the approach leading from a torii to a shrine. The term is also used sometimes at Buddhist temples too. sanmon (三門 or 山門) – the gate in front of the butsuden. The name is short for , lit. Gate of the three liberations. Its three openings (, and ) symbolize the three gates to enlightenment. Entering, one can free himself from three passions (貪 ton, or greed, 瞋 shin, or hatred, and 癡 chi, or "foolishness"). See also mon. Its size depends on the temple's rank. (See photos.) sanrō (山廊) – small buildings at the ends of a two-storied Zen gate containing the stairs to the second story. sekitō (石塔) – a stone pagoda (stupa). See also tō shichidō garan (七堂伽藍) – a double compound term literally meaning "seven halls" (七堂) and "(temple) buildings" (伽藍). What is counted in the group of seven buildings, or shichidō, can vary greatly from temple to temple and from school to school. In practice, shichidō garan can also mean simply a large complex. Nanto Rokushū and later non-Zen schools: The shichidō garan in this case includes a kon-dō, a tō, a kō-dō, a shōrō, a jiki-dō, a sōbō, and a kyōzō. Zen schools: A Zen shichidō garan includes a butsuden or butsu-dō, a hattō, a ku'in, a sō-dō, a sanmon, a tōsu and a yokushitsu. shoin (書院) – originally a study and a place for lectures on the sutra within a temple, later the term came to mean just a study. shōrō (鐘楼) – a temple's belfry, a building from which a bell is hung. sōbō (僧坊) – The monks' living quarters in a non-Zen garan sō-dō (僧堂) – Lit. "monk hall". A building dedicated to the practice of Zazen. It used to be dedicated to all kinds of activities, from eating to sleeping, centered on zazen. sōmon (総門) – the gate at the entrance of a temple. It precedes the bigger and more important sanmon. See also mon. sōrin (相輪) – a spire reaching up from the center of the roof of some temple halls, tiered like a pagoda. sotoba or sotōba (卒塔婆) – transliteration of the Sanskrit stupa. A pagoda. Tower with an odd number of tiers (three, five, seven nine, or thirteen). See also stupa. Strips of wood left behind tombs during annual ceremonies (tsuizen) symbolizing a stupa. The upper part is segmented like a pagoda and carries Sanskrit inscriptions, sutras,