Sanmon

A , also called , is the most important gate of a Japanese Zen Buddhist temple, and is part of the Zen ''shichidō garan'', the group of buildings that forms the heart of a Zen Buddhist temple.JAANUS It can be often found in temples of other denominations too. Most ''sanmon'' are 2- or 3- bay ''nijūmon'' (a type of two-storied gate), but the name by itself does not imply any specific architecture.

Position, function and structure

Its importance notwithstanding, the ''sanmon'' is not the first gate of the temple, and in fact it usually stands between the '' sōmon'' (outer gate) and the ''butsuden'' (lit. "Hall of Buddha", i.e. the main hall). It used to be connected to a portico-like structure called , which however gradually disappeared during the Muromachi period, being replaced by the , a small building present on both sides of the gate and containing a stairway to the gate's second story. (Both ''sanrō'' are clearly visible in Tōfuku-ji's photo above.)

The ''sanmon's'' size is an indicator of a Zen temple's status. Structurally, the ''sanmon'' of a first rank temple as Nanzen-ji in Kyoto is a two-storied, 5x2 bay, three entrance gate (see photo below). Its three gates are called , and and symbolize the three gates to enlightenment, or ''satori''.Fowler Entering, pilgrims can symbolically free themselves from the three passions of , , and .Zōjō-ji
accessed on May 1, 2009 The fact the gate has entrances but no doors, and cannot therefore be closed, emphasizes its purely symbolic function as a limit between the sacred and the profane.

A temple of the second rank will have a two-storied, 3x2-bay, single entrance gate (see photo below). The second story of a first or second rank temple usually contains statues of Shakyamuni or of goddess Kannon, and of the 16 ''Rakan'', and hosts periodical religious ceremonies.Iwanami Nihonshi Jiten The side bays of ''sanmon'' of the first two ranks may also house statues of the Niō, wardens who are in charge of repelling evil.

A third rank temple will have a single-storied, lx2-bay, single entrance gate.

The three ranks of a ''sanmon''

Image:Myotsuji Sanmon 1.jpg, A middle rank, three-bay ''sanmon'' at Myōtsū-ji, Fukui prefecture
Image:Sozenji (Higashiyodogawa, Osaka) sanmon.jpg, A low rank ''sanmon'' at Sozen-ji in Osaka

The second story of a ''sanmon''

Some images of the second story of Kōmyō-ji's ''sanmon'' in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture. It is a high rank Jōdo sect ''sanmon'', the largest of the Kantō region.

File:Komyoji,-Kamakura gate stairs.jpg, The stairs to the second story
File:Kamakura Komyoji Inside The Sanmon 3.jpg, The second story
File:Kamakura Komyoji Sanmon 2.jpg, The second story, exit to the balcony
File:Kamakura Komyoji Inside-the-sanmon-1.jpg, Sacred images in the main room

Major ''sanmon''

;Case 1
*Chion-in's ''sanmon'' (Kyoto) – The most important ''sanmon'' in Japan.
*Nanzen-ji's ''sanmon'' (Kyoto)
*Kuonji's ''sanmon'' (Minobu)

;Case 2
*Tōdai-ji's ''nandaimon'' (Nara)
*Hōryū-ji's ''nandaimon'' (Ikaruga)
*Tōshō-gū's ''yomeimon'' (Nikkō)

See also

* Mon (architecture)
*The Glossary of Japanese Buddhism for an explanation of terms concerning Japanese Buddhism, Japanese Buddhist art, and Japanese Buddhist temple architecture.

Notes

References

*
* "Sanmon" from th
Japanese Art Net User System (JAANUS)
online dictionary accessed on May 2, 2009
*''Iwanami Nihonshi Jiten'' (岩波日本史辞典), CD-Rom Version. Iwanami Shoten, 1999-2001.

{{Buddhist temples in Japan

Gates in Japan
Japanese Buddhist architecture