small memorial Zen temple for a high priest
A small temple built within the grounds of a larger Zen monastery to commemorate a deceased high priest. Specific to Zen Buddhism.
Many small memorial temples are scattered within the grounds of Daitoku-ji.
minor temple within a head temple complex
A subordinate temple located inside the precincts of a main Zen temple. May serve various functions, not necessarily memorial.
This minor temple is not open to the public.
Standard kanji form for this Buddhist term.
Alternate kanji form; less common than 塔頭.
From Chinese 塔頭, originally referring to a place beside or associated with a memorial stupa. In Japanese Zen it came to denote a subsidiary temple established around a founder’s or senior priest’s memorial site.