'Oracles of the three shrines' (of Amaterasu, Kasuga and Hachiman) which have exerted influence from the medieval period to modern times. According to legend the oracles appeared on the surface of a pond at the Todaiji Buddhist temple in Nara in the late 13th century. In scrolls and reproductions of the oracles Amaterasu o-mikami appears in the centre with Hachiman Daibosatsu to the right and Kasuga Daimyojin to the left. The oracles included Buddhist and Confucian ideas on purity of mind, honesty and benevolence. They acquired some authority as a basis for moral teachings and contributed to the development of Shinto doctrines.
A Popular Dictionary of Shinto. Brian Bocking.