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Sōrin
The two types of pagoda finial (''sōrin''), in bronze ('' tahōtō'') and stone ('' hōkyōintō'') The is the vertical shaft (finial) which tops a Japanese pagoda, whether made of stone or wood.Pagodas can be made of wood or stone, and the two types are very different. Stone pagodas like the '' hōkyōintō'' are always small compared to wooden ones (usually below three meters), and offer little or no usable space inside. For details, see the article '' Tō'' The ''sōrin'' of a wooden pagoda is usually made of bronze and can be over 10 meters tall. That of a stone pagoda is also of stone and less than a meter long. The ''sōrin'' is divided in several sections possessing a symbolic meaning and, as a whole, in turn itself represents a pagoda. Although quintessentially Buddhist, in Japan pagodas and their ''sōrin'' can be found both at Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. This is because until the Kami and Buddhas Separation Act of 1868 a Shinto shrine was normally also ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tahōtō
A is a form of Japanese pagoda found primarily at Vajrayana, Esoteric Shingon and Tendai school Buddhist temples in Japan, Buddhist temples. It is unique among pagodas because it has an even number of stories (two). (The second story has a balustrade and seems habitable, but is nonetheless inaccessible and offers no usable space.) Its name alludes to Prabhutaratna, Tahō Nyorai, who appears seated in a many-jewelled pagoda in the eleventh chapter of the Lotus Sutra. With square lower and cylindrical upper parts, a ''mokoshi'' 'skirt roof', a pyramidal roof, and a finial, the ''tahōtō'' or the larger ''daitō'' was one of the Shichidō garan, seven halls of a Shingon temple. After the Heian period, the construction of pagodas in general declined, and new ''tahōtō'' became rare. Six examples, of which that at Ishiyama-dera (1194) is the earliest, have been designated National Treasures of Japan, National Treasures. There are no examples in Chinese Buddhism, China, whether ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hōkyōintō
A is a type of tō, Japanese pagoda, so called because it originally contained the sūtraIwanami Kōjien Japanese dictionary (or ).Iwanami Kōjien Japanese dictionary A Chinese variant of the Indian stupa, it was originally conceived as a cenotaph of Qian Liu, the King of Wuyue (Ten Kingdoms), Wuyue. Structure and function Usually made in stone and occasionally metal or wood, ''hōkyōintō'' started to be made in their present form during the Kamakura period (1185–1333). Like a ''gorintō'', they are divided in five main sections called (from the bottom up) , or "inverted flower seat", , or base, , or body, , or umbrella, and , or pagoda finial. The ''tōshin'' is the most important part of the ''hōkyōintō'' and is carved with a Sanskrit letter. The ''sōrin'' has the same shape as the tip of a five-storied pagoda. The ''kasa'' can also be called , or roof. It is decorated with four characteristic wings called or . Different structures exist, and the ''hōkyōintō'' p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Japanese Pagoda
Multi-storied pagodas in wood and stone, and a ''gorintō'' Pagodas in Japan are called , sometimes or , and derive historically from the Chinese pagoda, itself an interpretation of the Indian ''stupa''. Like the ''stupa'', pagodas were originally used as reliquaries, but in many cases ended up losing this function. Pagodas are quintessentially Buddhist and an important component of Buddhist temples in Japan, Japanese Buddhist temple compounds but, because until the Shinbutsu bunri, Kami and Buddhas Separation Act of 1868, a Shinto shrine was normally Shinbutsu-shūgō, also a Buddhist temple and vice versa, they are not rare at shrines either. The famous Itsukushima Shrine, for example, has one. After the Meiji Restoration the word ''tō'', once used exclusively in a religious context, came to mean also "tower" in the western sense, as for example in . Of the Japanese pagoda's many forms, some are built in wood and are collectively known as , but most are carved out of ston ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Buddhist Temples In Japan
Buddhist temples or monasteries are (along with Shinto shrines) the most numerous, famous, and important religious buildings in Japan.The term "Shinto shrine" is used in contrast to "Buddhist temple" to mirror the distinction made in Japanese between Shinto and Buddhist religious structures. In Japanese the first are called , the second . The shogunates or leaders of Japan have made it a priority to update and rebuild Buddhist temples since the Azuchi–Momoyama period, Momoyama period (late 16th century). The Japanese language, Japanese word for a Buddhist monastery is (kanji, ''kun'' reading), and the same kanji also has the pronunciation ''ji'' (''on'' reading), so temple names frequently end in ''-dera'' (rendaku, voiced) or ''-ji''. Another ending, , is normally used to refer to minor temples. Examples of temple names that have these suffixes are Kiyomizu-dera, Enryaku-ji and Kōtoku-in. Etymology The Japanese word for a Buddhist temple, , was anciently also written phonetic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cintamani
Cintāmaṇi (Sanskrit; Devanagari: ; zh, c=如意寶珠, p=Rúyì bǎozhū; ; Korean: 여의보주/yeouiboju; Japanese Romaji: ), also spelled as Chintamani (or the ''Chintamani Stone''), is a wish-fulfilling jewel resembling a pearl described in Hindu and Mahayana Buddhist traditions. It is one of several Mani Jewel images found in Buddhist scripture. Within Hinduism, it is connected with the gods Vishnu and Ganesha. In Hindu tradition, it is often depicted as a fabulous jewel in the possession of Vishnu as the Kaustubha Mani or as on the forehead of the Naga king called as Naga Mani, or on the forehead of the Makara. The ''Yoga Vasistha'', originally written in the 10th century CE, contains a story about the cintamani. The Hindu Vishnu Purana speaks of the " Syamanta jewel, bestowing prosperity upon its owner, encapsulates the Yadu clan system". The Vishnu Purana is attributed to the mid-first millennium CE. In Buddhism, it is held by the Bodhisattvas (divine beings with ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gorintō
("five-ringed tower") is a Japanese type of Buddhist pagoda believed to have been first adopted by the Shingon and Tendai sects during the mid Heian period. It is used for memorial or funerary purposesKōjien Japanese Dictionary and is therefore common in Buddhist temples and cemeteries. It is also called ("five-ringed stupa") or , where the term ''sotoba'' is a transliteration of the Sanskrit word stupa. The stupa was originally a structure or other sacred building containing a relic of Buddha or of a saint, then it was gradually stylized in various ways and its shape can change quite a bit according to the era and to the country where it is found.Home Study Course on Basic Buddhism Often offertory strips of wood with five subdivisions and covered with elaborate inscriptions also called ''sotoba'' can be found at tombs in Japanese cemeteries (see photo below). The inscriptions contain sūtra texts and the posthumous name of the dead person. These can be considered stupa varia ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kamakura Period
The is a period of History of Japan, Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura, Kanagawa, Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the Genpei War, which saw the struggle between the Taira clan, Taira and Minamoto clan, Minamoto clans. The period is known for the emergence of the samurai, the warrior caste, and for the establishment of feudalism in Japan. There are various theories as to the year in which the Kamakura period and Kamakura shogunate began. In the past, the most popular theory was that the year was 1192, when Minamoto no Yoritomo was appointed . Later, the prevailing theory was that the year was 1185, when Yoritomo established the , which controlled military and police power in various regions, and the , which was in charge of tax collection and land administration. Japanese history textbooks as of 2016 do not specify a specific year for the beginning of the K ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sacred Lotus In Religious Art
The lotus (), ''Nelumbo nucifera'', is an aquatic plant that plays a central role in the art of Indian religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. In Asian art, a lotus throne is a stylized lotus flower used as the seat or base for a figure. It is the normal pedestal for divine figures in Buddhist art and Hindu art and is often seen in Jain art. Originating in Indian art, it followed Indian religions to East Asia in particular. Hinduism Examples of Hindu deities (from top): Vishnu, Ganesha, Shiva, Durga, Kali and Saraswati. Hindus revere it with the divinities Vishnu and Lakshmi often portrayed on a pink lotus in iconography; historically, many deities, namely Brahma, Saraswati, Lakshmi, Kubera, usually sit on a stylized lotus throne. In the representation of Vishnu as Padmanabha (Lotus navel), a lotus issues from his navel with Brahma on it. The goddess Saraswati is portrayed on a white lotus. The lotus is the symbol of what is divine or immortal in humanity, and als ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Azuchi–Momoyama Period
The was the final phase of the in Japanese history from 1568 to 1600. After the outbreak of the Ōnin War in 1467, the power of the Ashikaga Shogunate effectively collapsed, marking the start of the chaotic Sengoku period. In 1568, Oda Nobunaga entered Kyoto to install Ashikaga Yoshiaki as the 15th and ultimately final Ashikaga '' shōgun''. This entrance marked the start of the Azuchi-Momoyama period. Nobunaga overthrew Yoshiaki and dissolved the Ashikaga Shogunate in 1573, launching a war of conquest to politically unify Japan by force from his base in Azuchi. Nobunaga was forced to commit suicide in the Honnō-ji Incident in 1582. His successor Toyotomi Hideyoshi completed Nobunaga's campaign of unification and enacted reforms to consolidate his rule, marking the end of the Sengoku period. Hideyoshi launched the Japanese invasions of Korea in 1592, but their failure damaged his prestige, and his young son and successor Toyotomi Hideyori was challenged by Tokugawa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tōrō
are a type of traditional East Asian lantern made of stone, wood, or metal. Originating in China, stone lanterns spread to Japan, Korea and Vietnam, though they are most commonly found in both China – extant in Buddhist temples and traditional Chinese gardens – and Japan. In Japan, were originally used only in Buddhist temples in Japan, Buddhist temples, where they lined and illuminated paths. Lit lanterns were then considered an offering to Buddha. Their use in Shinto shrines and also private homes started during the Heian period (794–1185). Stone lanterns have been known in China as early as the Han dynasty (202 BCE–220 CE), and prevailed from the Wei-Jin period, Wei, Jin, Northern and Southern dynasties, Southern and Northern Dynasties all the way up to the Tang dynasty, Tang Dynasty, when they were introduced to Japan. The oldest extant bronze and stone lanterns in Japan can be found in Nara, Nara, Nara. Taima-dera has a stone lantern built during the Nara period, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
