The Black Sea in Byala, Bulgaria, was stormy when I was leaving it. Regardless of that, my 2 friends and I spent two lovely weeks in my apartment. After saying goodbye to them, I sorted out my belongings. A small portion of them was going with me on a 1-month trip to 5 countries in different parts of the world. The rest was packed away so nothing would be dusty or moldy by my next time in Byala; both refrigerators were defrosted; remnants of food were given away or thrown away. Breaking camp became a routine for me; I learned to do it quickly and efficiently.
Next on the agenda was a long flight to Japan where my husband was attending a conference in Nara. He flew in on Sunday to be on time for the conference that began on Monday. I bought a ticket for a Sunday night flight to arrive on Monday afternoon because it was a lot cheaper. The nearest airport was in Osaka. From there, I took two trains to Nara and did not get lost anywhere on the way to the hotel which I attribute to my recent travel experiences. I definitely got better at navigating in unfamiliar places.
Nara does not get as much tourist attention as Tokyo and Kyoto. However the ancient Nara that was the first permanent capital of Japan has quite a few interesting sites to see.
Todaiji Temple that houses the Great Buddha is considered to be the largest wooden structure in the world.
At the hall entrance, there is a wooden statue of Pindola, one of the 16 Buddha’s disciples. Pindola excelled in occult powers. It is believed in Japan that when a person rubs a body part of Pindola and then his own corresponding body part the ailment there will disappear. My right shoulder bothered me for a few months and I’d love to get rid of the nagging pain in it but I could not reach the shoulder of Pindola’s statue. Instead of that, I bought a candle and asked the Buddha himself to heal my shoulder. Let’s hope that he will not leave my prayer unanswered.
Another popular feature of the temple is Buddha’s Nostril, a hole in the base of one of the great wooden pillars. It is said that anyone who can fit through it will achieve enlightenment in their next life. The hole is supposed to be the same size as a nostril of the Great Buddha statue although both were never measured. A group of Japanese schoolchildren happened to visit Todaiji Temple while I was there. I watched how difficult it was for them to squeeze their lean bodies through the hole and gave up on my own attempt to become enlightened.
Nara Park is full of wild deer. Supposedly, one of four gods of Kasuga Temple visited this area riding a white deer. Since then, the animals became sacred. Killing a deer was a capital offense punishable by death. Now, their status changed from sacred to protected as a national treasure. The deer multiplied in such great numbers that they are seen outside of Nara Park and they cause environmental concerns.
How sweet! You should have climbed on Pindola’s lap, then you could probably rub his shoulder. But it is prohibitted, I assume. The photo of a deer in the undergound is amazing! Seems that they are allowed to go everywhere they want, just like cows in India.
I wish I could climb on Pindola’s lap but there were people around and Buddha would not approve such disrespect for his disciple.