Yakushiji Temple: Footprints of the Buddha

JAPAN, Nara; Nara period

This stone carving was discovered in 1644 at a lake near Yakushiji Temple. The stone is carved with the thousand-spoke wheel, one of the Thirty-Two Marks of Excellence of the Buddha. In India, China, and Japan it has been a tradition to pay respect to the Buddha’s footprint, which symbolizes the presence of the Buddha. By doing so, immeasurable bad karma can be eradicated.
Based on the inscription on the right, the sketches of the footprint were obtained from Puguang Temple by a Japanese ambassador to China. In turn, these sketches were based on the drawing copied by the Chinese ambassador Wang Xuance during the Early Tang period (618–712) on his visit to India. After the sketches were brought to Japan, artisans were employed in 753 of the Nara period to carve two images of the footprint on stone. It was originally placed in a temple in Kyoto and is currently housed in the Golden Hall of Yakushiji Temple in Nara. It is the earliest version of the Buddha’s footprint in Japan. The carving was listed as a National Treasure in 1952.
The Buddha’s footprints are engraved on a near hexagonal breccia formation. The footprints show the thousand-spoke Dharma wheel in the center, surrounded by engravings of images including the vajra, two golden fish, vase, and conch shell. The swastika symbol was engraved on each toe. On the heel are images of the triratna (Triple Gem) symbolizing the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, surrounded by images of smaller Dharma wheels. Around the footprints there are five sets of three light rays and images of scattered flowers.