is a generic term for a venerated religious object in Japanese Buddhism. It may take the form of a scroll or statuary. The term 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 æÂ¥è®to which devotional chanting is directed.
Linguistically, the root word derives from ancient word , signifying a devotional object of respect or worship, and with the honorific prefix.
Varying Nichiren groups accord their own meanings to the term in different ways, signifying their treatment of the object:
Paper scroll are sometimes known as or . The term is used for statuary. are often enshrined within an altar shrine ().
Nichiren himself attached the greatest importance to his inscription of the and claimed this as a pivotal moment in his life. He stated that by using ink to inscribe it, he was acting like a "lion king". Nichiren's calligraphy shifted over the years he inscribed . Details of the composition of the are clear from the approximately 120âÂÂ125 inscribed in Nichiren's own hand, dating from 1271 to 1282, that are extant. For example, a he inscribed in July 1273 was inscribed on a piece of silk . Copies of the original have been made by others and can be found in varying sizes.
A is inscribed for a specific person or organization, while an is generic and produced through a woodblock printing process. Nichiren and his successors also inscribed smaller that are carried on the person.
The founder Nichiren referred to as "the banner of propagation" and "a cluster of blessings."
A Nichiren is usually written in traditional kanji characters with the addition of two Siddhaá¹ scripts. Although exclusive to the other Buddhist sects of his contemporaneous society, Nichiren was highly inclusive of Vedic and Chinese traditions, viewing them as precursors of his own teachings and personages from these traditions are present on the .
Most prominent to all such is the phrase âÂÂthe primary mantra in Nichiren BuddhismâÂÂwritten down the center in bold calligraphy. This is called the or . Right below, also in bold, Nichiren writes his name followed by his seal. This signifies Nichiren's conviction that his life had manifested the essence of the Lotus Sutra.
On the top row can be found the names of Shakyamuni Buddha and Prabhutaratna and the four leaders of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth. The names of deities believed to protect the Buddha Land, called the Four Heavenly Kings (Bishamonten, Jikokuten, Kà Âmokuten, and Zà Âjà Âten), further occupy the four corners, and Sanskrit characters depicting Aizen Myà Â-à  and Fudà  Myà Â-à  are situated along the left and right outer edges. Within this frame are the names of various Buddhas, bodhisattvas, historical and mythological figures in Buddhism, personages representing the ten realms, and deities drawn from Vedic, Chinese, and Japanese traditions are arranged hierarchically. Each of these names represents some aspect of the Buddha's enlightenment or an important Buddhist concept.
Research has documented that Nichiren inscribed 740 . He began inscribing immediately before and during his exile on Sado between late 1271 and early 1274. This follows the attempted and failed execution of him at Tatsunokuchi Beach in 1271. In various letters he referred to this event as his "casting off the transient and revealing the true" (), at which time he claimed to have discarded his transient status and revealed his essential identity as the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law. According to Ikeda, Nichiren's intent in manifesting the was to allow people to connect directly with the Dharma so they, too, could discard the transient and reveal their essential enlightened selves.
The first extant was inscribed by Nichiren on 12 October 1271 before his transport to Sado Island. Stone describes it as embryonic in form. On 8 July 1273, Nichiren inscribed a in its full form with the inscription "Nichiren inscribes this for the first time."
During his exile in Sado Island (1271âÂÂ1274) Nichiren wrote two treatises explaining the significance of the object of devotion from the theoretical perspectives of the person (The Opening of the Eyes) and the Dharma (The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind). Nichiren wrote additional letters to his followers bestowing to them and further explaining their significance: "Letter to Misawa", "Reply to Kyo'o", "The Real Aspect of the Gohonzon", and "On the Treasure Tower".
The Nichiren Shà Âshà « religion claims that the original mandala at its head temple is the original source of power that is transcribed by the High Priests of Nichiren Shoshu. All loaned by Nichiren Shà Âshà « are copied from the , including the ones currently used both by Soka Gakkai and Kenshà Âkai for their services.
On 28 November 1991, the Soka Gakkai was expelled by Nichiren Shà Âshà « and thereby lost its source of . By September 1993, the Soka Gakkai began to manufacture their own version and artistic format used today for current members. A transcribed by Nichikan Shà Ânin, the 26th chief abbot of Taiseki-ji was selected through one of the dissident breakaway priest who provided the woodblock copy when he sided with President Daisaku Ikeda.
The used today by Soka Gakkai was copied and transcribed from the in July 1720 by Nichikan Shà Ânin (1665âÂÂ1726), the twenty-sixth High Priest of Nichiren Shà Âshà «. Another in possession of the Soka Gakkai is the wooden copy manufactured in 1974 transcribed from the by 64th High Priest Nissho Shà Ânin, previously enshrined in Osaka, and now enshrined in the main SGI headquarters of Daiseido Hall in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan.
The following inscriptions are found in the transcribed by 26th High Priest Nichikan Shà Ânin, as is the mainstream format also transcribed by the Successive High Priests of Nichiren Shà Âshà «:
There are also two inscriptions from Miao-lo's commentary , The Annotations on "The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra":
The Soka Gakkai organization maintains that only the conferred by their leadership brings both personal happiness and kosen-rufu, claiming that they possess the true mandate of Nichiren for widespread propagation.
By contrast, Nichiren Shà Âshà « Hokkekà  members often omit the honorific term when referring to used outside their religion, most especially against the Soka Gakkai variant either as a pejorative derision or refusal to acknowledge the implied sacred nature of the outside their sectarian beliefs, often citing them as either fake and lacking the ceremony prescribed to animate a for its spiritual efficacy. The lesser value of is used by Nichiren Shà Âshà « members instead.
The terms and are often used interchangeably and with some confusion. In the Japanese new religion Risshà  Kà Âsei Kai, members receive and practice to a enshrined in their homes; the scroll consists of an image of Gautama Buddha. At the Risshà  Kà Âsei Kai headquarters there is a that is a statue of Shakyamuni.
In the Jà Âdo Shinshà « school of Pure Land Buddhism, under Hà Ânen and Shinran, the use of became more prevalent; they took the form of inscriptions of the sect's mantra Namu Amida Butsu, other phrases, images of the Buddha, statuary, and even representations of the founder. Rennyo thought the written mantra was more appropriate than a statue but did not ascribe particular powers to it as do Nichiren's followers to their .
In Mikkyà  practices such as in Shingon Buddhism, the term refers to the divinity honored in a rite but later came to represent the formal object of worship. The tutelary figure's role is similar to that of the yidam in Tibetan Buddhism. Tutelary deities in Vajrayana, including Mikkyà Â, Chinese Esoteric Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism, are crucial to many religious practices. In the famous fire ritual ceremony, the fire itself, while it is being consumed and animated, is also considered a temporary .