東大寺
先週末2月1日、整骨院で体をほぐして貰っている時、フッと東大寺に行ってみたくなった。帰宅してすぐに女房に、「今日の予定は？」と聞くと、「特には・・」との返事。そこで「東大寺に行こうか？」というと、あんたは何時も・・という顔をしながら、それでも「良いよ・・」との返事。早速朝の用事を済ませ、久方ぶりに奈良に向かった。40分ほどで東大寺着。
先ずは運慶、快慶作の金剛力士像（仁王門）に圧倒される。東大寺は修学旅行以後2・3回は来ているが、今さらながらにビックリ。あの迫力とあの大きさ、しかも1300年も前に作られたと思うと、ただただ驚くばかり。また、大仏殿の壮大さ、大仏さんの大きさ。聖武天皇は何を思い、何を考えこんな大きな廬舎那仏を造ろうと思ったのか？。
小一時間大仏さんとじっくり対談し、その後、三月堂（法華寺）と二月堂を周り、3時間ほどで帰途についたが、久しぶりに奈良の甍を堪能することが出来た。たまには良いものだな・・・。
Last weekend, February 1, while I was getting my body loosened up at an osteopathic clinic, I suddenly felt the urge to go to Todaiji Temple. As soon as I got home, I asked my wife, “What are your plans for today? When I asked him about it, he replied, “Not particularly… So, “Shall we go to Todaiji? When I said that, he replied, “It’s fine,” though he always had a look on his face. It took me about 40 minutes to arrive at Todaiji Temple, where I ran my morning errands and headed to Nara for the first time in a long time.
First of all, I was overwhelmed by the statue of Kongo Rikishi (Niwomon) by Unkei and Kaikei. I’ve been to Todaiji 2 or 3 times since my school trip, but I was surprised. To think that it was built 1,300 years ago with such power and such size is just amazing. Also, the magnificence of the Great Buddha Hall and the size of the Great Buddha. What did Emperor Shomu think and what did he think to build such a large Lusha-Na-Butsu?
We spent an hour talking with the daibutsu-san, then went around Sangetsudo (temple) and Nigetsudo (temple) for 3 hours, and enjoyed Nara’s corbie houses for the first time in a long time. It’s nice to have something to do once in a while…
