Sacred scrolls and other artifacts were found inside a 700-year-old Buddha statue in the ancient Japanese capital of Nara.
A scan of a 700-year-old Monju Bosatsu Buddha statue in Nara, Japan, has revealed some 180 hidden artifacts perfectly stacked and hidden within.
Scrolls found inside statue of Buddha in Nara – News – NHK WORLD – English https://t.co/VVG5QymWZ1
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The 73-centimeters-tall statue stood at the Hokkeji temple in the ancient Japanese capital of Nara for centuries.
It were the officials at the Nara National Museum, where the Buddha is currently on display, that first suspected the that it might’ve contained something, but had not found any compartments or openings.
While a CT scan showed that the Buddha was hollow, X-ray imaging showed what is believed to be around 30 scrolls, in addition to other relics, as well as 150 other items in the rest of the figurine.
There has been no sign of forced entry, and officials believe that all original artifacts have remained untouched ever since they were placed there.
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Going on display next month, it remains unclear whether or not the statue will be opened and have the items removed.
But even if the scrolls are never explored, the find gives more spiritual value to the statue and the mysticism that surrounds it.
The statue depicts Monju Bosatsu, one of the four great Bodhisattvas, a person who is able to reach nirvana but delays doing so through compassion for suffering beings, in Buddhism.
According to Mahayana teachings, anyone who wishes to seek this awakening can take a the path towards further enlightenment and become a Bodhisattva.
