Why Are There Scary Monsters Outside Temples?

[Robroy]

The subject line says it all, really.

I've seen these monsters at the gates of many, perhaps most, temples through SEA. Sometimes nagas too.

Why?

I guess I'm more interested in the psychological reason, rather than just the history of the practice. I.e. its meaning.

[camerata]

Those would be "guardians" there to keep malevolent beings from other realms out of the temple. Some of them are "demons" (yaksa) who converted to Buddhism (as folklore has it), others are nagas, some (particularly over the main door) are Brahmanical deities, and some (on doors and window shutters) are celestial beings with or without a weapon.

You see a similar type of demon guardian - called nio - outside most Japanese temples.

[Goshawk]

i asked the same question to the Abbot of the temple in Mrs G's village.. But in particular, about the 'Lion' type beasts on each pillar of the gates to the temple compound itself.

i assumed they were purely to keep out 'nasty spirits' etc..

He told me that no, they are not there for the reason of guarding. He said they are in effect akin to living 'megaphones' constantly shouting out to the community the good message of the Wat & inviting the 'listeners' to hear it.

Something like an ethereal transmitter plugged directly into heart of the temple itself, and broadcasting out to anyone with a tuned reciever.

[lungmi]

Those would be "guardians" there to keep malevolent beings from other realms out of the temple. Some of them are "demons" (yaksa) who converted to Buddhism (as folklore hashas it), others are nagas, some (particularly over the main door) are Brahmanical deities, and some (on doors and window shutters) are celestial beings with or without a weapon.

You see a similar type of demon guardian - called nio - outside most Japanese temples.

I western mythology we have the "bad" dragons, the Christian Knights fight them.

The dragon in Chinese mythology is the opposite.

In Asia all is a little bit different.

[khaowong1]

Those would be "guardians" there to keep malevolent beings from other realms out of the temple. Some of them are "demons" (yaksa) who converted to Buddhism (as folklore has it), others are nagas, some (particularly over the main door) are Brahmanical deities, and some (on doors and window shutters) are celestial beings with or without a weapon.

You see a similar type of demon guardian - called nio - outside most Japanese temples.

We have similar "guardians" outside our temple in Lopburi... This is what my abbot also said. To keep malevolent beings out of the temple.

[Robroy]

Joseph Campbell wrote something about this, tho I can't remember exactly how it went.

Something like: The monsters guarding eastern temples were to put you in touch with fear & pain - you had to cross their threshold before you got to the peace within (the temple).

In other words to remind you that the world was dualistic - pain as well as pleasure.

Anyone heard anything like this?

[Robroy]

Found a quote (in a text on Aikido) which comes close to expressing what I mean:

"Statues of dragons guard the gates of many eastern temples. They symbolize the fear of entering the unknown essence of who we are. When we react out of fear we

see energy and its manifestations as monsters. We try to control our reaction or

shut down the energy itself. In a big rush of energy we feel a loss of control. It is a

misunderstanding but we come to fear the energy itself. We repress our own

energy because its power scares us. If fear stops us, we cannot enter the temple, the

authenticity of our own being, the essence of our spirit, the mystery of who we are.

When we overcome the fear of the dragon we enter the temple. And overcome

here doesn’t mean repress, it means going beyond our fear. Courage is neither

denying fear nor eradicating it. Mastery implies acting intelligently in the face of

fear."