大安寺の仏像（東京国立博物館） The Buddhist Sculptures of Daianji Temple (Tokyo National Museum)

 

大安寺は、日本で最初に国によって奈良に作られた寺院とのこと。

京都に都が移されたのを契機に京都に移されて、今に至っているという。

大安寺のことは名前程度しか知らず、それほど由緒のある寺院であることは知らなかった。

奈良にあった創建当時は、奈良にあった7つの菅寺の中でも筆頭であり、900名以上の僧侶がそこで暮らし、インドや中国などからの僧侶も多くいたという。

その大安寺から、8世紀の奈良時代に作られた木造の仏像が7体展示されていた。

現在から見ると素朴な作りに見えるが、当時の人々にとっては最先端の宗教、思想である仏教を体現しているように見えたのだろうか。

Daian-ji Temple is said to be the first temple in Nara built by the government.

It is said that it was moved to Kyoto when the capital was moved to Kyoto, and has continued to this day.

I knew only the name of Daian-ji Temple, and didn't know that it was a temple with such a long history.

When it was first built in Nara, it was the largest of the seven Kandera temples in Nara, with more than 900 monks living there, including many from India and China.

Seven wooden Buddha statues made in the Nara period in the 8th century were exhibited from the Daian-ji Temple.

Looking at it today, it looks simple, but to the people of the time, did it seem to embody Buddhism, which was the most advanced religion and thought?