Buddhist Antiques Exchange: Unique Approach to Boost Vietnam-Japan Relations

"Avalokitasvara riding Single Horned Dragon" statue

A statue to "calm the raging sea"

In 2011, Japan suffered the historical Tohoku earthquake and tsunami which caused a severe loss of life. To show sympathy and support, Quan The Am Pagoda in Da Nang held a memorial ceremony for the deceased and sent a donation to Japan. Several days after the ceremony, an old lady gifted the pagoda a copper "Avalokitasvara riding Single Horned Dragon" statue that she found while digging her garden.

"The Lotus Sutra, one of the most influential and venerated Buddhist sutras, writes that Avalokitasvara calms the seas that are stirred up by big fish that turn into dragons," said Thich Hue Vinh, the pagoda's abbot. "That old lady gave us a statue of Avalokitasvara sitting on a big dragon, holding an "Ocean Stabilizing" pearl in his right hand while controlling the dragon with the other hand. He blessed people with a peaceful sea."

"It was a wonderful coincidence. Just a few months after the tsunami, such a statue was found. Not long after, when Japanese congressman Tomioka Tsutomu visited Da Nang, we suggested making a similar statue and giving it to a Japanese pagoda in the affected region, hoping that Avalokitasvara would bless the region with peace. The congressman then borrowed the statue, taking it to pagodas in Japan so that they could make their own copies. We also made a stone version of the statue in Vietnam and sent it to a pagoda in Fukuyama, Japan as a gift."

Exchange of Buddhist statues

Quan The Am pagoda maintains its close relations with pagodas in Japan throughout the years. In October 2010, Thich Hue Vinh visited Todaiji temple (Japan). Impressed with the "Eleven-headed Kannon" statue, he asked to borrow it to inaugurate Quan The Am pagoda's new main hall. The statue, aged 1.300, was brought from India to Japan by Indian monk Bodhisena and Vietnamese monk Phat Triet.

Acknowledging his intention, Todaiji's monks then suggested gifting him a copy. Sagawa Fumon, the 222nd abbot of Todaiji temple, visited Quan The Am pagoda in 2016, bringing with him a copper version of the "Eleven-headed Kannon" statue made by Japanese sculptor Mizushima Iwane.

Quan The Am pagoda in Da Nang, Vietnam.

"I appreciated his gesture. It marks the continual exchange of Buddhist statues between the two pagodas," said Venerable Thich Hue Vinh.

Quan The Am is not the only pagoda in Vietnam that has close relations with Japanese temples. More than 400 years ago, Japanese businessman Araki Sataro sailed to Hoi An. At a reception held by Lord Nguyen Phuc Nguyen, Araki talked about his belief in Buddha and was given a Buddhist painting and a map of ancient Vietnam's sea region. Araki then gave the gift to Jomyo temple in Nagoya, Japan, where it is still found today. In February 2010, monks from Jomyo temple came to Vietnam to give a copy of the valuable painting to Tam Thai pagoda (Da Nang).

"The exchange of Buddhist cultural antiques is a testament to the good and long Buddhist exchange between the two countries, showing the influence of Buddhism in the bilateral relations," Thich Hue Vinh said.

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