Regarding Shōtoku Taishi
The Shaka Triad of Hōryūji Temple
Among the characters carved on the halo of the main image is the inscription 尺寸王身, and it is understood to be a life-sized image of Shōtoku Taishi. The statue was begun to pray for Shōtoku Taishi’s recovery from illness, and it likely copies not just his body but also his face. In other words, the face of the main image is the face of Shōtoku Taishi in life.
The parents of Prince Shōtoku (574–622) were Tachibana no Toyohi no Mikoto (later Emperor Yōmei) and Anahobe no Hashihito no Himemiko. He was extremely intelligent, and throughout his life achieved numerous major accomplishments. In particular during the Suiko period (593–628) he served as the Regent, and in reality was granted all political authority by Empress Suiko. He leaves behind many important achievements that went far beyond the expectations of Empress Suiko.
His writings, including the Kan’i jūnikai, Jūshichijō kenpō, Kensuishi haken, and Sangyō gisho are famous, but Shōtoku Taishi’s true greatness was in his creation of a State for the sake of the people, working tirelessly for that without any thought of personal gain or desire.
In order to observe the lifestyle of the people, Shōtoku Taishi daily looked out over the country and paid attention to the lifestyle of the people. Between the capital in Asuka and Hōryūji temple, the latter which he established for the instruction of the people, the Taishi-michi road constructed in the Asuka period is preserved even today.
Shōtoku Taishi had the redoubtable dream to create a paradise in Japan through Buddhism, and spent his days working to achieve that dream. In the end Shōtoku Taishi passed away before he could realize his dream, but he instructed the people in Buddhism, and even today his ultimate goal of creating a paradise in this world and his political ideals continue permanently through the realization of a national style in which every community in Japan has a Buddhist temple.
The triumvirate of Empress Suiko, Shōtoku Taishi, and Soga no Umako was seen by later people as a model or ideal. In later periods a political system with an empress in charge of the state imitating the Suiko period was attempted. Personally, I believe that nothing has surpassed this triumvirate even to the present day. It was perhaps the strongest historical political system Japan has ever known.
The division of tasks in the Suiko period
〇 Empress Suiko: the greatest religious officiant, the Prime Minster
〇 Shōtoku Taishi: the highest ranking Buddhist monk in the country, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Vice Prime Minister, Chief Cabinet Secretary, Minister of Public Management, Minister of Justice, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, Minister for Health, Labor, and Welfare, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry, Minister of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport, Minister of the Environment, Minister of Defense, Minister of Reconstruction.
〇 Soga no Umako: Minister of Finance.