A journey into paradise at the Phoenix Hall in Japan
Phoenix Hall at Byōdō-in, originally built 998 and transformed into a Buddhist temple in 1052, Heian period, in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan
(Photo: Cortney Chaffin Kim, CC By-NC-ND 2.0)
Interested in the history of Japanese art or Japanese religion? Travel back in time to explore the Phoenix Hall at Byōdō-in Temple in Uji, Japan and Pure Land Buddhism. Learn about the origins of this magnificent temple and how it symbolizes the teachings of Buddhism.
This site was converted from a summer retreat to a Buddhist temple in 1052 during the Heian period. It represents the Western Paradise of Amida Buddha (or Amitabha Buddha). In the interior, there is a giant sculpture of Amida Buddha and a lot of other art that works to help worshippers imagine Amida Buddha’s descent from the Western Paradise to meet them. During the Heian period, people believed they were living in an age of chaos and despair called mappō. During mappō, people felt it was hopeless to achieve Buddhist nirvana, or enlightenment, so people put their hope in Amida Buddha and rebirth in the Western Paradise. This was all part of Pure Land Buddhism in Japan.
Learn more about why the Phoenix Hall is so famous in this video!
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Here is what the video covers:
0:00 Introduction to the Phoenix Hall of Byodo-in in Japan
0:22 Why is it called the Phoenix Hall?
0:37 The temple and talking about Buddhism
0:48 The construction of Phoenix Hall during the Heian period
0:55 The importance of the year 1052 and Mappo
1:13 Siddartha Gautama
1:26 Nirvana and enlightenment
1:32 The Buddha and the three great ages of Buddhism
2:05 Finding comfort in Amida Buddha (Amitabha Buddha) and the Western Paradise or Pure Land Buddhism
2:45 The monk Genshin who described Amida descending from the Western Paradise, along with his companions like the bodhisattva Kannon
3:45 Paintings, buildings, and sculptures imagine the Western Paradise
4:05 Fujiwara Yorimichi and constructing Byodo-in to be a three-dimensional Western Paradise
4:41 Inside the Phoenix Hall, including a statue of Amida Buddha, painted doors showing different people, and sculptures of Amida’s companions
6:12 Wrapping up
