Seated Wooden Buddha statue at Shingon Temple

Seated wooden Buddha statue housed at Shingon temple in Nara is the earliest Buddha statueconstructed by Japanese master Unkei. This wooden Buddha statue is of Dainichi Nyorai or Mahavairocana in Sanskrit. As mentioned in the inscription on the pedestal, he began to work on the statue in 1175 and was completed in the next year. As mentioned in the Record of the shrines and temples of Yamato, the wooden Buddha statue was first installed in the Tahoto, a Japanese pagoda. Later the Tahoto caught on fire during the Onin War. The wooden Buddha statue survived the destruction and subsequently it was installed in the Hondo, a Japanese main hall. In 1921 the tahoto was repaired and later in the years the seated wooden Buddha statue of Dainichi Nyorai was installed in the tahoto. It is now displayed against a backdrop of painted Buddhas and Vajra on the columns and wall behind the altar.

Iconography of Seated wooden Buddha statue

The Buddha statue, Dainichi Nyorai is portrayed in the form of the bodhisattva. He is adorned with the garments and has a long hair of the nobility of ancient India. The statue has a bare chest with flowing draperies hanging from the left shoulder. The head of the Buddha is crowned while the arms, wrists, neck, chest, and legs are all bejeweled. The Buddha's long hair rests on the right shoulder. Dainichi Nyorai is portrayed with two principle hand mudras- the Diamond Realm and the Womb Realm. In Diamond Realm hand mudra, the finger of the right hand symbolizing the five elements penetrated by the Buddhist essence as represented by the index finger of the left hand. This gesture also symbolizes the mystic union of the material with the spirit of yoga practice.

The statue is equipped with the double round halo, one behind the head and another behind the body. The halos represent the light emitted by the Buddha. In the Brahma Net Sutra, Dainichi Nyorai appears seated on a lotus pedestal and other people gather to hear his teachings of the law. Likewise, the Buddha statue also sits on a top of a six-tier lotus pedestal with alternately arranged petals.

There are various statues of Dainichi Nyorai in the available Buddha shop similar to this statue but none of them are comparable to the artistic creation of the Unkei.

Technique behind forging the Buddha statue

It is recorded that all the surviving works of Unkei, Buddha statues were made in wood. It has also been found that approximately ninety percent of Important Cultural Property and National Treasure sculptures are made of wood. Therefore we can imagine that the wood is very precious for the artists.

Unkei while forging this seated wooden Buddha statue of Dainichi Nyorai employed the joined-block technique which is known as Yosegi-zukuri. This technique has the twin advantages of obviating the need for large pieces of timber while facilitating the hollowing-out process which helps reduce shrinkage and cracking. It is recorded that six main blocks of hinoki or Japanese cypress were used. Out of six two vertical blocks were arranged side by side and end on for the torso and the head. One horizontal piece is used for the legs. One piece is used for the top-knot. Two wedges were used for the thighs and the arms were assembled from a number of further pieces. After carving, hollowing, and assembly, the statue was lacquered and covered in gold leaf.

As for other parts, various other materials were used. The double halo and pedestal are of similar materials. The eyes are made up of rock crystal which was inserted into the open sockets from inside and then held in place by bamboo pins. The pupils were then painted. The lips are painted in red while the hair in blue. The jewels and crown are made up of gilt bronze.

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