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“Way of the Gods”; indigenous Japanese religion based on the worship of kami or great spirits, originally aspects of nature like the sun, water, trees or rocks, sound or silence, but later encompassing the spirits of all deceased
members of the imperial family or mythical and historical heroes. |
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| Japanese term for “gods” or “spirits,” typically associated with Shinto. |
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In Shinto, the site at which a kami resides usually indicated by a wooden
shrine within an enclosure. |
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| A gate to a Shinto shrine, marking the entrance to the sacred precinct. |
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| The eastern sector of a Shinto shrine |
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| The western sector of a Shinto shrine. |
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| The main building of a Shinto shrine considered the house of the kami. |
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| The style of honden only found at the Shinto shrine at Ise. Because of this Iwakura’s connection to the imperial family and Amaterasu, no other honden may be built in this style. |
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Large log weights placed perpendicular to the ridge pole of a honden
used to secure the thatch to the roof |
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| Forked finials located at the ends of the ridge pole on a honden. |
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| Developed in India based upon the teachings of Siddhartha Guatama, who became Buddha Shakyamuni (Shaka). Shaka, the historical Buddha, is the most recent earthly manifestation of Birushana, the Universal Buddha |
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In Buddhism, the state or realm of perfect Enlightenment, beyond all
suffering and limitation. Attaining nirvana is the ultimate goal of the Buddhist
practitioner. |
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| The teachings of the Buddha |
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The words of Shaka Buddha’s earthly manifestation; sacred scriptures of
Buddhism. |
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The middle or inner gate of a Buddhist temple leading into the main
enclosure of the complex |
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A slender structure several stories tall with each story having a wide eaved
roof. The top is capped by a tall spire. This form was derived from the
Indian stupa and functions as a memorial reliquary containing remains of the Buddha or jewels symbolic of such relics. |
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“Golden hall”; the main hall of Buddhist temples, usually housing
its principal statues of Buddhas and bodhisattvas; also called a hondo |
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lecture hall; common feature of Buddhist temple compounds where monks
assemble to hear talks on the Dharma and sutras |
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| Buddhist memorial monument in the shape of a large hemispherical mound topped by a yasti. The stupa contains relics of the Buddha or holy sage |
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| Little palace”; the top part of a stupa that is the residence of divinity. |
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Vertical pole located within a harmika that holds the chatras; symbolizes the
axis of the universe that connects paradise to the world |
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Three horizontal projections on the yasti that symbolizes the three
aspects of Buddhism: Buddha, Buddha’s law, and the monastic order |
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| “Cloud brackets”; a system of brackets in Chinese architecture used to cantilever large, overhanging eaves out past the walls |
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Typical of Chinese architecture where the ends of the roof
dramatically flare upwards. |
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In Buddhism, great beings who have developed wisdom to such a degree as to make them capable of reaching Enlightenment, and yet have taken a
vow out of compassion to hold back nirvana until all the myriad beings are ready to join them. They often wear worldly robes, crowns and jewels in order to signify their continued presence on earth. |
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a word derived from the Italian for “almond”; a term used to describe
the large almond-shaped disk surrounding holy figures like Christ and Buddha. Symbolizes the unification of heavenly paradise and earth. |
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| The gestures of the Buddha that have special meaning |
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| In or fear-not mudra (hand held up, palm facing out) |
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| Vow-fulfilling mudra (hand and fingers downward, palm up). |
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| Physical symbols of the Buddha that distinguish him as a perfect being. |
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| Shogo that is the cranial protuberance above the normal curve of the head that signifies Buddha’s great wisdom |
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The shogo that is the raised circle just above the nose that symbolizes
Buddha’s omniscience. |
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| A seated position with legs crossed |
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A style derived from Chinese art distinguished by waterfall-like
folds of drapery, zig-zag and scroll-like patterns, and a composition comprised of receding planes of forms in space. |
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Stories of the previous incarnations of Shaka before the lifetime in
which he achieved Enlightenment |
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| A varnish-like resin obtained from an Asiatic sumac bush; also the additive process of applying many coats of a translucent or colored resin to a claycoated wooden armature or roughly carved piece of wood. |
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