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Gohonzon
Gohonzon (御本尊; pronounced [ɡohoꜜɰ̃(d)zoɴ]) is a generic term for a venerated religious object in Japanese Buddhism. It may take the form of a scroll or statuary. The term gohonzon typically refers to the mainstream use of venerated objects within Nichiren Buddhism, referring to the calligraphic paper mandala inscribed by the 13th Japanese Buddhist priest Nichiren 日蓮 to which devotional chanting is directed.
Linguistically, the root word honzon (本尊) derives from ancient word konpon-sogyo, signifying a devotional object of respect or worship, and with the honorific go- (御) prefix.
Varying Nichiren groups accord their own meanings to the term gohonzon in different ways, signifying their treatment of the object:
Paper scroll gohonzon are sometimes known as kakejiku gohonzon or moji-mandala (文字曼荼羅, "script mandala"). The term butsuzo gohonzon is used for statuary.[citation needed] Gohonzon are often enshrined within an altar shrine (butsudan).
Nichiren himself attached the greatest importance to his inscription of the gohonzon and claimed this as a pivotal moment in his life. He stated that by using sumi ink to inscribe it, he was acting like a "lion king". Nichiren's calligraphy shifted over the years he inscribed gohonzon. Details of the composition of the gohonzon are clear from the approximately 120–125 inscribed in Nichiren's own hand, dating from 1271 to 1282, that are extant. For example, a gohonzon he inscribed in July 1273 was inscribed on a piece of silk 2.5 by 5.5 ft (0.76 by 1.68 m). Copies of the original gohonzon have been made by others and can be found in varying sizes.
A joju gohonzon is inscribed for a specific person or organization, while an okatagi gohonzon is generic and produced through a woodblock printing process. Nichiren and his successors also inscribed smaller omamori gohonzon that are carried on the person.
The founder Nichiren referred to gohonzon as "the banner of propagation" and "a cluster of blessings."
Without exception, all these Buddhas, bodhisattvas, great sages, and, in general, all the various beings of the two worlds and the eight groups who appear in the "Introduction" chapter of the Lotus Sutra dwell in this Gohonzon. Illuminated by the light of the five characters of the Mystic Law, they display the dignified attributes that they inherently possess. This is the object of devotion.
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Gohonzon
Gohonzon (御本尊; pronounced [ɡohoꜜɰ̃(d)zoɴ]) is a generic term for a venerated religious object in Japanese Buddhism. It may take the form of a scroll or statuary. The term gohonzon typically refers to the mainstream use of venerated objects within Nichiren Buddhism, referring to the calligraphic paper mandala inscribed by the 13th Japanese Buddhist priest Nichiren 日蓮 to which devotional chanting is directed.
Linguistically, the root word honzon (本尊) derives from ancient word konpon-sogyo, signifying a devotional object of respect or worship, and with the honorific go- (御) prefix.
Varying Nichiren groups accord their own meanings to the term gohonzon in different ways, signifying their treatment of the object:
Paper scroll gohonzon are sometimes known as kakejiku gohonzon or moji-mandala (文字曼荼羅, "script mandala"). The term butsuzo gohonzon is used for statuary.[citation needed] Gohonzon are often enshrined within an altar shrine (butsudan).
Nichiren himself attached the greatest importance to his inscription of the gohonzon and claimed this as a pivotal moment in his life. He stated that by using sumi ink to inscribe it, he was acting like a "lion king". Nichiren's calligraphy shifted over the years he inscribed gohonzon. Details of the composition of the gohonzon are clear from the approximately 120–125 inscribed in Nichiren's own hand, dating from 1271 to 1282, that are extant. For example, a gohonzon he inscribed in July 1273 was inscribed on a piece of silk 2.5 by 5.5 ft (0.76 by 1.68 m). Copies of the original gohonzon have been made by others and can be found in varying sizes.
A joju gohonzon is inscribed for a specific person or organization, while an okatagi gohonzon is generic and produced through a woodblock printing process. Nichiren and his successors also inscribed smaller omamori gohonzon that are carried on the person.
The founder Nichiren referred to gohonzon as "the banner of propagation" and "a cluster of blessings."
Without exception, all these Buddhas, bodhisattvas, great sages, and, in general, all the various beings of the two worlds and the eight groups who appear in the "Introduction" chapter of the Lotus Sutra dwell in this Gohonzon. Illuminated by the light of the five characters of the Mystic Law, they display the dignified attributes that they inherently possess. This is the object of devotion.