gomadō 護摩堂

Small buildings at Buddhist temples of Shingon 真言 and Tendai 天台 sects, used especially for Esoteric Buddhism mikkyō 密教 and for the performances of the burnt-offering goma 護摩 ceremonies. The firewood is called gomagi 護摩木. The ceremony, itself, is called the external fire ceremony, gegoma 外護摩. The fire, the deity, and the worshippers whose actions of body, mouth, and mind must be pure in order to destroy evil. If the worshipper is only meditating on the ceremony as a mental exercise, it is called an internal fire-ceremony, naigoma 内護摩, which also symbolizes the internal fire of evil passions that must be destroyed by wisdom. The ritual is derived from the ancient Brahmanic belief that offering fire to the gods results in great benefits for mankind. Most gomadō are three-bay squares, measuring 46 m. The interior consists only of simple, empty space except for an altar attached to the rear wall at the center bay, and shelves stretch from it to the corners. An exception is found in the earliest extant Gomadō (13th century) at Ishideji 石手寺, Ehime Prefecture, where it is free-standing, about 1/2-bay forward from the rear wall. Either a statue of *Fudō Myōō 不動明王, or one of *Aizen Myōō 愛染明王, are placed at the back of the altar. There are a number of examples. 

1　Kakurinji 鶴林寺 Gomadō (1563), Hyōgo Prefecture. The roof does not have bracket complexes. It has single eaves *hitonoki 一軒 closely spaced rafters *shigedaruki 繁垂木 a hip-and-gable roof *irimoya-zukuri 入母屋造, covered with tile *hongawarabuki 本瓦葺. The interior reveals some elements of the daibutsu style *daibutsuyō 大仏様, and has lobster beams *ebikōryō 海老虹梁. 

2　Chōmeiji 長命寺 Gomadō (1606), Shiga Prefecture, has a single eave, widely spaced rafters *mabaradaruki 疎垂木, and pyramidal roof *hōgyō-zukuri 宝形造 covered with cypress bark *hiwadabuki 桧皮葺. The interior has rainbow beams *kōryō 虹梁, and over the center bay is a coved ceiling *oriage tenjō 折上天井 and open-beam ceilings *keshō yaneura 化粧屋根裏, over all the other bays. 

3　Natadera 那谷寺 Gomadō (1640), Ishikawa Prefecture, has a more elaborate than usual which includes a hip-and-gable roof covered with cypress bark roofing, closely spaced rafters, a step canopy *kōhai 向拝 , the width of the center bay with five steps to the veranda, windows filled with vertical slats, and doors paneled with top sections having vertical slats. On the exterior there is a large amount of carved decoration. 

4　The Gomadō at Sanbōin 三宝院 (Edo period), Kyoto, is larger than usual being 5 x 3 bays with a tiled, hip-and-gable roof. It is assumed that this building was constructed for another purpose originally. However, as Gomadō is encircled by plank walls to give it a closed and remote character. The inside has only the goma altar and a Buddhist statue. None of the gomadō have adequate means for dissipating smoke.