Honzon in the context of "Saidai-ji"

⭐ In the context of Saidai-ji, the *honzon* is specifically understood as…

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⭐ Core Definition: Honzon

Honzon (本尊, "fundamental honored [one]"), sometimes referred to as a Gohonzon (ご本尊 or 御本尊), is the enshrined main image or principal deity in Japanese Buddhism. The buddha, bodhisattva, or mandala image is located in either a temple or a household butsudan.

The image can be either a statue or a small scroll and varies from sect to sect. It can be a singular image or a group of images; the honzon in the main (hondō) or treasure (kondō) hall of the temple can be for that particular hall or the entire temple complex. Sometimes honzon is the central image (chūson) of a cluster of three (sanzonbutsu) or five (goson) images.

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👉 Honzon in the context of Saidai-ji

Saidai-ji (西大寺) is a Buddhist temple located in the Saidiaji-Shiba neighborhood of the city of Nara, Nara Prefecture, Japan. It became the head temple of the Shingon Risshu (真言律宗) sect after the sect's founder, Eison (叡尊), took over administration in 1238. The honzon of the temple is a statue of Shaka Nyorai, enshrined by Eison in 1249. The temple was once one of the powerful Seven Great Temples of the ancient capital of Heijō-kyō.

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Honzon in the context of Bhaisajyaguru

Bhaiṣajyaguru (Sanskrit: भैषज्यगुरु, Chinese: 藥師佛, Japanese: 薬師仏, Korean: 약사불, Vietnamese: Dược Sư Phật, Standard Tibetan: སངས་རྒྱས་སྨན་བླ), or Bhaishajyaguru, formally Bhaiṣajya-guru-vaiḍūrya-prabha-rāja ("Medicine Master and King of Lapis Lazuli Light"; Chinese: 藥師琉璃光(王)如來, Japanese: 薬師瑠璃光如来, Korean: 약사유리광여래, Vietnamese: Dược Sư Lưu Ly Quang Vương Như Lai), is the Buddha of healing and medicine in Mahāyāna Buddhism. Commonly referred to as the "Medicine Buddha", he is described as a doctor who cures suffering (Pali/Sanskrit: dukkha/duḥkha) using the medicine of his teachings.

The image of Bhaiṣajyaguru is usually expressed with a canonical Buddha-like form holding a gallipot and, in some versions, possessing blue or deep green skin. Though also considered to be a guardian of the East, in most cases, Akshobhya is given that role. As an exceptional case, the honzon of Mount Kōya's Kongōbu Temple was changed from Akshobhya to Bhaiṣajyaguru.

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Honzon in the context of Hokki-ji

Hokki-ji or Hōki-ji (法起寺; the ‘temple of the Arising Dharma’) – formerly known as Okamoto-dera (岡本寺) and Ikejiri-dera (池後寺) – is a Buddhist temple temple in the Okamoto neighborhood of the town of Ikaruga, Nara Prefecture, Japan. The temple's honorary sangō prefix is "Kōhonzan" (岡本山), although it is rarely used. The temple was constructed to honor Avalokitesvara, and an 11-faced statue of the goddess is the primary object of worship in the temple. Hokki-ji is often considered to be one of the seven great temples founded by Prince Shōtoku, but in fact the temple was not completed until some decades after his death. In 1993, it was registered together with Hōryū-ji as an UNESCO World Heritage Site under the name Buddhist Monuments in the Hōryū-ji Area.

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Honzon in the context of Hōrin-ji (Nara)

Hōrin-ji (法輪寺, 法琳寺, 法林寺), or Mii-dera (三井寺, 御井寺) is a Buddhist temple located in the Mii neighborhood of the town of Ikaruga, Nara, Japan. It belongs to the Shōtoku-shū sect and its honzon is a statue of Yakushi Nyorai The temple's full name is Myōken-san Hōrin-ji (妙見山 法輪寺). It is located about a kilometer north of the East Precinct of Hōryū-ji. The existing three-story pagoda was rebuilt in 1975, so it is not included in the World Heritage Buddhist Monuments in the Hōryū-ji Area.

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Honzon in the context of Hokke-ji

Hokke-ji (法華寺, Hokke-ji) is a Buddhist temple located in the Hokkeji neighborhood of the city of Nara, Nara Prefecture, Japan. It is the head temple of the Kōmyō (光明宗) sect after the temple's founder, Empress Kōmyō. The honzon of the temple is a statue of Jūichimen Kannon (Avalokiteśvara), which is a designated National Treasure.

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Honzon in the context of Kiyomizu-dera

Kiyomizu-dera (Japanese: 清水寺; lit.'Pure Water Monastery') is a Buddhist temple located in eastern Kyoto, Japan. It belongs to the Kita-Hosso sect of Japanese Buddhism and its honzon is a hibutsu statue of Jūichimen Kannon. The temple's full name is Otowa-san Kiyomizu-dera (音羽山 清水寺) . The temple is the 16th stop on the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage route. Along with Kōryū-ji and Kurama-dera, it is one of the few temples in Kyoto that predates the foundation of the capital to Heian-kyō. It is also one of Japan's leading temples dedicated to the worship of Kannon, along with Ishiyama-dera (Ōtsu, Shiga) and Hase-dera (Sakurai, Nara). It is a famous tourist destination in Kyoto City, attracting many pilgrims throughout the year. The temple is part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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Honzon in the context of 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- () prefix.

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Honzon in the context of Taima-dera

Taima-dera (當麻寺; also written 当麻寺) is a Buddhist temple located in the Taima neighborhood of the city of Katsuragi, Nara Prefecture, Japan. It belongs to the Shingon and Jōdo sects of Japanese Buddhism and its honzon is the Taima Mandala, a graphical representation of the Pure Land. The temple's full name is Nijō-san Zenrin-ji (二上山 禅林寺).The temple is a pilgrimage site for Pure Land Buddhists, and for its connection to the legend of Princess Chūjō, as well as for its twin triple-story pagodas built in the Nara period to the early Heian period.

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