off-limits to the public. This is a special place accessible only to those associated with Tōdai-ji.

　The Great Buddha was cast over a period of three years in the mid-8th century, but its head fell off during a major earthquake in the mid-9th century. Although it was restored, it was destroyed by fire during the wars of the late 12th century and again in the mid-16th century. It was restored to its present form in the late 17th century. For the Japanese people, the Great Buddha is not merely a work of art, but a spiritual symbol representing prayers for ‘national stability’, ‘deliverance from disasters and illness’, and ‘the happiness of the people’.