News Discussion

Nara's Great Buddha Gets a Once-a-Year Dusting

Every year, the Great Buddha of Todaiji Temple in Nara receives a thorough cleaning. On August 7, about 170 monks and other participants took part in the annual Omi Nugui ceremony.

They carefully removed every speck of dust from the temple's principal object of worship. This summer tradition sweeps away a year's worth of buildup and restores the statue's deep black luster.

Preparations began early in the morning. Participants purified themselves in the bathhouse and dressed in white garments. After the hakken ritual, which symbolically releases the Buddha's spirit, and a round of sutra chanting, they boarded gondolas suspended from the ceiling.

From there, they dusted the Buddha's face and shoulders, which rise some 15 meters (around 50 ft) high. The temple floor and the central gate were also cleaned.

Hiroyuki Onagi, a self-employed visitor from Osaka City, gazed up at the statue. "It's such a rare sight — seeing monks clean a Buddha statue from gondolas hanging from the ceiling," he said.

1. 1. thorough　徹底的な、完全な
   We made thorough preparations for our trip to Colorado.
2. 2. restore　（建物・美術品・状態などを）元に戻す、回復させる
   It took years to restore the Rembrandt painting to its original beauty.
3. 3. purify　（心身・場所などを）清める
   Washing your hands at the entrance to a temple is a way to purify yourself.
4. 4. gondola　作業用ゴンドラ
   When we went skiing, we rode a gondola to the top of the mountain.
5. 5. dust　 [動詞] ほこりを払う
   Before the guests came over, I carefully dusted and vacuumed the house.

1. 1. What happens every year at Todaiji Temple in Nara ?
2. 2. How do the participants get ready for the event?
3. 3. What do they do they do during the main part of the event?
4. 4. Have you ever visited Todaiji Temple or other spots in Nara Park? If so, what did you do, and what was it like? If not, would you like to?
5. 5. Do you do any special cleaning during the year?

奈良市の東大寺で8月7日朝、本尊の国宝・盧舎那仏（大仏）のほこりを隅々まで払う「お身拭い」があった。夏の恒例行事で、1年分の全身のほこりが落とされ、本来の黒い輝きを取り戻した。

僧侶や関係者ら約170人が早朝から湯屋で身を清め、白装束に身を包んで準備。大仏の魂を抜く法要「撥遣」や読経の後、天井からつるしたゴンドラに乗り、高さが約15メートルある大仏の顔や肩に積もったほこりを丁寧に払った。大仏殿の床や中門も清掃した。

大阪市から見物に訪れた自営業、小名木裕之さん（53）は大仏を見上げ「天井からゴンドラをつるして掃除をしている光景は珍しい」と話した。