Chapter 114 Prince Shotoku: The Founder of Japanese Buddhism

In Nara County, Japan, there is a famous Buddhist ancient temple, which is "Horyuji Temple". The current Horyuji Temple consists of two temples, East and West.The west courtyard (built in 607) has buildings such as the golden hall and the five-storied pagoda. In the main hall, exquisite Buddha statues are enshrined, and the eaves of the main hall are decorated with exquisite and elegant paintings.The most special sight is the "Jade Insect Altar", which was originally inlaid with millions of glittering beetle wings.Unfortunately, after too long, their wings have rotted away.

The east courtyard of Horyuji Temple was built more than 100 years after the west courtyard was built, and it is centered on the Dream Hall.In this elegant octagonal building, there is a "Statue of Invisibility", which is placed with other gods and bodhisattvas. This is the standing statue of Prince Shotoku (574-622 AD).This beloved prince in Japanese history succeeded in unifying the country, subjugating the people to the emperor and establishing Buddhism as the state religion.Under his leadership, Japanese culture has been greatly developed. Therefore, in Japan, Prince Shotoku is very popular, and there are many legends related to him.Take Horyuji Temple as an example, the reason why later generations built this "dream hall" is to commemorate the fate of Prince Shotoku and Horyuji Temple.It is said that the origin of the construction of Horyuji Temple was because Prince Shotoku had a dream in which an angel appeared in front of him.

There are similar legends about another ancient temple, the Four Heavenly Kings Temple.According to legend, Prince Shotoku once swore, "If I can defeat the Monobe family, I will build a pagoda to enshrine the Four Heavenly Kings." Later, he succeeded in eradicating the alien race, so he built the Four Tennoji Temple in the place where the Buddha was chanted. In addition, some people say that he can recite Buddhist scriptures at the age of 3, and that he is a rare handsome man in the world, with elegant and handsome skin like snow, and can emit fragrance.It is said that he is extremely smart, can listen to all directions, and can solve 10 complicated and mysterious cases at the same time.

There is no doubt that Prince Shotoku is a well-learned man, especially proficient in Chinese classics and history.He deeply respected Buddhism and built many monasteries.In addition to the famous Four Tennoji Temple and Horyuji Temple, Chuguji Temple, Hokoji Temple, Falun Temple, Daan Temple, Koryu Temple, Sakata Temple, etc. were also built by him.In order to build these temples, he also invited many expert artists from China and North Korea.For Japanese Buddhist culture, Prince Shotoku can be regarded as a founder.