Visitors circle the exterior of the temple before entering the very small shrines within. This difference in size between the telescoping exterior and the confining interior are another example of opposing elements in Hinduism that complement and enhance one another. The site itself is a complex of one-hundred and twenty-five shrines built to worship spirits in nature, called kami , most importantly the sun goddess Amataerasu Omikami.
This goddess has also been worshiped as the ancestral kami of the imperial family and so, was originally worshipped at the site of the imperial palace. In this land I wish to dwell. Mirrors symbolized truth in ancient Japan and the Yata no Kagami also signifies wisdom. The chief priest or priestess who has guarded and cared for the site over the centuries has always been a member of the imperial family.
Two equally-sized adjacent plots, one to the east and one to the west, are used alternately to rebuild the primary shrine of Naiku every twenty years; this ritual last took place in Japanese cypress trees that grow in the region are used to build a new shrine adjacent to the previous shrine while the old shrine is taken apart; this process signifies the destruction and regeneration of nature.
The new shrine is built almost identically to the one that began the ritual of rebuilding in AD. The shrine is thirty-five by eighteen feet, with the long southern side containing the entrance. The building is raised to preserve the wood for the next twenty years and a veranda encircles the entirety of the shrine.
Festivals are held throughout the year at the shrine to pray for and celebrate rain and harvests, but only a member of the imperial family may enter the shrine. The Cathedral of Chartres southwest of Paris shows the development of the Gothic style, as architects utilized flying buttresses and rib vaults to achieve unprecedented height, bringing the people, both figuratively and literally, closer to heaven. Christian pilgrims would travel to different cathedrals, including Chartes, to view and pray to these various relics.
Rose windows, such as the ones found at Chartes, are deeply integrated into the symbolism of Mary. For example, stained glass was often used as a metaphor in literature and art for the Immaculate Conception; that is, just as light passes through glass and enters the great cathedral without breaking the glass, the Holy Spirit entered into Mary while still preserving her virginity. Stained glass windows is an innovation of the Gothic period.
When building the Abbey Church of St. Denis in Paris, Abbot Suger spoke of bathing the church in divine light through the use of stained glass windows that depicted biblical stories. Pioneering flying buttresses and rib vaults allowed for thinner walls and the ability to use substantial stained glass in place of walls. The North Transept rose window in Chartres is an example of the complex iconography of many stained glass windows. The rose window shows the Virgin and Child Enthroned in the center surrounded by angels, kings in the squares , and prophets in the outermost scenes.
Below are five lancets; the central one shows Saint Anne enthroned with the infant Mary, and below them is the coat of arms of the House of France. The floor plan of all Gothic cathedrals is the shape of a Latin cross, symbolizing the crucifixion.
The congregation enters through a portal at the foot of the cross and walks down the nave towards the altar. Cathedrals are also commonly oriented so that the altar is placed on the east end, symbolizing the resurrection of Christ, to allow morning services to face the rising sun.
The journey of pilgrims is symbolized by an intricate labyrinth on the floor of the Chartres, which people follow while saying prayers. Mosques all have certain architectural elements in common: each is designed to support and guide prayer towards Mecca five times per day.
Mecca is significant to Muslims for several reasons. The prophet Muhammad was born in Mecca around , and it is the site of the Kaaba, a large, black, cube-shaped building built by Abraham for God. While many other sacred spaces are oriented in relation to the cardinal directions, Muslims are concerned with the direction of Mecca. Within each mosque is a prayer niche, called a mihrab, which is placed on the wall that faces towards Mecca and thus, the faithful know the direction of Mecca if they are in a mosque anywhere in the world.
Pools and sources of water often surround a mosque so that worshippers may cleanse before entering. The Isfahan Mosque is known particularly for its four iwans entrances or gateways , richly decorated in complex architectural forms reminiscent of honeycombs muqarnas. Within the mosque are two domes, one of which is engulfed in an exquisite gold maqarnas design. The interior decoration, often made with glazed tiles, is covered with abstract floral designs and script from the Koran, the sacred text for Muslims that records the word of Allah as told to the prophet Muhammad.
The theories of two classic scholars of religion, Mircea Eliade and Gerardus van der Leeuw, are widely referenced in determining answers to these questions. Gerardus van der Leeuw, an early twentieth-century Dutch historian and philosopher of religion, set forth some of the definitive aspects of sacred space in his book Religion in Skip to main content Skip to table of contents.
This service is more advanced with JavaScript available. Encyclopedia of Psychology and Religion Edition. Editors: David A. Contents Search. Sacred Space. Authors Authors and affiliations Ariel Schwartz.
How to cite. Classic Views of Sacred Space Whether a holy city, a marked tree or river, a constructed cathedral or mosque, a cemetery, or a roadside shrine, sacred spaces anchor the structures of most world religions. Christians have churches, shrines, sanctuaries, chapels, and other locations, while Muslims worship in a mosque, and Jews at a synagogue.
Buddhists and Hindus call their spaces "temples. Sometimes, a holy person, or even God, has visited a place and given it an even more sacred character. This space is often even more important in religious tradition and becomes a place of pilgrimage, where people visit. This is normally called a shrine. Like all Jesuits, and all who share in the Ignatian approach to Christian living, St Francis Xavier and Pope Francis are companions of Jesus - not just communicators of the truth revealed in Christ, but also observers of the work the Spirit of Christ is already doing in the world.
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