The pagoda is the architectural “music” of Buddhism

Pagoda del Shitenno-ji, Osaka.
In pagodas in Japan

called
k
(塔
literally pagoda
?), but sometimes
switched
(仏塔
Buddhist pagoda
?), or
tuff
(塔婆
pagoda
?), and historically comes from the pagoda of China, itself an interpretation of the Indian stupa. [1] Like the stupa, pagodas were originally used as reliquaries, but in many cases they have lost this function. [2][3] Pagodas are primarily Buddhist and are seen as an important component of these Japanese temple complexes. Before Shinbutsu-bunri in 1868, a Shinto shrine was usually also a Buddhist temple, so pagodas are also not uncommon in Shinto territory. For example, the famous Itsukushima Shrine has it. [ 4 ]

After the Meiji Restoration the word tō

, once used exclusively in a religious context, has also come to mean "tower" in the Western sense, as in Eiffel Tower (エッフェル塔,
Efferu-t
).

Concept

The word "pagoda" is of Sanskrit origin, but depending on the interpretation of the specific language it has slightly different meanings:

• Sanskrit “bhagavat” - “holy”;
• The Portuguese pronunciation of this word is "pagoda" - "temple";
• Persian version - “house of idols”;
• Chinese "bao ta" - treasure tower.

So, a pagoda is a sacred building, a religious building, common in Hindu, Taoist, but most often in Buddhist teachings.

Hindu pagoda

Even in Buddhism, the term "pagoda" cannot be understood unambiguously, because the meaning varies depending on geography:

• where the Theravada direction is widespread (Thai, Myanmar, Sri Lankan, Laotian, Cambodian territories) these are most often small rooms for storing relics, shrines or peculiar memorials, which are also called stupas;
• in other directions of Buddhist thought, for example, in Mahayana, Tibetan Buddhism, Zen (Nepalese, Indian, Japanese, Vietnamese, Chinese, Tibetan, Indonesian lands, Western countries) - Buddhist temples in the form of towers in several tiers.

In Japan, the upper parts of some ships that participated in the hostilities of World War II are also called pagodas.

References

1. ↑ abcde Japanese Dictionary Iwanami Kojien
2. ↑ "All about the Japanese pagoda" (in English). Jappleng. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
3. ↑ a b c d Jaanus, Tou
4. ↑ Hamashima, Masashi (1999). Jisha Kenchiku no Kansh Kiso Chishiki
   (en japonés) . Tokyo: Shibund. P. 88.
5. ↑ b s d e g h i J k l m p s o r Fujita and Koga, 2008, pp. 79–81
6. ^ Scheid, Japanese Pagodas
7. ↑ a b * Tamura, Yoshiro (2000). Japanese Buddhism - A Cultural History (First Edition). Tokyo: Kosei Publishing Company. pp. 40 -41 pages. ISBN 4-333-01684-3.
8. ↑ Fujita Masaya, Koga Shusaku, ed. (April 10, 1990). Nihon Kenchiku-shi
   (en japonés) (released September 30, 2008). Showa-do. paragraph 79. ISBN 4-8122-9805-9.
9. ↑ a b c d JANUS, Houtou
10. ↑ a b YAANUS, Daito
11. ↑ to b JANUS, Sekitu
12. ↑ YAANUS, Tasutu
13. ↑ a b YANUS - Gorinto
14. ↑ a b c d Yatsushiro Municipal Museum
15. ↑ YAN - Muhutu
16. ↑ YAN - Kasatuba

Bibliography

• Ivan Kojien (Kojieno?), Kōjien
  Japanese Dictionary, 6ª Edición (2008), versión DVD
• "YAANUS". User System of Japanese Architecture and Art. Accessed August 19, 2010.
• Fujita Masaya, Koga Shusaku, ed. (April 10, 1990). Nihon Kenchiku-shi
  (in Japanese) (September 30, 2008 edition). Showa-do. ISBN 4-8122-9805-9.
• Scheid, Bernhard. "Japanische Pagoden" (in German). University of Vienna. Retrieved August 19, 2010.
• Shink no Katachi - Hōkyōint, Yatsushiro Municipal Museum, accessed September 18, 2008 (in Japanese)

The first pagodas

There is no consensus on where pagodas first appeared. The first version says that they originated in Nepal, from where they then spread throughout the Far Eastern region. They were created in the image of Theravada stupas, where, out of habit, they are still called pagodas.

Pagoda in Nepal

Another version calls China the birthplace of pagodas. They were created to store shrines: the remains of saints, monks, Buddhas, bodhisattvas. The first such buildings date back to the first centuries AD.

Initially, they were created in the belief that they were able to heal, bring one closer to knowledge of the true nature of all things, promote proper meditation, and protect from enemies. Later, the tradition of building pagodas spread not only to Chinese territory, but throughout the Far Eastern region and southeast Asia.

external links

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• Multimedia: pagodas in Japan

Symbolism

Pagodas have a special architecture for a reason. Created in several tiers, it reflects the cyclical repetition of the events of our lives, the movement in a spiral.

It is believed that the number of tiers also hides a certain sacredness. For example, the number “seven” directly indicates the Buddhas of different times who incarnated in the human world.

Others see the pagoda as a symbol of Mount Meru - the Buddhist center of the universe, at the top of which the gods live. Each tier is a certain heaven, which can be achieved by constant growth and upward striving. However, the atypical roof structure has a practical purpose: upturned eaves retain moisture after rain or snow, preventing it from flowing down and gradually destroying the facade.

The imperial pagodas were of particular importance. As usual, they had a majestic, sometimes even sublime appearance. The main attribute is the yellow tiled roof, the color of which represents the strength of the ruler.

Recently, many famous pagodas, especially in tourist areas, have been opened to the public. Although ordinary visitors will hardly be able to see the rituals, ceremonies and interior decoration of the upper floors, here you can feel the spirit of Buddhism and lift the veil of secret mysteries.

Architectural delights

Chinese builders erected structures using original technology based on the wooden frame structure “dougong”, translated as “bucket and beam”. Not a single iron nail was used in the construction of such houses. Having arranged the pillars in a certain order and fastened them with crossbars, the Chinese installed a frame, which was subsequently covered with a roof made of heavy tiles. But the most interesting thing: to relieve pressure on the pillars, the Chinese built truncated pyramids from wooden blocks, the wide bases of which rested on the upper ceiling, and the tops on the pillar. As a result, the entire load falls on these blocks, which differed in size and shape and were called “dow” - “bucket”, respectively, “gun” - “beam”.

Thus, the pagoda is an amazing structure in which the walls do not bear any load. They perform the functions of partitions and allow you to install windows and doors in any quantity.

Famous pagodas of the Buddhist world

Long Son, Vietnam

Long Son, or Long Song as it is sometimes called, is probably one of the most popular pagodas among tourists coming to Vietnam. It is located in Nha Trang - the “tourist Mecca” of the Vietnamese state.

Long Song Pagoda, Vietnam

The history of the pagoda begins in 1886. Then it was called “Dan Long Tu”, which means “slowly flying dragon”, and was located on the top of a hill. But 15 years after its founding, disaster struck in the surrounding area and partially destroyed the shrine.

Then it was decided to rebuild the pagoda again, but in a safer place nearby. Thus Long Sean was born, which translates to “flying dragon.” The pagoda became the main one in the entire Khanh Hoa province.

Long Son is not huge in size, but it surprises with its beauty and idyllically cozy territory covered with well-kept gardens. The facade is made in a classic style with an upturned red tiled roof. The interior is decorated with mosaic mythical dragons, multi-colored decorative tiles and a one and a half meter gilded Buddha statue.

On the hill from which the pagoda is separated by 144 steps, there is a statue of a snow-white Buddha sitting in padmasana on a lotus bud. On the way to it there is a ritual bell and a statue of a reclining Buddha.

Locals say that to get rid of the burden of sinful deeds, it is enough to walk all the steps to the monument of the sitting Buddha.

Shakyamuni Pagoda, Shanxi Province, China

Shakyamuni Pagoda is not just the treasure and pride of Shanxi province, it is a kind of world record holder. The fact is that it is considered the oldest wooden building that has been preserved in its original form. The date of construction is said to be 1056.

Shakyamuni Pagoda in Shanxi

The pagoda is located in the Chinese county of Yingxian, in the Fogong Temple. It was popularly named “Muta”, which means “temple made of wood”. At one time, the house of the grandmother of ruler Dao Zong from the Liao dynasty was located here.

The pagoda was built a thousand years ago according to the rules for the construction of anti-seismic structures. This design saved the shrine from many earthquakes.

The ancient building has nine levels. The total height reaches seventy meters. At the same time, the foundation stands on a kind of four-meter pedestal, and the first tier rises ten meters.

It was originally an imperial pagoda. The elegant decor of the exterior in the form of carved figurines of animals, birds, and clear lines is proof of this. Their austere monumental facade indicates the majesty of the imperial figure himself.

Types

Of the many forms of Japanese pagodas, some are built of wood and are collectively known as mokuto (木塔wooden pagoda

?
), , But many are carved from sekito stone (石塔stone pagoda
? ), .
Wooden pagodas are large two-story buildings, such as tahōto
(多宝塔?), '
tahōtō'
, but usually have an odd number of floors.
Existing wooden pagodas with more than two floors almost always have three, and are therefore called sanju-no-to
(三重塔
three-story pagoda
?), and called
goju-no-to
(五重塔
five-story pagoda
?).
Stone pagodas are almost always small, usually well under 3 meters, and generally offer little usable space. If they have more than one story, pagodas are called tasoto
(多層塔
multi-story pagoda
?), or
tajuto
(多重塔
multi-story pagoda
?).

The size of the pagoda is measured in kens

, where
ken
is the space between two columns of a traditional style building.
For example, a tahoto
can be 5x5 ken or 3x3 ken. [ 8 ]

Wooden pagodas

Tasoto

Eastern Pagoda del Yakushi-ji.
In tasōtō

wooden pagodas have an odd number of floors.
Some may have an even number due to the presence of closed, purely decorative ceilings called mokoshi
.
A famous example is the eastern Yakushi-ji Pagoda, which appears to be six stories high but has only three. There were some of seven or nine stories, but all those that survive have three (and are therefore called sanju-no-to
, "three-story pagoda") or five (and are called
goju-no-to
, the five-history pagoda").
[5] The oldest three-story pagoda is at Hokki-ji in Nara and was built between 685 and 706. [ 5 ] The oldest five-story pagoda in existence belongs to Hūryū-ji and was built sometime during the Asuka period (538-710). The tallest
wooden
tasōtō
belongs to Ji, Kyoto. It has five floors and is 54 meters high.

Hōt

Khoto

in Yakuō-ji, Tokushima Prefecture.

Wooden Hoto

is a rare type of pagoda consisting of four parts: a low stone base, a cylindrical body with a rounded top, a pyramidal roof and a finial.
[9] Unlike similar tahoto
, it does not have an enclosed square roof (
mokoshi
) around its cylindrical core.
[5] Moreover, like Tahoto, it
takes its name from the Buddhist deity Taho Nyorai.
Hoto
originated during the early Heian period when the Tendai and Shingon Buddhist sects came to Japan for the first time.

There used to be a lot of full-size hotos

, but only small ones made of stone and metal have practically survived.
A good example of a full-size hoto
can be seen at Ikegami Honmon-ji in Nishi-magoma, Tokyo. The pagoda is 17.4 meters high and 5.7 meters wide. [ 9 ]

Tahōt

Main article: Tahoto

Tahoto

is a type of wooden pagoda unique in that it has an even number of floors (two).
The first floor has a rounded core, the second is round in shape. This style was
created surrounding a cylindrical base in
Hoto
with a square roof called
mokoshi
.
[5] The core of the pagoda has only one floor with a ceiling below the second circular floor, which is inaccessible. Like tasoto
and
romon
, despite its appearance, it only offers usable space on the ground floor. [ 5 ]

Since its type does not exist in Korea or China, it is believed to have been invented in Japan during the Heian period (794–1185). Tahoto

was important enough to be considered one of the seven essential buildings (of the so-called Shichidō Garan) of one Shingon Temple. [ 10 ]

Plant Daito

from Negorodzi.

Usually the base of the tahoto

is 3
ken
with four main support pillars called
sitenbashira
(四天柱?), '
shitenbashira'
at the corners.
[5] The
sitenbashira-

shaped room houses the temple where the main objects of worship (
gohonzon
) are kept.

Daito

del Negoro-ji.

However, there is tahoto

larger than 5x5
ken,
and are called
daito
(大塔
large pagoda
?), due to their size.
This is the only type of tahoto
that retains the original structure, with a wall separating the corridor (
mokoshi
) from the core of the structure.
the daitos
ever built, only three survive.
One is in Negoro-ji in Wakayama Prefecture, another in Kongobu-ji, again in Wakayama, and the last one in Kirihata-dera, Tokushima Prefecture. [10] Daito
in Kongobu-ji was founded by Kukai, a monk of the Shingon sect. The building found in Negoro-ji is 30.85 meters high and is a national treasure.

Stone pagodas

Rare 16-story pagoda at Chosho-ji in Kamakura.

Stone pagodas ( sekito

) are usually made from materials such as apatite or granite, they are much smaller than wood and are finely carved.
[5] They often bear Sanskrit inscriptions, Buddhist figurines, and nengo
from the Japanese lunar calendar.
Like wood, most can be classified by the number of floors as tasoto
or
hoto
, but there are some styles that are almost never found in wood, such as
gorinto
,
muhoto
,
hokyinto
and
kasatoba
.[11]

Tasoto o tajuto

With very rare exceptions, tasoto

, also called
tajuto
(多層塔?), "
feel"
Has an odd number of floors, usually from three to thirteen.
[ 12 ] They are usually less than three meters in height, but can sometimes be much taller. The tallest surviving pagoda is the 13-story pagoda at Hannya-ji in Nara, with a height of 14.12 m. They are often dedicated to the Buddha and offer no usable space, but some have a small space inside containing a sacred image. [ 11 ]In the oldest existing one, although the edges of each floor are parallel to the ground, each subsequent floor is smaller than the next, resulting in a steep slope of the curve. More modern tasōtō
tend to have less pronounced patterns.

Hōt

Unhōt _

del Ankokuron-ji.

Hoto

(宝塔
jewel stupa
?), is a pagoda consisting of four parts: a low stone base, a cylindrical body with a rounded top, a four-sided roof and a finial.
[9] This structure was created in the early Heian period when Tendai and Shingon Buddhism arrived in Japan. [5] The stone and metal Hoto
are the most common. [ 9 ]

Gorinto

Main article: Gorinto

Gorinto example

.

Gorintō

(五輪塔
five ring tower
?), is a pagoda found almost exclusively in Japan, and is believed to have been first adopted by the Shingon and Tendai sects during the Middle Heian period.
[ 13 ] It is used as a grave marker or cenotaph and is therefore a common sight in Buddhist temples and cemeteries. It is also called gorinsotoba
(五輪卒塔婆
five-ring stupa
?), or
goringedatsu
(五輪解脱?), '
goringedatsu'
, where the term
sotoba
is a transliteration of the Sanskrit word stupa. [ 1 ]

In all its variations, gorinto

consists of five blocks, each of which has one of five shapes that symbolize
the Godai
(five elements), which are considered the basic building blocks of reality: earth (cube), water (sphere), fire (pyramid), air (crescent) and ether , energy or vacuum (lotus). [ 13 ] The last two rings (ethereal and ethereal) are visually and conceptually combined into a single subgroup.

Hōkyōintō

Main article: Hōkyōintō

Hōkyōintō

.

Hōkyōintō

(宝篋印塔?), '
hkyōintō'
Is a large stone pagoda so named because it originally contained the Hōkyōin Dharani Sutra. [1] It was originally used as a cenotaph for King Qian Liu of Wuyue, China. [ 1 ]

It is believed that

hokyointo
tradition in Japan
began
during the Asuka period (550–710).
[14] They were formerly made of wood and only began to be made of stone during the Kamakura period. [ 14 ] It was during this period that they began to be used as tombstones and cenotaphs. [14] hōkyōintō
began to be produced in its current form during the Kamakura period.
[1] Like the gorinto
, it is divided into five main parts that represent the five elements of Japanese cosmology.[5] The sutra it sometimes conceals contains all the pious deeds of the Buddha Tathagata, and believers believe that by praying before the
hokishinto
, their sins will be undone, in During their life they will be protected from disasters and after death they will go to heaven. [ 14 ]

Muhōtō o rantō

Muhōtō

.

Muhōtō

(無縫塔
seamless tower
?), or rantō (卵塔
egg tower
?), Is a pagoda that usually marks the grave of a Buddhist priest. It was initially used only by Zen schools, but was later adopted by others. [ 15 ]

Kasatōba

Two Kasatoba

at
Hannya
-ji, Nara.

Kasatōba

(笠塔婆
umbrella stupa
?), It is simply an ordinary stone pole placed on a square base and covered with a pyramidal roof. On the ceiling there is one stone in the shape of a bowl, the other in the shape of a lotus. The shaft may be carved with Sanskrit words or bas-relief images of Buddhist gods. There may be stone wheels inside the well that allow worshipers to circle the stupa while praying, as with a prayer wheel. [ 16 ]

Decrease in accent over time

The Jade Buddha Temple in Shanghai follows the design of several Song Dynasty courtyards and does not have a pagoda.
The main hall is in the center. Pagodas, in accordance with the traditions of the White Horse Temple, were usually placed in the center of temples before the Sui and Tang dynasties. During the Tang, the importance of the main hall was increased and the pagoda was moved adjacent to the hall or even outside the temple complex. At the beginning of the Tang, Daoxuan wrote the Standard Design for the Construction of a Buddhist Temple

in which the main hall replaced the pagoda as the center of the temple.

The design of the temples was also influenced by the use of traditional Chinese residences as shrines after they were charitablely donated by the wealthy or devout. In such preconfigured spaces, the construction of a central pagoda may have been undesirable or impossible.

in the Song Dynasty (960–1279), the Chan (Zen) sect developed a new "seven-piece structure" for temples. The seven sections—Buddha Hall, Dharma Hall, Monks' Quarters, Vault, Gate, Pure Land Hall, and Toilets—eliminate pagodas entirely and represent the final triumph of the traditional Chinese palace/courtyard system over the original. the central pagoda tradition started 1000 years ago by the White Horse Temple in 67. Although they were built outside the main temple itself, large pagodas in the tradition of the past were still being built. This includes the two Ming Dynasty pagodas of Fameng Temple and Chongwen Pagoda in Jingyang of Shaanxi Province.

A famous later example of a palace being converted into a temple is the Beijing Yonghe Temple, which was the residence of the Yongzheng Emperor before he ascended the throne. It was donated for use as a lamar after his death in 1735.

Content

• 1 History 1.1 Development of design and structure
• 1.2 Loss of pagoda significance within the scope of warranty

Intricate Features

The earliest Chinese pagodas were built in the shape of a square, and later buildings became hexagonal, octagonal and dodecagonal, some round. You can find wooden and stone buildings, but bricks, iron and copper were often used. The number of levels in ancient Chinese pagodas is usually odd; the most common buildings are those with 5-13 levels. The imagination of the architects erected elegant buildings that miraculously fit into the surrounding natural space and form a unique architectural ensemble. Traditionally, such buildings were built in mountainous areas, away from the noisy central regions of China.

Recommendations

• Benn, Charles (2002). China's Golden Age: Everyday Life in the Tang Dynasty
  . Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-517665-0.
• Brooke, Timothy. (1998). A Confusion of Pleasures: Trade and Culture in Ming China
  . Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-22154-0
• Fazio, Michael W., Moffett, Marian and Woodhouse, Lawrence. World History of Architecture
  . Published 2003 by McGraw-Hill Professional. ISBN 0-07-141751-6.
• Fu, Xinyan. (2002). "Three Kingdoms, Western and Eastern Jin, Northern and Southern Dynasties" in Chinese Architecture
  , 61–90. Edited by Nancy S. Steinhardt. New Haven: Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-09559-7.
• Govinda, A.B. Psychocosmic symbolism of a Buddhist stupa
  . 1976, Emeryville, California. Dharma Publications.
• Hymes, Robert P. (1986). Statesmen and Gentlemen: The Elite of Fu-Chou, Chang-Hsi, in the Northern and Southern Song. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-30631-0.
• Keshnik, John. The influence of Buddhism on the material culture of China
  . Published 2003. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-09676-7.
• Lowe, Michael. (1968). Daily life in early imperial China during the Han period 202 BC.
  - 220 AD . London: BT Batsford Ltd.; New York: GP Putnam's Sons.
• Steinhardt, Nancy Schatzman (1997). Liao Architecture
  . Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.

Etymology

One proposed etymology is taken from the South Chinese pronunciation of the term octagonal tower, Chinese: 八角塔, and supported by the name of a famous pagoda encountered by many early European visitors to China, "Pazōwu to" (Chinese: 琶洲塔), standing south of Guangzhou at Whampoa Anchorage. [6] Other suggested etymology: Persian Butkada

, from
but
, “idol” and
kada
, “temple, dwelling.”[7]

Another etymology found in many English dictionaries is Modern English. pagoda

from Portuguese (via Dravidian), from Sanskrit
bhagavati
feminine
bhagavat
, "blessed", from
bhag
, "luck".[
citation needed
]

Another etymology of the word pagoda

from the Sinhala word
Dagaba
which comes from Sanskrit
dhatugarbha
or Pali
dhatugabbha
: "relict womb/chamber" or "tomb", i.e. stupa, via Portuguese.[8]