Buddhist Temples
Temples in Japan are all part of the Buddhist religion. Originating from India, Buddhism made its way through Japan from China in the Asuka period (592-710). From there a variety of different Buddhist temples were built all across the country, and the Buddhism that has been practiced in Japan since then has been adapted to the mindset of the Japanese, featuring teachings that are not found in other countries that practice Buddhism. For example, for someone to reach enlightenment (or nirvana) through Buddhism in India, it’s said that they must sit and meditate for hours and even weeks on end. In Japan, however, long periods of meditation are not needed to achieve such enlightenment. It’s said that to achieve enlightenment in Japan one can do so by enjoying the pleasures of each day. One doesn’t necessarily need to be disciplined as such to reach the greatest state that one can be in. In Japanese Buddhism, there are said to be 13 different sects along with 56 different groups inside of those sects.
For those who’ve ever visited a Buddhist temple in Japan you’ll most likely already know this, but there are often graveyards in or next to the grounds of a temple itself. If one so chooses, in Japan one can have their grave (or the grave of another family member) built at a Buddhist temple. It’s said that graves built at Buddhist temples cost more to build, however those who maintain the temple itself will also look after the graveyard, so one can keep their graves in an all-around better condition than a traditional graveyard. As you can gather from the graveyards at Buddhist temples, Buddhism in Japan has a deep connection with death. Most funerals in Japan are held by Buddhist monks, and this is done so that those who’ve passed away can reach the 冥界 (meikai—the netherworld or the other world). It’s believed that those who have passed away in Japan will become the Buddha, and a Buddhist monk will also perform a funeral so that these new Buddhas can obtain 授戒 (jukai—the commandments of Buddhism). For those who were part of the Jōdo Shinshū sect of Buddhism, a funeral performed by a Buddhist monk also helps them to show their gratitude to Amitābha (the Buddha of eternal life).
At the temples where various Buddhist ceremonies are held, there is usually (but not always) a building that indicates the entrance known as a 門 (mon). One will often find a pagoda (often a five-story pagoda) inside the grounds of a temple itself. Each of the levels in a pagoda has a different meaning. In a five-story pagoda, those levels represent (starting at the lowest level) earth or 基礎 (kiso—the foundation), water or 塔身 (tōshin—the base of the pagoda), fire or 笠 (kasa—the portion just above the base), wind or 請花 (ukebana—decoration on the pagoda in the shape of a flower), and sky or 宝珠 (hōju—the uppermost portion of the pagoda).
What one will also find on the grounds of a temple are statues of guardian deities known as 仁王 (niō). This was originally one deity that watched over and protected the Buddha Shakyamuni Tathagata. It broke off into two separate deities, which is while one will always find two of them, one on either side of the main gate at a temple. Now a guardian of temples, niō will often hold a staff-like object known as a 金剛杵 (kongosho). This is an item that helps the niō break down awful feelings one visiting a temple may have. There is also a legend that states that the kongosho helps the niō to also be able to fight and to freely manipulate lightning.
The niō are said to use all of their strength to watch over a temple, so the blood vessels all across their body clearly stand out. Thus why their bodies are always depicted in red. If you look closely at these gods who always look as if they’re extremely mad, one will notice that one of these two statues will have its mouth open while the other has its mouth shut. A niō that has its mouth open is referred to as 阿 (a), meaning start or beginning. A niō that has its mouth shut is referred to as 吽 (un), meaning ending or finish. These two statues together symbolize “the beginning to the end”.
Depending on the sect of Buddhism that a temple belongs to, the style in which it’s built will also change. Some of these temples are small while others are humongous with lots to see. One of the most well-known sects of Buddhism is Zen Buddhism. At Zen Buddhist temples you will often find a Japanese-style rock garden. These gardens are unique as the Buddhist monks will make waves in the rocks each day without leaving a single footprint. These waves represent flowing water.
With more Buddhist temples in Japan than one can count, the articles here can help one to learn about temples that are full of history and about ones that we at MORIKOBOSHI feel are worth a visit. Through these articles, one can learn more about temples in general, and in turn, have a more enjoyable visit to them. We hope that these articles will also help one to become even more infatuated with temples across Japan.
