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.
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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 is typically 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.
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''Mokugyo'' exist in many sizes and forms, including small handheld ones, as well as large ones hung from the rafters at temples.