Wednesday, June 7, 2023

(2893) Osaka 19: Shitennoji 1

Nihon_arekore_02922_Osaka_19_Shitennoji_Torii_100_cl

Just another torii gate? Not exactly because this one is the gate to a Buddhist temple, Shitennoji (四天王寺) which according to some is the first Buddhist temple in Japan and one of the seven temples built by Japanese Buddhism's first big promoter, prince Shotoku Taishi (聖徳太子, 574-622); this one was built in 593. As for the torii, which on its sign says "Sakyamuni (i.e. the historical Buddha) taught Buddhism here, at the eastern entrance to (Buddhist) paradise", there is a chance it precedes the relationship between torii and Shinto; besides, one of the torii's origin theories is that they are the Japanese version of the torana gates used in India in Buddhist temples too although they are probably older than Buddhism.    

(For a bigger version of this picture both in color and black and white, check my "Japan Arekore" set on Flickr).

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