Tokudi is a place remembered in connection with Tyougen.
There are many Temples and historic spots with him.
He was passed away 800 years ago.
But, we live in Tokudi, who have talked about him within respect and affection.
Who is he? What did he do?
He was a bonze. He was good at social project in a temple.
For Example, They are to build a temple or to make a pond for water supply.
He was charged as Daikanjin, or Project leader for rebuilding Todaiji Temple when he was 61 years old.
He had to collect vast amount of money, engineers and building materials.
They were very hard jobs. But he overcame them and completed.
(1)What did Tyougen do in Tokudi?
This illustration reprinted from "Fureai Yamaguchi 2005/12".
(a)Todaiji Temple was huge building. It needed a lot of huge logs.
Tyougen searched the place where has a lot of best trees.
And he came to Tokudi.
Q: Why he selected Tokudi to get logs? Tokuji is so far way from Todaiji Temple.
A: He collected information about the place for getting logs. It was all over Japan.He could get the information from the bonzes who trained in mountains.
Q: How many logs were used for Todaiji Temple?
A: It was approximately 1000. Japanese cypress, Japan cedar, pines and so on.
Q: Why he had been selected as a project leader?
A: He had been to China in his 40s. He was admitted as one of them whom had knowledge about to build a temple.
Q: What were the points his special methods?
a. A lathe
They had to carry the logs from the heart of a mountain to sea.
The trees were huge and so heavy. People used a lathe,or Rokuro.
A lathe was put on a top of mountain.
How to use?
For example,
They coiled strong lope to the lathe.
And the lope was linked 2 logs.
One of them was on top of the mountain. Another one was lower place.
When a log down, the log tug the lope with strong power, and then the power pull up another log.
And then, the log was carried over the mountain.
b. A water way
Saba River begins from the heart of a mountain.
The logs were carried by water. But it was needed to solution some problems.
In the mountain, the stream is narrow, shallow and rapid.
He wished the log can flow easily.
He built Sekimize, or a kind of channel.
He blocked stream and increased water level.
Still more he smoothed river bed.
c.Management of workers
This project required lots of manpower.
It should be hard work for anyone.
Some of them injured or very tired.
He wanted to comfort them.
He prepared Ishiburo, a kind of sauna bath, for workers.
There were over 60 in this area.
In other hand he talked about the world after death.
We have worked hard for Buddha, so that we can go to the Heaven.