User:Urashimataro/ARS

A Japanese Buddhist temple can vary greatly in size and structure, but it is usually composed of several buildings having different name, structure and function, one or more gardens, a cemetery, and often a pond and a small Shinto shrine to the temple's tutelary kami. The name, structure and function of its parts depend largely, but not exclusively, on the sect (Jōdo, Nichiren, Rinzai, Sōtō, Tendai, and so on) the temple belongs to. A layout it often adopts is the shichidō garan (七堂伽藍, seven building garan), or "seven-building garan, where garan is Japanese for sougya ranma, or Sanskrit for "garden for monks". Also called sōen (僧園, lit. monk garden), shūen (衆園, lit. public garden) or shōja (精舎), a garan was originally just a park where monks congregated, but in Japan the term later came to mean temple if it consisted of seven buildings, hence the name.

The word appears for the first time in the sixth century but, because of the hostility of supporters of local kami beliefs towards Buddhism, no monastery of the era survives, and we don't know what they were like. Thanks to the Nihon Shoki, we do know that an architect, six Buddhist and an image maker from the Korean kingdom of Paekche came to Japan in 577 specifically to teach the Japanese about the arrangement of monasteries and temples. For example, the layout of Osaka's Shitennō-ji is a copy of Chongyimsa temple in Puyo, capital of Paekche from 538 to 663.

Shichidō Garan (Zen)

A Shichidō garan (七堂伽藍), term often shortened in just garan, is the group of seven buildings that form the heart of a Zen temple or monastery.^[1].

Sōdō (僧堂)

Meditation hall. A building dedicated to the practice of zazen. It used to be dedicated to all kinds of activities, from eating to sleeping, centered on zazen.^[1]

Sanmon (三門 or 山門)

The gate in front of the butsuden. The name is short for Sangedatsumon, or the Gate of the three liberations. Its three openings symbolize the three gates to enlightenment Sangedatsumon三解脱門, kūmon (空門), musōmon (無相門) and {{muganmon無願門. The most famous example is the Sangedatsu Gate (三解脱門 Sangedatsu Mon), 1622, Important Cultural Property: The only structure to survive the war:"San" (三) means "three", and "Gedatsu" (解脱) means "Moksha". If someone passes through the gate, he can free himself from three passions (貪 Ton; "greed", 瞋 Shin; "hatred", 癡 Chi; "foolishness").

On the side are the Nio, or Deva Kings ^[2]

Tōsu (東司)

Toilet

Yokushitsu (浴室)

The bath.

The list is however not very strictly defined .^[1] For example, one of the oldest and most important Rinzai Zen temples, Kenchō-ji in Kamakura, doesn' follow the rules. It is composed in fact of a Sōmon, a Sanmon, a Hokkedō, a Hōjō,

Other Schools

The term garan and the seven building scheme are used also by other Buddhist schools, however the names and function of the buildings differs.

Tō (塔)

Pagoda, stupa Lecture hall

Shōrō (鐘楼)

Belltower

Shokudō (食堂)

Refectory

Sōdō (僧堂)

Kyōzō (経蔵)

Scripture's hall.

Other buildings and structures

Kaizando (開山堂)

Founder's hall.

butsumon (仏門)

chūmon (中門)

Hokkedō (法華堂)

In Tendai Buddhism, a hall whose layout allows walking around a statue for meditation. Fugen Bosatsu is the most common statue, but Shaka or Amida are also used. The purpose of walking is to concentrate on the Lotus Sutra (Hokekyō) and seek the ultimate truth.

Midō (御堂)

Midō is a generic honorific term for a building which enshrines a statue.

Sōmon (総門)

The main gate of a Zen temple. It precedes the bigger and more important Sanmon (see above).

Tahōtō

Niōmon

Mandaradō (曼荼羅堂)

Hondō (本堂)

Literally main hall, it's the building that houses the most important statues and object of cult. The term is thought to have evolved to avoid the term kondō, used by the six Nara sects, the rokushū (六宗)