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The four guardians of the cardinal directions
Identifier
028829
Type of Spiritual Experience
None
Background
The Four Symbols are the four guardians of the cardinal directions in the Chinese and Japanese [non Buddhist] cosmology. They are:
- Azure Dragon of the East
- Vermillion Bird of the South
- White Tiger of the West
- Black Tortoise of the North
- Yellow dragon of the centre
Each one of them represents both a direction and a season of the year, and each has its own individual characteristics and origins. In legend they are also the protector of the ‘gates’.
A description of the experience