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三門Sanmon (main temple gate)

Sanmon (main temple gate)
Fg2, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

A sanmon (三門 or 山門) or sangedatsumon (三解脱門; lit. 'gate of the three liberations') is the most important mon of a Japanese Zen Buddhist temple, and is part of the Zen shichidō garan, the group of buildings that forms the heart of a Zen Buddhist temple. It can be often found in temples of other denominations too. Most sanmon are 2- or 3-bay nijūmon (a type of two-storied gate), but the name by itself does not imply any specific architecture.

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問Questions visitors ask

What is Sanmon (main temple gate)?

A sanmon (三門 or 山門) or sangedatsumon (三解脱門; lit.

寺At a temple

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