Morisato and the Buddhist temple

[Crescent Pulsar]

Okay, something has me a bit baffled. Morisato Keiichi (along with the goddesses) lives on a property with a temple, but there's never an instance where people come to worship there. Considering that a monk had lived there, am I wrong to assume that the place was open to worshipers? Either way, why wouldn't it be? And is there some way that everyone would know that it's not functioning as a Buddhist temple, and not pay a visit?

Also, I'm not all that familiar with Buddhist temples. What's done in the main building? Worship/offerings/prayers? And there seems to be a much smaller building nearby. But I don't know what it is, and I'm not going to assume that it's something similar to what a Shinto shrine might have.

[Lioconvoy]

Is it even a temple anymore? I thought it was just converted to a house. Like you said you never see any worshipers.

[Crescent Pulsar]

The house is the next-biggest building, to the left of the temple when you're entering. The temple itself is positioned directly in front of the steps and path that lead into the premises. And to the right of that there seems to be a smaller building than those two.

The temple's still there. It's just somehow ignored throughout most of the series after the monk leaves.

[Spokavriel]

I'm not certain if the design really follows for either Buddhist or Shinto temples. You could google some of the Temples easily enough to compare layouts of the ones still around Tokyo and most of Japan.

[Crescent Pulsar]

Well, if I remember correctly, there was a time when Buddhism and Shintoism shared a coexistence of sorts, before being forcibly separated. But I don't know if that equates to shared building styles and layouts, or simply having buildings for both worshipers on the same premises. It's been too long for me to remember. But I'm assuming that, with the monk and the alter, it might be a Buddhist temple.

Tradition should probably separate buildings and their use apart, though. I know that Shinto shrines have a place for washing your hands (and your mouth, if I remember correctly), but I don't know if Buddhism has something like that.

[Spokavriel]

What I mean is if you get a look at the temples that still exist it might help answer your question better than my guessing at it could. For all we know they might have a shrine to the edge of the property and people paying respects might only go that far. Or all the noises and occasional explosions scared the possible supplicants off.

[Crescent Pulsar]

I see. As far as I can tell, the altar would either be in the main building, or the small one more or less behind it, hidden away. That is, if it even is a building.

Although I think the kind of disturbance that would scare people away would also get them in trouble. Especially because of the explosions. Either way, I don't think that would stop people from attending, unless there was another temple to go to that wasn't out of their way. That is, unless there was something else that makes the temple "out-of-service." Which could have been the case before Keiichi and Belldandy got there, since the place was kind of run down. But the question would still remain, concerning how people would know not to visit the temple, once it's doors are officially closed to the public. I mean, I don't see a sign or anything... And if it had been in that state for many years, I wonder why, and why it wasn't replaced by something else. Hrm... ;/

[lwf58]

It's made more clear in the AMG TV series than in the OAV. Keiichi and Belldandy take over the property's living quarters. They do not move into the temple itself.

Bear in mind that the OAV is non-canonical. It does not follow the events of the manga very closely. The TV series is much better in that regard.

I don't have time this morning to do proper research, but for some reason I believe that a) the temple had fallen on hard times and did not have many visitors in the first place. There was only one monk left there, and after K&B arrived, he went on a series of journeys to improve himself.

The part I am not at all sure about and which needs research is b) after K&B move in, there is a spiritual barrier erected that discourages visitors, but does not affect people who know they are there. That might be me just getting it mixed up with another series.