Gohonzon of Nichiren

The  is a calligraphic painting by the Buddhist monk Nichiren. 

It is sometimes called the , but that word can mean any important icon in a Buddhist temple.

It is sometimes called the "Gohonzon of Nichiren" to make it clear that it is not a Gohonzon of another Buddhist sect.

Copies of the original Great Mandala have been made by others and can be found in varying sizes.thumb|A large copy of the Great Mandala  at an altar
A  is a copy made for a specific person by hand, an  is a generic one made by woodblock printing. There are also small copies made as Omamori that believers carry with them in their everyday lives.Stone 1998, p. 153.thumb|A small personal copy of the Great Mandala

 What is written on the Great Mandala 

The Great Mandala is written in Kanji and Siddhaṃ script These are the things written on the Great Mandala.Stone, 2003, pp. 277–278.In the center of it there is the mantra . Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō (Kanji: ) is a mantra chanted within all forms of Nichiren Buddhism. In English, it means "Devotion to the Mystic Dharma of the Lotus Flower Sutra" or "Homage to the Sublime Dharma of the Lotus Sutra"., Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law. .
 Central Placement

 The phrase  is inscribed in large characters at the center.Morgan, p. 121.
 Beneath it is the signature of Nichiren Daishonin, affirming the mandala’s authority.

 Sanskrit on the left and right

 (Rāgarāja) (愛染明王)
Fudō Myōō (Acala) (不動明王)

 Four Corners


The Four Heavenly Kings surround the central Daimoku:

 Upper Right: Dhṛtarāṣṭra (持国天, Jikokuten)
 Lower Right:  (増長天, Zōjōten)
 Lower Left:  (広目天, Kōmokuten)
 Upper Left: Vaiśravaṇa (毘沙門天, Bishamonten)

 Left Side of the Daimoku
 Shakyamuni Butsu (Gautama Buddha) (釈迦牟尼仏)
  (Viśuddhacāritra) (浄行菩薩)
  (Supratiṣṭhitacāritra) (安立行菩薩)
  (Samantabhadra) (普賢菩薩)
 Miroku Nyorai (Maitreya Bodhisattva) (弥勒菩薩)
  (Mahākāśyapa) (大迦葉尊者)
  (Śakra) (釈提恒因大王)
 Dai Gattennō (Chandra) (大月天王)
  (Ākāśagarbha) (明星天子)
  (Ten Rākṣasīs) (十羅刹女)
 Ajase‑ō (Ajatashatru) (阿闍世王)
 Eight Great Dragon Kings (Nāga King) (大龍王)
  (Zhanran) (妙楽大師)
  (Saichō) (傳教大師)
 Hachiman Daibosatsu (Hachiman) (八幡大菩薩)

 Right Side of the Daimoku
  (Prabhūtaratna) (多宝如来)
  (Viśiṣṭacāritra) (上行菩薩)
  (Anantacaritra) (無辺行菩薩)
  (Manjushri) (文殊師利菩薩)
  (Bhaiṣajyarāja) (薬王菩薩)
  (Śāriputra) (舎利弗尊者)
  (Mahabrahma) (大梵天王)
 Dairokuten-maō (Demon King of the Sixth Heaven) (第六天魔王)
  (Vairocana) (大日天大王)
  (Hārītī) (鬼子母神)
 Tenrinjō‑ō (Chakravarti) (轉輪聖王)
  (Asura) (阿修羅王)
  (Devadatta) (提婆達多)
 Ryūju Bosatsu (Nagarjuna) (龍樹菩薩)
 Tendai Daishi (Zhiyi) (天台大師)
 Amaterasu Ōkami (Amaterasu) (天照大神)


 History 
Nichiren saw it as being a great work of his. He wrote 740 Mandalas.Nichiren; Zuiki Kataoka; Kihachi Yamanaka (日蓮, 1222-1282. 隨喜居士謹集; [編集山中喜八]. 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). 120-125 survive today.Stone 1998, p. 153.

He started writing them when he was exiled on Sado from 1271-1274. However he tried to make one earlier. When he lived on the island, Nichiren wrote two books. They are The Opening of the Eyes and The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind. Both explain why the Great Mandala was important. He also wrote some smaller letters about it "Letter to Misawa," "Reply to Kyo'o," "The Real Aspect of the Gohonzon," and "On the Treasure Tower."

On 8 July 1273, Nichiren painted a Great Mandala and wrote on it "Nichiren inscribes this for the first time." He said this was a very important moment in his life.Anesaki 2010, p. 86.

He believed that it would allow people to connect directly to the dharma and achieve enlightenment.

Notes

 References 

 Related books 

 Ikeda, D. (2012). Lectures on The Opening of the Eyes. World Tribune Press. .
 Ikeda, D. et al. (2004). The World of Nichiren Daishonin's Writings, Volume 2. . Two editions: Eternal Ganges Press and Soka Gakkai Malaysia.
 Lotus Seeds, The Essence of Nichiren Shu Buddhism, Nichiren Buddhist Temple of San Jose. .
 McCormick, R. The Three Great Hidden Dharmas. http://www.nichiren-shu.org/Sanfrancisco/pages/study/nine.htm .

Category:Buddhism