Jackson--Amida+Buddha

__ Amida Buddha Statue of Kamakura __ In the city of Kamakura, Japan there is a statue. It is the statue of Amida Buddha, the loftiest savior figure in Japanese Buddhism. Amida (Amitabha) means infinite light and life (Wangu). He plays a big role in this ancient religion. The statue of Amida weighs at least ninety- three tons! That is about a one hundred eighty-six pound statue! With a staggering height of thirty-eight feet. The Buddha sits in a full lotus position. Where his feet are above his thighs.  This statue was cast in 1252 made of bronze, the statue was covered by a large wooden hall (Wangu). Then the hall was destroyed by a storm in 1334, but was rebuilt. Then it was destroyed yet again by the storm of 1339. So, it was rebuilt again as the last hall, before it was washed away by the tsunami of Sept. 20 1498. Since then the statue has been left in the elements. After being left outside for so long the figure has turned to a blue-ish green color. As well as the 32 bronze petals at the base losing 28 petals, now only four remain (Wangu). The great Kanto earthquake of 1923 destroyed the base the statue sits upon. It was a devastating blow to the statue. So in 1925 the base of the base of the bronze statue figure was repaired. As well as other repairs were made from 1960 through 1961. The Temple then decided to make more safety features. By the neck of the Buddha being strengthened and other precautions taken to make it earthquake proof. Today, the statue is used as a symbol of Buddhist faith and worship (Wangu). It as well attracts tourism. It allows people to come and marvel at it. It shows the importance of religion in the older days of Japan.  The Statue at the state it is in today allows tourist, or islanders to come and go inside of the large statue. The inside is filled with names where people have left there mark on a amazing statue (Wangu). This is even a area where people can place dazzling flowers to appease the god Amida. It is a good way to keep your religious flow. Prays to this god are often in front of this statue or in front of a different amida Buddha statue. The future of this statue is bright. It shall probably remain in it’s seat for another century. Hopefully it will stay intact for that time period. As well as keep the people of tomorrow remembering the people of yesterday. The Statue of Amida Buddha is a amazing relic of the ancient world. It symbolizes the dedication of a Buddhist and his religion. The figure of Amida is in a full lotus position, but could be in a half lotus position. His hands are in a mundra, a form of hand gesture symbolizing his state of meditation and focus. // __ Work Cited  __ // Wangu, Madhu Bazaz : World Religions, Buddhism fourth edition Wangu, Madhu Bazaz : World Religions, Buddhism third edition