A Gaze Across the Sea: Ganjin and the Light Rooted in Japan
A Gaze Across the Sea: Ganjin and the Light Rooted in Japan
"I just want to cross."
There was a Tang Dynasty monk who wished for this.
He attempted the voyage six times, failed five times, and finally lost the sight in both eyes, but he still managed to cross the Eastern Sea.
His name was Ganjin, a man who brought a quiet yet certain light to the sky during the Tenpyo period of the Nara period.
Pray to the wind, swear to the waves
Ganjin lived at the Daming Temple in Yangzhou during the Tang Dynasty and was renowned as a high-ranking priest of the Ritsu sect.
At that time, Japan was deeply studying the teachings of Buddhism and seeking correct precepts.
The envoys sent to Tang China countless times searched for a teacher who could teach them the true precepts, and finally came to visit Ganjin.
"Would you please go to Japan and receive the precepts?"
Ganjin immediately complied with this request.
This was not simply a transmission of doctrine, but an expression of a deep determination to establish the spirit of Buddhism in Japanese soil.
However, the sea does not easily give way.
The first attempt was foiled by a storm.
The second one was interrupted by the betrayal of a disciple.
The third, fourth, and fifth attempts were also thwarted by the forces of nature and human intentions, and all ended in failure.
In the process, Ganjin lost sight in both of his eyes.
But the light in his heart never went out.
"If it is to spread the Buddha's way, even if you cannot see, you can light the way with your heart."
These words reveal the depth of his resolve and compassion.
For him, "crossing" did not simply mean physically crossing the sea.
It was also a spiritual journey, one in which one stepped forward with conviction into unknown lands.
Toshodaiji Temple: A Form of Prayer
The sixth voyage.
After overcoming numerous difficulties, Ganjin finally set foot on Japanese soil.
The place is Nara.
He founded Toshodaiji Temple here.
The temple complex of Toshodaiji Temple is not just a building.
It is a place where climate and spirit intersect, and a space that embodies the form of prayer.
Each tile is imbued with prayers that have crossed the sea, and each pillar is filled with the breeze of a foreign land.
Its appearance still quietly embraces the hearts of those who visit.
What Ganjin brought to Japan was not just the "form" of precepts.
What he conveyed was the beauty, serenity, and honesty that resides in everyday life.
It has influenced later tea ceremony, architecture, textile design, garden design, and even human interactions, and continues to live quietly in the depths of Japanese culture.
For example, the morning light shining into the Kondo Hall of Toshodaiji Temple.
Its soft light not only illuminates the space, but also awakens a sense of serenity deep within the soul.
This may be the very "light" that Ganjin would have wanted to see.
The power to believe in what cannot be seen
We live in an age where information is overflowing and values change rapidly.
What can be seen and quantified is emphasized, while what cannot be seen is often neglected.
But can we really live by believing only in what we can see?
Ganjin's way of life poses such questions to us.
Even after losing his sight, he continued to see the path with the eyes of his heart and never stopped walking for what he believed in.
This attitude sends a quiet yet powerful message to us living in the modern age.
"Even if you can't see it, believe and move forward."
This statement is not just a matter of psychology.
It is a proposal for a concrete way of life that values the invisible in our daily lives.
For example, making a cup of tea for someone.
The thoughtfulness that goes into it may not be visible, but it is certainly conveyed.
Or the layers of time and memory that reside within hand-woven fabric.
It too emits an invisible light.
A quiet light woven by WABISUKE
The fabrics and words that WABISUKE creates are also woven with invisible memories and feelings.
It is not just a product, but something that is close to people's lives and speaks to them quietly.
The color, texture, and subtle fluctuations contained in a single piece of fabric.
These resonate with the "sincerity" and "tranquility" that Ganjin conveyed.
We may never cross the ocean like Ganjin.
However, in our daily lives, we can believe in what we cannot see and move our hands as if praying for someone.
This accumulation will eventually become a culture that will be passed down to the future.
The story of Ganjin is not a biography of a great man from the past.
It is a quiet light and a question for us who live in the present.
"What do you believe in and where are you going?"
Prayer transcends form
As you walk through the grounds of Toshodaiji Temple, the wind gently caresses your cheeks.
The wind may be a remnant of prayers that crossed the sea more than a thousand years ago.
The ripples of the tiles, the rustling of the trees, the moss-covered cobblestones.
Everything speaks quietly.
"Even if you can't see it, there's something that can be conveyed."
We hope that the stories WABISUKE weaves will also be like this.
Just as there are invisible feelings behind the visible beauty.
Transcending time and oceans, gently touching people's hearts.
Ganjin's gaze still lives on in us today.
It is the memory of a soul that continued to illuminate the world even after it had lost its light.
And it will continue to live quietly in the future culture that we weave.