Ep. 083: Tsubosaka-dera, a Taste of India in Japan

A unique site on the Saigoku pilgrimage

Come join me for a little "taste of India"--right smack dab in Nara, Japan!--in this episode of

TEMPLE TALES!

An Indian carving of Dainichi Nyorai, the "Great Sun Buddha," my personal favorite

A friend (hi, Jesse!) once asked me something like, "After all the temples you've been to, don't they all sorta seem the same?" I carefully explained that, as with wine connoisseurs, after a certain amount of experience you start looking for the nuances, the gentle touches that set this temple apart from all others, and blah blah blah...

All that blather goes out the window when you visit Tsubosaka-dera, also known as Minamihokke-ji. We'll get to those names in a minute, but first, let's look at what really sets this temple apart.