O ye who tread the Narrow Way
By Tophet-flare to Judgment Day,
Be gentle when ‘the heathen’ pray
To Buddha at Kamakura!
—Rudyard Kipling, Buddha at Kamakura
!steemitworldmap 35.316827 lat 139.535724 long The Great Buddha of Kamakura d3scr
Here it is—the Buddha at Kamakura himself, the daibutsu, or Great Buddha. I'm sure many of you are already familiar with this famous statue. It is one of the symbols of Japan.
He is the Amida Buddha (Amitābha), which is something of the top Buddha in Mahayana Buddhism, which is itself a more mythological branch of Buddhism. My Zen friends would say "full of silly Hinduism superstition", but ignore them, they like to stare at walls for fun. Odd guys.
It is said in Pure Land Buddhism that if you chant the nembutsu—Namu Amida Butsu—enough and meditate on it, you may be reborn in the Pure Land, which is a kind of paradise where the inhabitants are free to pursue enlightenment without distraction.
The statue is very impressive and the surrounding temple area is nice. It is a popular tourist destination, so it's best to go in the early morning before the crowd wakes up. That's what I always do when I visit here, and those quiet early morning moments are wonderful.
Don't miss the other great photos in the Beautiful Japan photo series!
#1–10 — Beautiful Japan, Collection #1
#11–20 — Beautiful Japan, Collection #2
#21–30 — Beautiful Japan, Collection #3
#31 — Lost in Thought
#32 — Now For My Close-Up
#33 — Let's Pray Under the Clouds
#34 — Garden Shrine
#35 — Bridge to Adventure
#36 — Angry Samurai Turtle
#37 — Castle in the Trees
#38 — Maple Leaves at Rest
#39 — Shrine of the Goddess
If you enjoyed this post, please like and resteem. Also be sure to follow me to see more from Japan everyday.
I post one photo everyday, as well as a haiku and as time allows, videos, more Japanese history, and so on. Let me know if there is anything about Japan you would like to know more about or would like to see.
 | David LaSpina is an American photographer lost in Japan, trying to capture the beauty of this country one photo at a time. |