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The ''Gohonzon'' ( or ) is the main object of devotion in most Nichiren Buddhist sects and religious organisations. In Japanese, ''go'' is an honorific prefix indicating respect and ''honzon'' means "object of fundamental respect, veneration, or devotion". Generically used, a ''honzon'' refers to any such object of devotion in the scope of Buddhism in Japan, whether a statue or set of statues, a painted scroll, or some other object. However, in Nichiren Buddhism, a ''honzon'' or ''gohonzon'' usually refers specifically to the ''moji-mandala'' ( "script mandala" or "mandala written with characters") that is the object of veneration in various Nichiren schools. In private settings, Nichiren Buddhist ''gohonzons'' are enshrined in a cabinet altar called a ''butsudan'' ("Buddha platform"). ==''Moji-mandala''== The ''Moji-mandala'' gohonzon, or the "Mandala gohonzon" (), is the primary object of devotion in Nichiren Shū and some other Nichiren schools, and the exclusive object of veneration in the Nichiren Shōshū branch and formerly affiliated groups such as Kenshōkai, Shōshinkai and Soka Gakkai. Nichiren-school gohonzons feature traditional kanji characters and two Siddhaṃ scripts intended to express Nichiren's inner enlightenment. Most prominent and common to all such gohonzons is the phrase Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō—the primary mantra in Nichiren Buddhism—written down the center. This is called the ''daimoku'' () or ''shudai'' (, "title"), around which the names of various Buddhas, bodhisattvas, persons of the Two Vehicles, personages representing the Ten Worlds, and Buddhist and indigenous-Japanese deities are arranged hierarchically. The names of deities believed to protect the Buddha land, called the Four Heavenly Kings (Bishamonten, Jikokuten, Kōmokuten, and Zōjōten), further occupy the four corners, and Sanskrit characters depicting Aizen Myō-ō and Fudō Myō-ō are situated along the left and right outer edges. Each of these names represents some aspect of the Buddha's enlightenment or an important Buddhist concept. Nichiren Buddhist gohonzons are initially inscribed in ink on paper and are usually kept in the form of a hanging paper scroll. In some schools, the inscription of gohonzons intended for long-term enshrinement, such as those in temples, is often transferred to a wooden tablet into which the inscription is carved. The tablets are coated with black ''urushi'' and the engraved characters gilded. Gohonzons are almost always dated and have a dedication, sometimes naming the person for whom or purpose for which they were inscribed or even the person who asked for their inscription. The first gohonzons of this sort were inscribed by Nichiren〔Nichiren; Zuiki Kataoka; Kihachi Yamanaka (日蓮, 1222-1282. 隨喜居士謹集 ; (). 片岡隨喜, 山中喜八) (1981). Nichiren Daishōnin goshinseki (日蓮大聖人御真蹟), Chiba-shi : Risshō Ankokukai (立正安国会). (OCLC-No: 22309260 ), reproduces Nichiren's 740 holographs scattered throughout Japan. Description: 5 cases ; 51-69 cm, case 1: Gohonzonshū (125 leaves ; 66 x 47 x 5 cm)〕 during his exile on Sado between late 1271 and early 1274. The specific names of the Buddhas', bodhisattvas', and other figures' that appear on a gohonzon depend on when and for whom Nichiren inscribed it. Gohonzons personally inscribed by Nichiren feature his name: His early ones have the name to the left of the ''daimoku'', but the name on the ones from later in his life gradually moved to be directly underneath the ''daimoku''. Gohonzons inscribed by Nichiren's successors differ somewhat depending on the school because of differences in interpretation of the significance of the gohonzon. For instance, in the Nichiren Shū school, the priest who inscribes a gohonzon puts his own name underneath the ''daimoku'' or the phrase "Nichiren, Zai-Gohan" is written directly below the gohonzon with "respectfully transcribed by" to the left of the characters for Nichiren, whereas in the Nichiren Shōshū school, "Nichiren" appears directly underneath the ''daimoku''. In this case, the transcribing high priest signs his name, preceded by the words "respectfully transcribed by," to the left of the characters for Nichiren. This is because in Nichiren Shōshū, only the high priest has the authority to inscribe gohonzons, which are ''transcriptions'' of the Dai Gohonzon, a specific gohonzon that Nichiren is believed to have inscribed on the 12th day of the tenth month of 1279. The Dai-Gohonzon has Nichiren's signature directly beneath the ''daimoku'' and is considered to be the physical embodiment of Nichiren's enlightenment and his life as the True Buddha, as well as the ultimate purpose of his advent in this world. This interpretation of the gohonzon's significance distinguishes Nichiren Shōshū from other branches of Nichiren Buddhism. == The object of devotion before the gohonzon == All schools of Buddhism accept that the Dharma, being the Buddha’s teachings about life, is the path leading to enlightenment. In order to follow the path of the Buddha, practitioners must devote their life to the Buddha’s teaching. To facilitate focus in religious practice, an Object of Devotion embodying the spiritual essence of the Dharma is enshrined. For hundreds of years after the Buddha’s passing the statue of Shakyamuni Buddha was adopted as the object of embodiment of the Dharma. However, while the physical features of the Buddha’s person in a statue are easily observed by practitioners, the spiritual essence of the Dharma was not visible, because of the intangible nature of teachings. To get around this problem, and include the Dharma in the Object of Worship, some schools of Buddhism placed Sutras – indicating the Dharma – before the Buddha’s statue or put copy of the Buddha’s teachings (Sutra) inside statue.〔Honzon, The Object of Worship of Rissho Kosei-Kai, Niwano, Tokyo 1969, p.69,70〕 Combining Statue and a Sutra indicates the oneness of Person and Dharma, being the principle which leads to enlightenment. Other forms of objects of worship were also used during prayers such as paintings of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas as well as coloured mandalas. In the view of Nichiren, a Buddhist reformer of 13th century Japan, statues and paintings were convenient for practice in the past period of Buddhist calendar,〔(Letter to Misawa ) (''Writings of Nichiren'', p. 896)〕 while in the current era (Latter Day) a mandala manifesting the Oneness of Person and Dharma will appear, named the gohonzon, or the“Great mandala": “This Gohonzon shall be called the great mandala never before known” 〔(The Real Aspect of the Gohonzon ) (''Writings of Nichiren'', p. 832)〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Gohonzon (Nichiren Buddhism)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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