Gohonzon refers to the 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 ("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 ("Buddha platform" ) that is considered the "home of the
Buddha" by Buddhists.
Moji-mandala of Nichiren
schools
The Moji-mandala Gohonzon is the primary object of devotion in
Nichiren Shu and some other Nichiren schools, and the exclusive
object of veneration in the Nichiren Shoshu branch and formerly
affiliated groups such as Soka Gakkai.
Nichiren-school Gohonzons feature Chinese characters and
medieval-Sanskrit script intended to express Nichiren's inner
enlightenment. Most prominent and common to all such Gohonzons is
the phrase Namu Myoho Renge Kyo 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, Komokuten, and Zojoten),
further occupy the four corners, and Sanskrit characters depicting
Aizen Myoo and Fudo Myoo 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-school 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 during
his exile on Sado Island between late 1271 and early 1274. Which
Buddhas', bodhisattvas', and other figures' names appear on a
Gohonzon depends on when and for whom Nichiren inscribed it.
Gohonzons personally inscribed by Nichiren feature his name, first
to the left of the daimoku, but gradually moving to directly
underneath the daimoku in his final years.
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 Shu
school, the priest who inscribes a Gohonzon puts his own name
underneath the daimoku, whereas in the Nichiren Shoshu 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 Shoshu, 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 Shoshu from
other branches of Nichiren Buddhism.
Handling of the
Gohonzon
Nichiren Buddhists treat Gohonzons with utmost respect, since most
of them consider the Gohonzon to embody the "life" or "life
condition" of the Buddha, and they generally avoid touching the
Gohonzon except for cleaning. Gohonzons that have become soiled or
damaged are returned to temples for ceremonial disposal.
Photographing and copying the Gohonzon are also discouraged by
certain sects (but not all)-photographing because the resulting
copies can be easily desecrated, abused, or misused (e.g., for
printing or creating unconsecrated Gohonzons, which are considered
by temple-affiliated groups to be powerless to benefit those who
venerate them).
Others, including independent (non-sect affiliated) Nichiren
Buddhists, cite Nichiren's own admonition about the Gohonzon:
"Never seek this Gohonzon outside yourself. The Gohonzon exists
only within the mortal flesh of us ordinary people who embrace the
Lotus Sutra and chant Namu-myoho-renge-kyo." For them, the paper
Gohonzon is a visual representation of the "Ceremony in the Air"
described in the Lotus Sutra, and serves as a means of focusing on
their own innate Buddahood. Nichiren Buddhists who have no other
means of obtaining a Gohonzon because they do not wish to affiliate
with a sect or group can download a digitally-restored copy of a
Gohonzon inscribed by Nichiren himself.
(Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gohonzon)