Gohonzon (ご本尊 or 御本尊) is the general term to denote an object of devotion in many forms of Japanese Buddhism. In Japanese, go is an honorific prefix indicating respect and honzon means object of fundamental respect, veneration, or devotion. Generically used, gohonzon
can refer to any such object of devotion, whether a statue or set of
statues, a painted scroll of some sort, or some other object; or the
word—then usually capitalized when romanized—may be used specifically to
refer to the moji-mandala (文字曼荼羅 "script," or "written with characters" mandala) that is the object of veneration in various Nichiren schools.
In private settings, gohonzons are enshrined in an altar called a butsudan (佛壇 or 仏壇, "Buddha platform") that is considered the "home of the Buddha" by Buddhists.
A butsudan (佛壇 or 仏壇, literally "Buddha altar") is a shrine commonly found in temples and homes in Japanese Buddhist cultures.[1]
A butsudan is a wooden cabinet with doors that enclose and protect a gohonzon or religious icon, typically a statue or painting of a Buddha or Bodhisattva, or a "script" mandala scroll. The doors are opened to display the icon during religious observances, and closed before sunset. A butsudan usually contains an array of subsidiary religious items, called butsugu,
such as candlesticks, incense burners, bells, and platforms for placing
offerings such as fruit, tea or rice. Some Buddhist sects place ihai, memorial tablets for deceased relatives, within or near the butsudan.[2]
The butsudan is commonly seen as an essential part in the life of
a traditional Japanese family as it is the centre of spiritual faith
within the household, especially in dealing with the deaths of family
members or reflecting on the lives of ancestors. This is especially true
in many rural villages, where it is common for more than 90% of
households to possess a butsudan, to be contrasted with urban and suburban areas, where the rate of possession can drop down to below 60%.[5]
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