Buddhist Temples

Buddhism originated in India and spread to China and Korea before arriving in Japan in the 6th century CE. After some fits and starts it secured a strong foothold in Japan alongside the Shinto religion. Many people in Japan visit both Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples.

Yasaka-jinja (Shinto) Shrine, Kyoto

Senso-ji (Buddhist) Temple, Tokyo

 I've often thought of Buddhism as a philosophy more than a religion. Many people in the United States consider themselves Buddhists without considering themselves religious. I was surprised, therefore, to learn about the Buddhist gods. Most have their beginnings in the Sanskrit (Indian) pantheon but have been adapted by the Japanese to better fit their culture.

Photo of a statue at Sanjusangen-do Temple in Kyoto.
Printed in a booklet from the Temple.

Originally a crocodile in the Ganges River known as Kumbhira it was adopted in Buddhism as a guardian deity of the Buddha.









Buddhism is also not monolithic. I had heard of Zen Buddhism, but according to Wikipedia, there are two (or three) "major branches." Within one of the branches there are six "traditions," one of which is Zen. Then there are thousands of "schools" of Buddhism, all teaching different things. And guess what? They all build their own temples, they all have their own priests and they all teach different things. (I don't have any sense about conflict, if any, between various sects and dogma. They seem to get along, because a Temple may have many different sub-temples on their grounds.) 

Raijin (Varuna) God of Thunder.
Photo of a statue at Sanjusangen-do Temple in Kyoto.
Printed in a booklet from the Temple.

Also, Buddhism adapts. As its theology developed in Japan, it incorporated elements of Shintoism. In particular, it looked at the Shinto gods and decided that they were indigenous versions of Buddhist gods. This meant that if you worshiped a Shinto god, you were actually worshiping a Buddhist god without knowing it, so you were Buddhist all along.











Where shrines have torii, temples have gates, with heavy doors and raised sills. Like the torii, they are symbolic gates, but they have a more substantial feel to them.

People who visit temples also go through purification rites very similar to the Shinto shrines. They use the same ritual for purifying their hands...

...but they add a purification by incense, where they pull the smoke towards themselves. The smoke is supposed to have a healing virtue.

Senso-ji Temple, Tokyo

Worshipers can also buy pre-printed prayers to tie onto racks...

Zojo-ji Temple, Tokyo

...as well as wood shingles where they can write their prayers.

Zojo-ji Temple

But that's where the similarities end. The temples usually have seating areas for quiet meditation where you can contemplate the buddha statues.

They are also much more ornate.

Zojo-ji Temple

Shoren-in Temple, Kyoto

Finally, Buddhism has a theology surrounding death, and so some temples incorporate cemeteries within their walls. (Shinto shrines never do.)

Yanaka Cemetery, Tokyo

These are Jizo statues given by people who have had miscarriages, stillbirths or abortions. (See Wikipedia for more.)

Zojo-ji Temple

Oh, and one other difference between shrines and temples: shrines are always free to visit while temples usually charge admission.

Here is a slide show of Senso-ji Temple in Tokyo.