Agyo

Agyo, a photo by shodoboy on Flickr.

The "Nio" are Hindu Gods incorporated into Buddhism as protectors against evil spirits. If you look at their mouths, you will notice that one has its mouth open and the other has its mouth closed, said to represent life and death, the beginning and the end.The Niō’s fierce and threatening appearance is said to ward off evil spirits and keep the temple grounds free of demons and thieves. In some ac...counts, the Niō were said to have followed and protected the Historical Buddha when he traveled throughout India. They have since been adopted by the Japanese into the Japanese Buddhist pantheon. Each is named after a particular cosmic sound. The open-mouth figure is called “Agyō,” who is uttering the sound “ah,” meaning birth. His close-mouth partner is called “Ungyō,” who sounds “un” or “om,” meaning death.See More