The Byodo-in Temple was built in 1053 C.E.,
in Uji, Japan. It was commissioned by Fujiwara
no Yorimichi, a Heian noble who converted his family‘s villa into the Buddhist
temple. Its centerpiece was the Hoodo, or Phoenix
Hall, which was situated on an island in the center of an artificial
pond in the gardens. Some have suggested that Jocho, a sculptor who
was responsible for much of the artistic work at Byodo-in, also designed
the Phoenix Hall, but other sources give no indication of the architect.
The Phoenix Hall was built to represent the Pure Land of Jodo Buddhism,
in order to serve as a meditational inspiration; there is some controversy
over the origin of the Hall’s name, and scholars disagree as to its architectural
significance. Mimi Hall Yiengpruksawan created the entry for Byodo-in
in the Grove Dictionary of Art online, a detailed work which discusses
the significance of the Phoenix Hall at length. Toshio Fukuyama,
a former Professor at Kyoto University, specializes in architecture.
In his book _Heian Temples: Byodo-in and Chuson-ji_, he also provides details
about the Phoenix Hall, and also numerous reproductions of the Hall.
Focusing on different aspects of the Hall, these scholars hold subtly opposing
views on such apparently simple subjects as the architect and the source
of the Hall’s name. Despite these minor differences, it is clear
that the Phoenix Hall is an important representation of the powerful potential
of architecture in spirituality.
While some sources state that no architect
is known for Byodo-in in general, and the Phoenix Hall in particular, Yiengpruksawan
suggests that the Kyoto sculptor Jocho
may have been responsible for the Phoenix Hall: “Many scholars suggest
that Jocho was responsible for this design. Jocho and apprentices from
his Kyoto studio worked in close cooperation with Yorimichi and priestly
advisers” (2). Fukuyama, on the other hand, makes no assertions regarding
the architect, and merely mentions Jocho as the sculptor of several statues
in Byodo-in and the joroku Amida image which was kept in the Phoenix Hall.
He does add that Jocho was “raised to the rank of hogen [an ecclesiastical
rank]“ at this time (73). While Yiengpruksawan does not cite any
sources directly, it is not illogical that an artist who was already involved
in the project might be consulted regarding the design of the Phoenix Hall.
The source of the Hall’s name is another subject
that Yiengpruksawan handles directly, and Fukuyama does not discuss.
Fukuyama’s implication, however, is that the name comes from the Hall’s
structure, as he says, “The Phoenix Hall is of a unique design, having
two-story ‘wing extensions’ to the right and left of the central structure
and a ‘tail extension’ to the rear...” (Fukuyama 76). Yiengpruksawan
acknowledges the resemblance, saying, “Because the layout of the structure
suggests a bird with wings and tail outspread—perhaps a mythical phoenix—many
believe that the name derives from the hall’s shape. However, most scholars
now hold that the name Hoodo probably originated during restorations in
the Edo period (1600–1868), when two new gilt-bronze finials,
each in the form of a phoenix, were affixed to the hall’s roof” (Yiengpruksawan
2). Fukuayama does not mention the phoenix finials on the eaves,
but does include photographs which show them clearly. Again, Yiengpruksawan’s
arguments are, while not iron-clad, certainly more persuasive than Fukuyama’s
ommissions.
Amidism, or jodo buddhism is a sect of Buddhism
which holds that faith in Amida (the Buddha Amithaba) is all that is required
to gain access to the Pure Land, Amida’s paradise (Fukuyama 9). Virtually
every source on Byodo-in suggests that the Phoenix Hall represents some
aspect of this sect of Buddhism. Fukuyama states categorically that
the Phoenix Hall represents the Pure Land envisioned by the Pure Land (jodo)
sect of Buddhism (Fukuyama 74). He does not cite sources, simply
pointing out that this has been said since Heian times. A painting
reproduced in the text supports this, however; it is a painting of the
Pure Land, and shows a structure that greatly resembles the Phoenix Hall.
Yiengpruksawan, on the other hand, discusses the painting, and calls it
an example of Heian religious art as influenced by Pure Land beliefs.
She later says the Phoenix Hall was “clearly created to provide an inspired
symbolic articulation of Amida enthroned in his western paradise.”
Thus both agree that the Phoenix Hall does represent the Pure Land, but
Yiengpruksawan goes further to see the Hall as representative of Amida
as well as the Pure Land. Fukuyama seems to leave much of his discourse
to the images he chooses to reproduce, while Yiengpruksawan, despite being
hampered by the lack of images included in her article, discusses the details
of the building closely.
The purpose of the Phoenix Hall is fairly
straightforward. Like the other buildings in Byodo-in, it is intended
for meditative purposes. Fukuyama describes meditative art contained
in the Hall, and adds that it may fulfill the purpose of a jogyo meditation
hall (a meditative building not found in Byodo-in), though not in form.
Jogyo is one of the boddhisvatas (analgous to Christian saints) of Buddhism,
and Fukuyama may be referring to what is commonly known as a jogyodo meditation
hall, in which the practitioner circles a
representation of Amida in a walking meditation. This form of
meditation was particularly associated with Pure Land Buddhism, and the
fact that the Phoenix Hall is centered on a statue of Amida supports Fukuyama’s
supposition. Yiengpruksawan does not discuss either the lack of a
jogyodo hall in Byodo-in or the possibility that the Phoenix Hall fulfills
this function, but does acknowledge that this is an “environment well-suited
to meditation on Amida and his paradise” (Yiengpruksawan 3). She
also mentions that the Phoenix Hall’s significance lies largely in its
meditative functions, describing it as “the key late Heian period example
of the extended role assigned to the visual arts in Jodo belief and practice,
particularly in the form of contemplation called kanso nenbutsu (Buddha
ideation through chanting and visualization). It also serves to underscore
the high level of aestheticism inherent in much of Jodo scripture, with
its emphasis on the sublime beauty of Amida and paradise” (Yiengpruksawan
3). Thus the purpose of the Phoenix Hall, meditation, is crucial
to a greater understanding of the Pure Land movement in Buddhism.
The building is both an architectural and religious artifact.
The architectural significance of the Phoenix
Hall is described differently by Fukuyama and Yiengpruksawan. Fukuyama
mentions it as an unusual example of full-fledged garden architecture,
owing to its situation on an island in the gardens, and the beginning of
Fujiwara style. He further describes it as a wholly unique design.
Yiengpruksawan also frequently mentions the unusualness of the structure,
and concludes it is an “important example of the influence on Buddhist
architecture of contemporary aristocratic residences” (Yiengpruksawan 3).
Fukuyama also mentions the impact of contemporary residences on the design
of the Hall, saying that it was derived from various palaces and detailing
buildings on which the Phoenix Hall draws, including, “the winged buildings
of the mansions of the nobility” (Fukuyama 76). He qualifies, however,
that “the erection of buildings on an islet in a pond, and this the development
of a full-fledged garden architecture, represents a significant step forward“
(Fukuyama 76). The two scholars approach the question of significance
from two completely different angles. Fukuyama, while acknowledging
the debt the building owes to its contemporaries, is looking at the influence
exerted by the building, is innovation, and how it represents the period
in which it was built. Yiengpruksawan, on the other hand, is focusing
on the influences exerted on the temple, and how that exemplifies movements
in this form of architecture.
From the information gained from Fukuyama
and Yiengpruksawan, one finds that the structure of the Phoenix Hall was
unique, though not without resemblance to other architecture of the period.
It was an important work of symbolic architecture, and was created for
various forms of Buddhist meditation, and served particularly as an inspiration
to meditation on the Pure Land of jodo Buddhism, as it encompassed the
idea of the Pure Land in its form. One cannot precisely say that
the scholars disagree on issues such as the architect and the source of
the Hall’s name, since Yiengpruksawan addresses these issues and Fukuyama
ignores them. Fukuyama also seems to leave a great deal of detail,
and even certain arguments about the Hall’s representative nature, up to
the many images reproduced in his book. In general, Yiengpruksawan
seems a more persuasive author, but Fukuyama is undoubtedly credible on
the subjects that he addresses, and indeed, serves as one of the sources
for Yiengpruksawan’s article. The Phoenix Hall is an important embodiment
of the link between religion and architecture, serving as it does a high
religious function, achieved through use of architectural design and detail.
Works Cited:
Fukuyama, Toshio. _Heian Temples: Byodo-in and Chuson-ji_. New York: Weatherhill, 1976.
Yiengpruksawan, Mimi Hall. “Byodoin [Asahiyama].” _The Grove
Dictionary of Art Online_, ed. L. Macy (accessed 10 October 2002). <http://www.groveart.com>