Same Birth and Same Name ［同生同名］ ( Dōshō Dōmyō): Two gods said to dwell on one’s shoulders from the time of birth, recording all of one’s acts, good and evil, and reporting them to King Yama, who judges the dead. Described in the Flower Garland Sutra, Same Birth and Same Name symbolize the workings of the law of cause and effect within one’s life. In Great Concentration and Insight, T’ien-t’ai (538–597) says: “The deities Same Name and Same Birth protect people. If one’s faith is strong, then their protection is great.” According to Miao-lo’s Annotations on “Great Concentration and Insight,” Same Birth means “born at the same time [as the person he protects],” and Same Name, “bearing the same name [as the person he (or she) protects].” One view regards Same Birth as a male god and Same Name as a female god. Concerning these gods’ power of protection, Miao-lo also says, “The stronger one’s faith, the greater the protection of the gods.”