Mokugyo

From SamuraiWiki
Revision as of 00:11, 23 November 2014 by LordAmeth (talk | contribs) (Created page with "right|thumb|300px|A ''mokugyo'' on display at the Metropolitan Museum *''Japanese'': 木魚 ''(mokugyo)'' A ''mokugyo'' (lit. wooden fish) is a style of ...")
(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
Jump to navigationJump to search
A mokugyo on display at the Metropolitan Museum
  • Japanese: 木魚 (mokugyo)

A mokugyo (lit. wooden fish) is a style of slit gong used in Buddhist and Daoist ceremonies, in which it is struck to accompany chanting, e.g. of sutras. The gong, usually handheld, is decorated with the form of a fish holding a ball or jewel in its mouth, symbolic of the cosmos. The fish's wide-open eyes are representative of eternally wakeful attention and vigilance in devotion.

References

  • Gallery labels, "Buddhism," Musical Instruments gallery, Metropolitan Museum, Sept 2013.