Hattō (Dharma Hall)

The Hatto at Eiheiji Temple is one of the largest surviving Dharma Halls from the Edo period, rebuilt in 1843 and used for daily morning services and sermons. Its main image is the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, and the front altar is flanked by four white shishi, guardian lions thought to ward off evil. The two on the right have open mouths, the two on the left have closed mouths. Together they represent the first and last sounds of the Sanskrit alphabet, symbolizing the full range of existence and the two ways Zen transmits its teachings: through spoken instruction and through practice.