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The Nio (Benevolent Kings) are a pair of protectors who stand guard outside the temple gate at most Japanese Buddhist temples, one on either side of the entrance. In Japan, the gate itself is often called the Niomon (literally Nio Gate). Their fierce and threatening appearance wards off evil spirits and keeps the temple ground free of demons and thieves. In some accounts, the Nio 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-mouthed figure is called "Agyo", (Sanskrit = Misshaku) a manifestation of Vairocana who is uttering the sound "ah," meaning birth. His closed-mouth partner is called "Ungyo", (Sanskrit = Naraen, Narayana) a manifestation of the Hindu God Vishnu who sounds "un" or "om," meaning death.
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