法隆寺 夢殿 救世観音御開帳
10月30日 撮影
夢殿 (奈良時代 国宝)
Hall of Dreams (Yumedono)
The octagonal Yumedono, or Hall of Dreams, is one of Horyuji Temple's most impressive buildings. The scholar-priest Gyoshin Sozu commissioned its construction in 739 as a monument to Shotoku Taishi. The building was constructed on the site of the prince's private palace, where he lived until his death in 622. The Hall of Dreams derives its name from a legend that a golden Buddha once appeared to Shotoku Taishi in a dream.
A shining jewel sits atop the roof in the shape of a reliquary. Japan adopted the construction of octagonal wooden halls for use as memorial chapels and the Hall of Dreams is one such example. Memorial services honoring Shotoku Taishi are held in the building, which houses the Kuse Kannon, a statue built in the likeness of Shotoku Taishi and considered to be a masterpiece of seventh-century Buddhist art. The Kuse Kannon is believed to have the power to save people from suffering. Other important statues in the hall are a Nara period (710-794) dry-lacquer statue of the priest Gyoshin Sozu and a Heian period (794-1185) clay statue of the Dosen Risshi, a priest who renovated the Hall of Dreams during the Heian period.
