Connections between Shinto and Buddhism, the two great religions in Japan, can be found everywhere, but for me, an interesting aspect is the blending of the religious architecture symbols.
In Nikko, at the Toshougu Shrine, I discovered that there are carved lotus flowers (hasu) on the pillars of the second torii (Karadou torii).
The lotus flower is a Buddhist symbol, representing the purity of the mind, the speech and the body, because it floats over the water. The torii is a Shinto construction (but there are also Buddhist temples with torii) and it serves to mark the entrance into the sacred space, and the passing under the torii represents also an act of purification.
- More photos in the Japan Photo Gallery.
