奥おくの院いん

お

く

の

い

ん

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

1

noun

inner sanctuary; inner shrine; holy of holies

Buddhism

Buddhist term for the innermost sacred area of a temple, often enshrining the founder, hidden statues, or miraculous Buddhas. Also used more broadly for the most sacred part of a shrine or pilgrimage site.

高こう野や山さん

の

奥おく

の

院いん

は

、

空くう

海かい

が

入にゅう

定じょう

し

た

聖せい

地ち

と

し

て

知し

ら

れ

て

いる

。

The inner sanctuary of Mount Kōya is known as the sacred place where Kūkai entered eternal meditation.

参さん拝ぱい者しゃは本ほん堂どうの裏うら手てにある奥おくの院いんまで歩あるいてお参まいりする。

Worshippers walk to the inner shrine behind the main hall to pay their respects.

Kanji

奥heart, interior
院Inst., institution, temple
之of, this

Related words

本ほん堂どう
本堂 is the main hall of a Buddhist temple, while 奥の院 is the innermost sanctuary, often located behind or deeper within the temple grounds.
内ない陣じん
内陣 refers to the inner sanctuary of a temple or church in a more general architectural sense, whereas 奥の院 specifically implies a separate, often hidden, sacred space.

Built from

奥おく+院いん

Written forms

奥おくの院いんUsage100%
Standard modern spelling.
奥おく之の院いん
out-dated kanji form
Contains outdated kanji 之; seen in historical or traditional contexts.

Etymology

Compound of 奥 (oku, 'inner depths') + の (no, possessive particle) + 院 (in, 'temple' or 'hall'). The term originally referred to the innermost part of a Buddhist temple complex where the most sacred objects or the founder's remains were enshrined.