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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 a Bud ... [...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 historically derive from the Chinese pagoda, itself an interpretation of the Indian ''stupa''. Like the ''stupa'', pagodas were originally used as reliquaries but in many cases they ended up losing this function. Pagodas are quintessentially Buddhist and an important component of Japanese Buddhist temple compounds but, because until the Kami and Buddhas Separation Act of 1868, a Shinto shrine was normally 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 stone (. Wood pagodas are large buildings with either two stor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tahōtō
A is a form of Japanese pagoda found primarily at Esoteric Shingon and Tendai school 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 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 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 Chinese architecture, architectural or Chinese painting, pictorial, ... [...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 the invasion's failure damaged his prestige, and his young son and successor Toyotomi Hideyori was challenged by Tokugawa ... [...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 and the posthumous name of the dead person. These can be considered stupa variants. St ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kamakura Period
The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the Genpei War, which saw the struggle between the Taira and Minamoto clans. The period is known for the emergence of the samurai, the warrior caste, and for the establishment of feudalism in Japan. During the early Kamakura period, the shogunate continued warfare against the Northern Fujiwara which was only defeated in 1189. Then, the authority to the Kamakura rulers waned in the 1190s and power was transferred to the powerful Hōjō clan in the early 13th century with the head of the clan as regent (Shikken) under the shogun which became a powerless figurehead. The later Kamakura period saw the invasions of the Mongols in 1274 and again in 1281. To reduce the amount of chaos, the Hōjō rulers decided to decentralize power by allowing two imperial lines – Northern and Southern ... [...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, Jainism and Sikhism. 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 often seen in Jain art. Originating in Indian art, it followed Indian religions to East Asia in particular. Hinduism 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 pale pink lotus. The lotus is the symbol of what is divine or immortal in humanity, and also symbolizes divine perfection. The lotus is the attribute of sun and fire gods. I ... [...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, 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, Southern and Northern Dynasties all the way up to the Tang Dynasty, when they were introduced to Japan. The oldest extant bronze and stone lanterns in Japan can be found in Nara. Taima-dera has a stone lantern built during the Nara period, while Kasuga-taisha has one of the following Heian period. During the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1568 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cintamani
Cintāmaṇi (Sanskrit; Devanagari: चिंतामणि; Chinese language, Chinese: 如意寶珠; Pinyin: ''Rúyì bǎozhū''; Japanese Romanization of Japanese, Romaji: ''Nyoihōju; Tamil language, Tamil:சிந்தாமணி''), also spelled as Chintamani (or the ''Chintamani Stone''), is a wishWish fulfillment, -fulfilling Gemstone, jewel within both Hindu and Buddhist traditions, said by some to be the equivalent of the philosopher's stone in Western alchemy. 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 Nāga, Naga king called as Naga Mani, or on the forehead of the Makara (Hindu mythology), Makara. The ''Yoga Vasistha'', originally written in the 10th century CE, contains a story about the cintamani. The Hindu Vishnu Purana speaks of the " ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nikkō Tōshō-gū
is a Tōshō-gū Shinto shrine located in Nikkō, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. Together with Futarasan Shrine and Rinnō-ji, it forms the Shrines and Temples of Nikkō UNESCO World Heritage Site, with 42 structures of the shrine included in the nomination. Five of them are designated as National Treasures of Japan, and three more as Important Cultural Properties. History Tōshō-gū is dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate. It was initially built in 1617, during the Edo period, while Ieyasu's son Hidetada was ''shōgun''. It was enlarged during the time of the third shōgun, Iemitsu. Ieyasu is enshrined there, where his remains are also entombed. This shrine was built by Tokugawa retainer Tōdō Takatora. During the Edo period, the Tokugawa shogunate carried out stately processions from Edo to the Nikkō Tōshō-gū along the Nikkō Kaidō. The shrine's annual spring and autumn festivals reenact these occasions, and are known as "processions of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
