Todai-Ji Temple!! ⛩ The Todai-Ji temple, established c. 728, served as a great seat of power for the ancient Todai-Ji monks of the Kegon school, and was one of the first religious sites to feature an officially recognized spiritual symbiosis between Buddhism and the Shinto faith, specifically the Sun Goddess Amaterasu. 🌤The site is surrounded by deer, who graze freely and great pilgrims by bowing in return for tasty, low calorie treats that can be purchased in bulk by local vendors. The deers are considered to be messengers of the Gods in the Shinto faith, and are surprisingly willing to take photographs (or selfies) with tourists and pilgrims even without the promise of treats. The Temple is also home to the great Buddha Vairocana (Japanese - Daibutsu) statue, the largest statue of Buddha in the world. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻