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Ryozen Kannon
January 19, 2009 | 21 Comments
Boddhisatva of Mercy
Ryozen Kannon in Kyoto, Japan was built in 1955 to serve as a memorial to Japanese and Allied war dead from WW II. What I remember about Ryozen Kannon is a family in formal black taking souvenir pictures. What I really remember is the teenage kid using the incense stick as a moustache, while his mom (who was taking the picture) was getting frustrated trying animatedly to talk some sense into him. After all, this is a sombre place.
At that instant, I felt a bit old. I identified with the mom!
The inner temple stores tablets of more than 2 million Japanese who died in WW II and an altar containing soil from every Allied battlefield in the Pacific region. A 80 ft tall statue of Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara (Bodhisattva of Mercy), in all beatific splendour sits on the roof of the temple. The statue is made from concrete and steel. It’s hollow inside and one can climb into the head region.
Climb to the top for a good view of the city
Family at the incense urn
The bamboo in the foreground covers some plumbing. This is something I noticed in all the gardens as well where every sprinkler cover was covered by bamboo, enhancing the aesthetic appeal of the place.
Ryozen Kannon is right next to the Kodai-ji Temple (circa 1606). At Kodai-ji Temple there was a special viewing of a “Samurai Body Armour Auction”. More about that in another post.
-Jai
Filed Under: bamboo, Japan, Photo Essays, Ryozen Kannon, TRAVEL
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21 Comments
There is a very similar idol (??) in a buddist temple in Penang, Malaysia. In fact, it looks exactly the same!
I love the big patches of colour… blue, green and white.
Thanks for sharing those pics, looks very peaceful ..
Serene beauty! Thanks Jai!
Lovely pics as usual! Imagine feeling what’s inside Buddha’s head – even if its just symbolic!
Thanks for sharing those lovely pictures
Beautiful statue of Buddha, one day we might plan a trip to Japan too!
It’s snowing here Jugs, all of 3″ today!!
Beautiful pic.
Wish i would visit japan once.
I chuckled at the idea of “getting inside Boddhisatva’s head”. Wonder if it changes your attitude to be in there? Loved the snapshot of the family as well. You can travel thousands of miles but apparently teenaged boys and their Mommas may be the same everywhere.
Wow..Lovely pictures of budda…
What a wonderful place. I feel very peaceful just looking at your photos.
Japan is on my wish list after seeing all ur pictures. The place should bring some peace of mind ….
Lovely pictures!!
lovely pictures!! this remindsme of the shanti stupa in leh, though the statue there is not as big as this one. My lil one is similar to the child you saw…once she insisted on sitting on Buddha’s lap in an antique shop!!
Lovely pictures. The image of Buddha (esp. at that scale) always brings that sense of calm.
oh this is so overwhelming…love it!
have visited the Lantau Buddha here in hong kong…n everytime i visit i am awe struck!
Beautiful pictures!!! I am amazed how the sky is always blue in all your pictures….. You guys must be doing a lot of planning to make sure it isn’t cloudy when you go sightseeing. Awesome!!!
This Buddha is very similar to the one in Malaysia. I had gone to Malaysia when I was 14, with my parents. Still have those photographs, 14 years later. I loved the bamboo in the foreground…that is truly aesthetic. Lovely pics..
Hey..btw..I was looking through your archive posts on Fitness. I see not many such posts recently. I know you guys are both fitness freaks. Please be gracious enough to share about some exercise routines to get fit (what to do and what not), eating proper foods, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, exercises…etc etc. Sure would help many like me who are getting on track. What better than learning from the connoisseur?
We often visit The International Buddhist Temple in Vancouver and the temple always radiates an atmosphere of peace and calm. Hope you had the same experience at Ryozen Kannon too.
OH GOD J&B!! What a Buddha!!! What photography! And your writing has such a spark! Heh…heh….yeah, we identify with the mom too! Cant stop chuckling at her frustration. Kids are such a wonderful nuisance eh? Wonder what we’d do without them though!
And wow! Imagine entering into the head region of that mighty statue! Wish doing that would bring, within each one that climbs in there, the peace and calm of that great saint…much needed in today’s world of violence and hatred. Thank you for this awesome post.
A great shot and a nice statue!
Cheers,
Rosa