Notes from Tōdai-ji in Nara｜Reuniting with the Tang Dynasty’s Breeze Under the Lotus Throne

While tourists in Kyoto crowd Kinkaku-ji, I took the first Kintetsu train to Nara. The morning mist of May had not yet lifted, and deer stood by Egret Pond grooming their fur. The entire temple complex appeared like a mirage in the mist, each tile condensed with the dew of the Heian period.

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🪷 One-Day Pilgrimage Guide

Transportation: 20-minute walk from Kintetsu Nara Station Exit 2, passing leisurely deer
Time: Recommended to enter at 8:30 when the gates open to avoid school trip crowds
Incense Offering: Remember to bring 100 yen coins to offer three incense sticks at the hand-washing pavilion

🌿 Chen Hour · Beginning of the Dharma Realm (8:30-10:00)

· Meditation at the South Great Gate
Stand in the shadow of 18 towering pillars and look up at the “Great Huayan Temple” plaque. The 1,200-year-old camphor wood doors still open. Touch the worn Tang-style lion carvings at the base of the pillars; the palm feels the waves of the Tang envoy’s fleet.
· Reflection at Mirror Pond
Kneel by the pond in front of the middle gate; the entire Great Buddha Hall is perfectly reflected in the water. An old man selling deer crackers reminds, “You must wait for a windless moment to see the sky of the Tenpyō era.”

🦌 Si Hour · Offering to All Beings (10:00-12:00)

· Gazing at the Vairocana Buddha
Inside the world’s largest wooden Buddha hall, the 15-meter-tall bronze Buddha’s hand forms the wish-granting mudra. Observe the eight-petal Tang floral pattern on the lotus throne—at the center, the lotus contains a Persian-style lion.
· Pillar Hole Encounter
Queue to crawl through the “Liberation Hole” at the base of a Great Buddha Hall pillar. In the darkness, children whisper wishes. It is said that passing through a hole the same size as the Buddha’s nostril grants wisdom blessings.

🍃 Wu Hour · Zen and Tea as One Flavor (12:00-14:00)

· Bento at Nigatsu-dō
Climb the stone steps to the suspended stage and open your handmade bento by the corridor. Plum rice balls stuffed with Nara pickles, and in the distance, the time bell of Hōryū-ji rings.
· Tea Room Encounter
Drink fresh tea on the tatami at Shitoku-an; the 91-year-old proprietress shows a tea scoop patterned after the Shōsōin design. She says, “The tile patterns of Tōdai-ji actually hide secrets from Chang’an’s Ximing Temple.”

🎑 Shen Hour · Folding Time and Space (14:00-17:00)

· Pilgrimage at the Ordination Platform
On the square steps of the ordination platform established by Jianzhen, encounter a monk in a dark kasaya. He points to the painted beams: “The pipa played by these flying celestial musicians is still the ‘King Lanling Enters the Battle’ melody.”
· Rotating Sutra Repository
Turn Japan’s oldest revolving sutra cabinet; the eight-sided scripture boxes sigh with the scent of agarwood. The keeper smiles, “One rotation equals reciting all the scriptures.”

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🎎 Secret Experiences

· Sutra Copying Offering: At the encouragement hall beside the bell tower, copy the Heart Sutra with a brush and offer it before the Buddha
· Tile Rubbing: Spend 500 yen at the souvenir shop to rub lotus-patterned tile prints, patterns originating from Tang Dynasty Chang’an
· Special Night Worship: On the 14th of each month, night visits are held; under moonlight, the Golden Hall floats like a city of amber

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“Tōdai-ji taught me: true grandeur is not about occupying space, but like the smile of Vairocana Buddha—embracing all the scars of time even in imperfection.”