Teri-san, I am amazed to learn that you, a foreigner, know so much about the history of the Great Buddha of Nara, which even many Japanese people are not familiar with😳 Since Irina-san seems to be interested in Japanese religion, I would like to answer the questions she mentioned in the video. Buddhism is a religion that originated in the Indian subcontinent and spread to East Asia. We Japanese people learned it through the Korean Peninsula and China. In the process, the teachings of Buddhism have changed greatly. And even within Japan, there are many sects of Buddhism. Therefore, it is difficult to explain in a nutshell what the teachings of Japanese Buddhism are, but in a word, many of them are very simple and worldly. For example, the most popular sect in Japan is Jodo Shinshu, which, to put it simply, is the belief that if one chants the phrase "Namu-Amida-Butsu" in various situations in daily life, one will be able to go to the Pure Land (a place of ideal life after death, which I think is like the heaven that Westerners think of) after death. This is a very simple teaching. Of course, as a religion, there are sutras that explain this teaching in more detail, but even Japanese people who have not studied Buddhism as a specialty cannot even read them, let alone understand the content. This is because Buddhism came to Japan through China, so the sutras are basically written in Chinese. By the way, most Japanese people today perform their funerals according to Buddhist or Shinto rites, but many people do not even know the meaning of the simple phrases described above. Today's Japanese people are more likely to pray only at specific events such as funerals so that their deceased loved ones can go to heaven after death, rather than considering themselves Buddhists. We hardly ever think about Buddhism in our daily lives. Therefore, except for devout Buddhists, ordinary people do not even chant the phrase in order for themselves to go to heaven. By the way, I wrote above that funerals are performed according to Buddhist or Shinto rites, because in Japan, it is common to believe in both Buddha and Shinto gods at the same time, which is called syncretism. So I wrote down Buddhist "or" Shinto, in reality, one religion incorporates elements of the other. They coexist harmoniously, and Japanese people do not perceive any contradiction between the two teachings. Therefore, the Japanese religious view is polytheistic and at the same time very simple and worldly. So, while Buddhism is indeed a religion, most Japanese people today are not very interested in its teachings or content. It is rather a secular existence that they are only slightly aware of when they visit temples for sightseeing or at the events mentioned above, as you are doing today. However, because the Japanese people are not very conscious of religion compared to other ethnic groups, perhaps we can accept foreign cultures without resistance and with an open mind. This is because modern Japanese religious views have almost no religious prohibitions or commandments that say "you shouldn't do this or that." Since the 19th century, Japan has actively learned from Western civilization and became the first non-Western country to join the ranks of developed nations. This history may have had something to do with the above-mentioned secular religious view. And let me briefly explain the manufacturing method of the Great Buddha of Nara. First, a rough frame of the Great Buddha was made of wood and bamboo, and then the outer frame was covered with clay and plaster. Then, molten bronze was poured into it. This creates the rough shape of the bronze statue, and then clay was applied to it, and finally, a golden alloy called amalgam was applied to it, so that when the Great Buddha was completed, the color was shining gold. However, over time, the metal on the surface rusted and turned a greenish color. By the way, Georgia is known as a country with a long history of the Orthodox Church. Are many Georgians still devout Christians today? I am very curious about what kind of religious beliefs and traditions you have😄✨ Someday, I'd like to go to your country🇬🇪✨ Especially, I would love to visit the beautiful churches in your country with St.Nino's Cross deeply intertwined with Georgian wine. I imagine there are many magnificent churches that reflect the country's long tradition of winemaking😆 Wine must hold a special significance for you Christians, beyond just a beverage. I've heard that bread and wine represent the body and blood of Jesus, reminding believers of his crucifixion and the ultimate sacrifice he made for the sins of humanity. While you Georgians were cultivating grapes and mastering the art of fermenting them into alcohol 8,000 years ago, we Japanese had barely begun to practice agriculture. I deeply admire your civilization, which pioneered advanced agricultural techniques and culinary traditions long before any other in the world🍇✨
@teri778 ай бұрын
Thank you always for the information 🥰❤️ we learn a lot from you 🌸 Georgia has very long history about religion from b.c. 4th century. Most of the people are Christian orthodox in Georgia and we have very big Christian traditions during the Easter❤️ It’s very interesting. I hope you can visit Georgia soon, when situation will gets little calm 🌸
@user-sr8sf2lg4y8 ай бұрын
b.c. 4th century? Maybe you wanted to write down "After Christ"?😅 What do you do during Easter? Do you make beautiful Easter eggs?