110-722: The Dai Gohonzon of the High Sanctuary of the Essential Teachings , commonly known as the Dai Gohonzon (Japanese: 大 御 本 尊 The Supreme (Great) Gohonzon or Honmon—Kaidan—no—Dai—Gohonzon , Japanese: 本 門 戒 壇 の 大 御 本 尊) is a venerated mandala image inscribed with both Sanskrit and Chinese logographs on a median log trunk of Japanese camphorwood . The image is worshipped in Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism , which claims to possess within both
220-531: A gohonzon he inscribed in July 1273 was inscribed on a piece of silk 2.5 by 5.5 ft (0.76 by 1.68 m). Copies of the original gohonzon have been made by others and can be found in varying sizes. A joju gohonzon is inscribed for a specific person or organization, while an okatagi gohonzon is generic and produced through a woodblock printing process. Nichiren and his successors also inscribed smaller omamori gohonzon that are carried on
330-481: A circular cylinder or of a parabolic cylinder . The most common structural material for mirrors is glass, due to its transparency, ease of fabrication, rigidity, hardness, and ability to take a smooth finish. The most common mirrors consist of a plate of transparent glass, with a thin reflective layer on the back (the side opposite to the incident and reflected light) backed by a coating that protects that layer against abrasion, tarnishing, and corrosion . The glass
440-432: A virtual image of whatever is in the opposite angle from the viewer, meaning that objects in the image appear to exist in a direct line of sight —behind the surface of the mirror—at an equal distance from their position in front of the mirror. Objects behind the observer, or between the observer and the mirror, are reflected back to the observer without any actual change in orientation; the light waves are simply reversed in
550-461: A century, Venice retained the monopoly of the tin amalgam technique. Venetian mirrors in richly decorated frames served as luxury decorations for palaces throughout Europe, and were very expensive. For example, in the late seventeenth century, the Countess de Fiesque was reported to have traded an entire wheat farm for a mirror, considering it a bargain. However, by the end of that century the secret
660-418: A concave parabolic mirror (whose surface is a part of a paraboloid of revolution) will reflect rays that are parallel to its axis into rays that pass through its focus . Conversely, a parabolic concave mirror will reflect any ray that comes from its focus towards a direction parallel to its axis. If a concave mirror surface is a part of a prolate ellipsoid , it will reflect any ray coming from one focus toward
770-432: A corner. Natural mirrors have existed since prehistoric times, such as the surface of water, but people have been manufacturing mirrors out of a variety of materials for thousands of years, like stone, metals, and glass. In modern mirrors, metals like silver or aluminium are often used due to their high reflectivity , applied as a thin coating on glass because of its naturally smooth and very hard surface. A mirror
880-426: A different image in the same mirror. Thus, the images observed in a mirror depend upon the angle of the mirror with respect to the eye. The angle between the object and the observer is always twice the angle between the eye and the normal, or the direction perpendicular to the surface. This allows animals with binocular vision to see the reflected image with depth perception and in three dimensions. The mirror forms
990-401: A direction perpendicular to the mirror. However, when viewer is facing the object and the mirror is at an angle between them, the image appears inverted 180° along the direction of the angle. Objects viewed in a (plane) mirror will appear laterally inverted (e.g., if one raises one's right hand, the image's left hand will appear to go up in the mirror), but not vertically inverted (in the image
1100-787: A good mirror are a surface with a very high degree of flatness (preferably but not necessarily with high reflectivity ), and a surface roughness smaller than the wavelength of the light. The earliest manufactured mirrors were pieces of polished stone such as obsidian , a naturally occurring volcanic glass . Examples of obsidian mirrors found at Çatalhöyük in Anatolia (modern-day Turkey) have been dated to around 6000 BCE. Mirrors of polished copper were crafted in Mesopotamia from 4000 BCE, and in ancient Egypt from around 3000 BCE. Polished stone mirrors from Central and South America date from around 2000 BCE onwards. By
1210-415: A layer of paint applied over it. Mirrors for optical instruments often have the metal layer on the front face, so that the light does not have to cross the glass twice. In these mirrors, the metal may be protected by a thin transparent coating of a non-metallic ( dielectric ) material. The first metallic mirror to be enhanced with a dielectric coating of silicon dioxide was created by Hass in 1937. In 1939 at
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#17327803537021320-409: A left-hand glove into a right-hand glove or vice versa). When a person raises their left hand, the actual left hand raises in the mirror, but gives the illusion of a right hand raising because the imaginary person in the mirror is literally inside-out, hand and all. If the person stands side-on to a mirror, the mirror really does reverse left and right hands, that is, objects that are physically closer to
1430-557: A log in a nearby river. The Dai Gohonzon image was inscribed on a wood log procured from the water goddess by Nippo Shonin, one of his junior disciples. Recounted in the legend: "Nippo (disciple) wanted to carve a statue of Nichiren. He then prayed to (Goddess) Shichimen Dai-myo-jin. Was it an answer (Kannu) to his prayers? He found a log floating in the (river). Once stored in the Kuon-ji temple in Yamanashi Prefecture ,
1540-773: A mirror is said to bring seven years of bad luck . The terms "mirror" and "reflector" can be used for objects that reflect any other types of waves. An acoustic mirror reflects sound waves. Objects such as walls, ceilings, or natural rock-formations may produce echos , and this tendency often becomes a problem in acoustical engineering when designing houses, auditoriums, or recording studios. Acoustic mirrors may be used for applications such as parabolic microphones , atmospheric studies, sonar , and seafloor mapping . An atomic mirror reflects matter waves and can be used for atomic interferometry and atomic holography . The first mirrors used by humans were most likely pools of still water, or shiny stones. The requirements for making
1650-402: A person's head still appears above their body). However, a mirror does not actually "swap" left and right any more than it swaps top and bottom. A mirror swaps front and back. To be precise, it reverses the object in the direction perpendicular to the mirror surface (the normal), turning the three dimensional image inside out (the way a glove stripped off the hand can be turned inside out, turning
1760-413: A point are usually made in the shape of a paraboloid of revolution instead; they are used in telescopes (from radio waves to X-rays), in antennas to communicate with broadcast satellites , and in solar furnaces . A segmented mirror , consisting of multiple flat or curved mirrors, properly placed and oriented, may be used instead. Mirrors that are intended to concentrate sunlight onto a long pipe may be
1870-472: A protective transparent coating is added on top of the reflecting layer, to protect it against abrasion, tarnishing, and corrosion, or to absorb certain wavelengths. Thin flexible plastic mirrors are sometimes used for safety, since they cannot shatter or produce sharp flakes. Their flatness is achieved by stretching them on a rigid frame. These usually consist of a layer of evaporated aluminium between two thin layers of transparent plastic. In common mirrors,
1980-586: A small fraction of the rays are reflected. In flying relativistic mirrors conceived for X-ray lasers , the reflecting surface is a spherical shockwave (wake wave) created in a low-density plasma by a very intense laser-pulse, and moving at an extremely high velocity. A phase-conjugating mirror uses nonlinear optics to reverse the phase difference between incident beams. Such mirrors may be used, for example, for coherent beam combination. The useful applications are self-guiding of laser beams and correction of atmospheric distortions in imaging systems. When
2090-408: A sufficiently narrow beam of light is reflected at a point of a surface, the surface's normal direction n → {\displaystyle {\vec {n}}} will be the bisector of the angle formed by the two beams at that point. That is, the direction vector u → {\displaystyle {\vec {u}}} towards the incident beams's source,
2200-456: Is a wave reflector. Light consists of waves, and when light waves reflect from the flat surface of a mirror, those waves retain the same degree of curvature and vergence , in an equal yet opposite direction, as the original waves. This allows the waves to form an image when they are focused through a lens, just as if the waves had originated from the direction of the mirror. The light can also be pictured as rays (imaginary lines radiating from
2310-511: Is a dichroic mirror that efficiently reflects the entire visible light spectrum while transmitting infrared wavelengths. A hot mirror is the opposite: it reflects infrared light while transmitting visible light. Dichroic mirrors are often used as filters to remove undesired components of the light in cameras and measuring instruments. In X-ray telescopes , the X-rays reflect off a highly precise metal surface at almost grazing angles, and only
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#17327803537022420-446: Is an object that reflects an image . Light that bounces off a mirror will show an image of whatever is in front of it, when focused through the lens of the eye or a camera. Mirrors reverse the direction of the image in an equal yet opposite angle from which the light shines upon it. This allows the viewer to see themselves or objects behind them, or even objects that are at an angle from them but out of their field of view, such as around
2530-443: Is broken. Lettering or decorative designs may be printed on the front face of the glass, or formed on the reflective layer. The front surface may have an anti-reflection coating . Mirrors which are reflective on the front surface (the same side of the incident and reflected light) may be made of any rigid material. The supporting material does not necessarily need to be transparent, but telescope mirrors often use glass anyway. Often
2640-534: Is disputed as one of the many apocryphal forgeries invented by Nichiren Shoshu according to other opposing Nichiren sects. The Fuji School Branch refers to the Nichiren Buddhist denominations stemming from Nichiren's disciple Nikko Shonin . These schools believe that Nichiren inscribed the Dai Gohonzon. The Fuji Branch believes that in the autumn of 1279, a number of Nichiren's laypeople in
2750-403: Is no archeological evidence of glass mirrors before the third century. These early glass mirrors were made by blowing a glass bubble, and then cutting off a small circular section from 10 to 20 cm in diameter. Their surface was either concave or convex, and imperfections tended to distort the image. Lead-coated mirrors were very thin to prevent cracking by the heat of the molten metal. Due to
2860-408: Is usually soda-lime glass, but lead glass may be used for decorative effects, and other transparent materials may be used for specific applications. A plate of transparent plastic may be used instead of glass, for lighter weight or impact resistance. Alternatively, a flexible transparent plastic film may be bonded to the front and/or back surface of the mirror, to prevent injuries in case the mirror
2970-471: The aigen-shu ("eye-opening") ceremony prescribed to animate a gohonzon for its spiritual efficacy. The lesser value of hon-zon is used by Nichiren Shoshu members instead. The terms honzon and gohonzon are often used interchangeably and with some confusion. In the Japanese new religion Risshō Kōsei Kai , members receive and practice to a 'Daigohonzon' enshrined in their homes;
3080-475: The gohonzon and claimed this as a pivotal moment in his life. He stated that by using sumi ink to inscribe it, he was acting like a "lion king." Nichiren's calligraphy shifted over the years he inscribed gohonzon . Details of the composition of the gohonzon are clear from the approximately 120-125 inscribed in Nichiren's own hand, dating from 1271 to 1282, that are extant. For example,
3190-618: The gohonzon transcribed by 26th High Priest Nichikan Shonin, as is the mainstream format also transcribed by the Successive High Priests of Nichiren Shoshu: There are also two inscriptions from Miao-lo's commentary Hokke Mongu , The Annotations on "The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra" : The Soka Gakkai organization maintains that only the gohonzon conferred by their leadership brings both personal happiness and Kosen-rufu , claiming that they possess
3300-474: The gohonzon . Most prominent to all such gohonzon is the phrase 'Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō' —the primary mantra in Nichiren Buddhism—written down the center in bold calligraphy. This is called the daimoku ( 題目 ) or shudai ( 主題 , "title") . Right below, also in bold, Nichiren writes his name followed by his seal. This signifies Nichiren's conviction that his life had manifested
3410-523: The yidam in Tibetan Buddhism . Tutelary deities in Vajrayana , including Mikkyō , Chinese Esoteric Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism , are crucial to many religious practices. In the famous goma fire ritual ceremony, the fire itself, while it is being consumed and animated, is also considered a temporary gohonzon . Mirror A mirror , also known as a looking glass ,
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3520-529: The Bronze Age most cultures were using mirrors made from polished discs of bronze , copper , silver , or other metals. The people of Kerma in Nubia were skilled in the manufacturing of mirrors. Remains of their bronze kilns have been found within the temple of Kerma. In China, bronze mirrors were manufactured from around 2000 BC, some of the earliest bronze and copper examples being produced by
3630-457: The Caliphate mathematician Ibn Sahl in the tenth century. Mirrors can be classified in many ways; including by shape, support, reflective materials, manufacturing methods, and intended application. Typical mirror shapes are planar and curved mirrors. The surface of curved mirrors is often a part of a sphere . Mirrors that are meant to precisely concentrate parallel rays of light into
3740-480: The Dharma teachings and Tamashi of Nichiren as inscribed by him on wood, then carved by his artisan disciple Izumi Ajari Nippo. The High Priests of Nichiren Shoshu copy and transcribe their own rendition of the image, which is loaned to the followers of the sect. Due to its accorded sacrosanct nature, the mandala can only be audienced to registered Hokkeko believers. The image was first explicitly mentioned in
3850-562: The Emperor of Japan who is charged the formal task to decree that a national shrine for the image can be built at the foot of Mount Fuji . The fourteenth High Priest, Nisshu Shonin, stated in his writing "On Articles to Be Observed after the Passing of Nikko" ( "Nikko ato jojo no koto jisho" ), "...The Gohonzon concerns the transfer matters of Taiseki-ji, which denotes the exclusive transfer from one high priest to another. The Dai Gohonzon of
3960-588: The Hoando building of Taisekiji , which contains 5,004 reserved seats for Nichiren Shoshu lay followers, 236 Tatami mats for priests, and a center chair for the High Priest of Nichiren Shoshu. Gohonzon Gohonzon ( 御本尊 ) 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
4070-762: The Qijia culture . Such metal mirrors remained the norm through to Greco-Roman Antiquity and throughout the Middle Ages in Europe . During the Roman Empire silver mirrors were in wide use by servants. Speculum metal is a highly reflective alloy of copper and tin that was used for mirrors until a couple of centuries ago. Such mirrors may have originated in China and India. Mirrors of speculum metal or any precious metal were hard to produce and were only owned by
4180-663: The Schott Glass company, Walter Geffcken invented the first dielectric mirrors to use multilayer coatings. The Greek in Classical Antiquity were familiar with the use of mirrors to concentrate light. Parabolic mirrors were described and studied by the mathematician Diocles in his work On Burning Mirrors . Ptolemy conducted a number of experiments with curved polished iron mirrors, and discussed plane, convex spherical, and concave spherical mirrors in his Optics . Parabolic mirrors were also described by
4290-615: The Third Age of Buddhism can attain Buddhahood in their present life existence ( Sokushin Jobutsu ). Nikko Shonin's last will and testament document to Nichimoku Shonin, "Articles to be Observed After the Passing of Nikko" ( "Nikko ato jojo no koto" ), states "...The Dai-Gohonzon of the second year of Kō`an (1279), which Nikko inherited, is hereby bequeathed to Nichimoku." Two original transfer documents exist written by Nikko Shonin. Of
4400-506: The angle of incidence between n → {\displaystyle {\vec {n}}} and u → {\displaystyle {\vec {u}}} , but of opposite sign. This property can be explained by the physics of an electromagnetic plane wave that is incident to a flat surface that is electrically conductive or where the speed of light changes abruptly, as between two materials with different indices of refraction. More specifically,
4510-787: The last will and testament of Nikko Shonin for his designated successor Nichimoku , annually displayed every April 6 or 7 during the Goreiho O-mushibarai Daiho-e ceremony (English: The Airing of Sacred Treasures; 御霊宝虫払大法会) at the Head Temple. Buildings at Taiseki-ji Head Temple in Shizuoka, Japan that have housed the Dai Gohonzon are the Shimonobo (1290), the Mutsubo (1332), the Mieido (1680), Gohozo (1717),
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4620-792: The 14th century. This claim is dated to 8 May 1280 and was allegedly bought and sold through the Kitayama Honmonji temple by the 56th High Priest Nichi-O shonin, who founded the Grand Hodo-in Temple in Tokyo and later used it as the official Gohonzon for Taisekiji. This Nichizon Gohonzon is presently stored in Taisekiji and is displayed for the public to see during the April ceremonies. Due the Dai-Gohonzon not being open to
4730-419: The 16th century, was to blow a cylinder of glass, cut off the ends, slice it along its length, and unroll it onto a flat hot plate. Venetian glassmakers also adopted lead glass for mirrors, because of its crystal-clarity and its easier workability. During the early European Renaissance , a fire-gilding technique developed to produce an even and highly reflective tin coating for glass mirrors. The back of
4840-509: The 1st century CE , with the development of soda-lime glass and glass blowing . The Roman scholar Pliny the Elder claims that artisans in Sidon (modern-day Lebanon ) were producing glass mirrors coated with lead or gold leaf in the back. The metal provided good reflectivity, and the glass provided a smooth surface and protected the metal from scratches and tarnishing. However, there
4950-478: The Fuji District were targeted by Gyōchi (行 智), the chief priest of a temple where Nisshū (日 秀), one of Nichiren's disciples lived. The peasant farmers from the village of Atsuhara had come to help Nisshū with the harvest of his private rice crop. The priest Gyōchi called some local warriors to arrest the peasants, accusing them of illegally harvesting the rice. The peasants decided to defend themselves when
5060-681: The Gohonzon," and "On the Treasure Tower." The Nichiren Shoshu religion claims that the original Dai Gohonzon mandala at its head temple is the original source of power that is transcribed by the High Priests of Nichiren Shoshu. All gohonzon loaned by Nichiren Shoshu are copied from the Dai Gohonzon , including the ones currently used both by Soka Gakkai and Kenshokai for their services. In 28 November 1991,
5170-724: The High Sanctuary of the Essential Teaching, which Nikko Shonin inherited from the Daishonin and transferred to Nichimoku Shonin in the era of Shoan, is exactly and changelessly the whole entity of the transfer through the Nichiren–Nikko–Nichimoku lineage in the Latter Day of the Law." The Nichiren Shoshu sect teaches that the image is inherited from one singular High Priest to the next living incumbent. Accordingly,
5280-661: The Hoanden (1955), the Shohondo (1978), and the Hoando (2002). The Japanese meanings note: The Dai Gohonzon mandala is a half-log wooden trunk, composed of fragrant Japanese camphorwood believed to be inscribed by Nichiren Daishonin and rendered into wood by Nikko Shonin. The image measures approximately 56.6 inches (144 cm) by 25.6 inches (65 cm). It is coated in black Urushi lacquer with gilded characters composed of grounded 24-karat gold dust. The bottom portion features
5390-509: The Lotus Sutra at the Koza stone in Myosekibo temple (妙 石 坊). Nichiren confronted her, and the mystical figure introduced herself as a water deity seeking to be absolved from past Negative Karma. Nichiren then took a reflective vase ( mirror ) and placed it before her, revealing her true identity as a red water dragon, gaining Buddhahood at that moment. Nichiren then instructed her to return to
5500-541: The Mystic Law, they display the dignified attributes that they inherently possess. This is the object of devotion. A Nichiren gohonzon is usually written in traditional kanji characters with the addition of two Siddhaṃ 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
5610-660: The Sage " addressed to the Buddhist Samurai warrior Shijo Nakatsukasa Saburō Saemon—no—jō Yorimoto (四条中務三郎左衛門尉頼基, 1230–1296), which they assert supports the origin story of the image: "... Shakyamuni Buddha fulfilled the purpose of his advent in a little over 40 years, — the Great Teacher Zhiyi took about 30 years — and the Great Teacher Saichō , some 20 years. I have spoken repeatedly of
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#17327803537025720-547: The Soka Gakkai was expelled by Nichiren Shoshu and thereby lost its source of gohonzon . By September 1993, the Soka Gakkai began to manufacture their own version and artistic format used today for current members. A gohonzon transcribed by Nichikan Shonin, the 26th chief abbot of Taisekiji was selected through one of the dissident breakaway priest who provided the woodblock copy when he sided with President Daisaku Ikeda . The gohonzon used today by Soka Gakkai
5830-563: The True Object of Worship" ( "Kanjin no honzon-sho mondan" ) the following regarding the image: "...The Gohonzon of the High Sanctuary of the Essential Teaching, inscribed in the second year of Koan (1279), is the ultimate, the absolute, and the final cause of the Daishonin's advent. It is the greatest among the Three Great Secret Laws and the supreme object of worship in the entire world." Due to this charge of protecting
5940-639: The appellation of "Dai Gohonzon" are in the possession of the Kitayama Honmonji sect, the Fujisan Honmon Shoshu sect and one by the Soka Gakkai . The general sentiment among these sects is that neither Nichiren nor his disciple Nikko Shonin ever specified a particular special mandala as the singular object of worship nor to be granted the national title of "Honmonji", a claim that the Taisekiji temple claims as their sole inherited right via
6050-465: 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" ( hoshaku-kempon ), 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 gohonzon
6160-514: The authenticity of the Dai-Gohonzon. A celebrated Samurai warrior named Taira—no—Morihisa allegedly experienced the same miraculous events similar to the execution of Nichiren at Shichirigahama beach prior to inscribing the Dai Gohonzon mandala eighty-six years earlier. In year 1193 (Kenkyu Year), Morihisa was a surviving warrior that was defeated by the Genji clan after the Genpei War . On
6270-412: The bulb's walls. This phenomenon was developed into the method of evaporation coating by Pohl and Pringsheim in 1912. John D. Strong used evaporation coating to make the first aluminium -coated telescope mirrors in the 1930s. The first dielectric mirror was created in 1937 by Auwarter using evaporated rhodium . The metal coating of glass mirrors is usually protected from abrasion and corrosion by
6380-450: The claims of external sourcing of the wood by other sects. Some sects of Nichiren Shu and modernist factions of the Soka Gakkai reject the image as fraudulent, citing independent analysis of the calligraphy style, and asserting that Nichiren never mentions this particular mandala in any of his authenticated preserved writings. Such varying Nichiren sects claim that these types of wooden mandalas were rampant among Hokkeko believers during
6490-621: 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 , Kōmokuten , and Zōjōten ), further occupy the four corners, and Sanskrit characters depicting Aizen Myō-ō and Fudō Myō-ō are situated along
6600-468: The first Kamakura Shogun of Japan, who claimed he experienced a similar vision and granted him clemency and freedom. Nichiren Shoshu teaches that this account is the same proof that the Dai Gohonzon offers in the nearing advent of Nichiren, who they interpret as the "True Buddha of Compassion" (but disguised as Kanzeon bodhisattva). In addition to the Nichiren Shoshu sect, other mandalas given
6710-633: The first time." During his exile in Sado Island (1271–1274) 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 law (The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind). Nichiren wrote additional letters to his followers bestowing gohonzon to them and further explaining their significance: "Letter to Misawa," "Reply to Kyo'o," "The Real Aspect of
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#17327803537026820-522: The formal task of cleaning the accumulated dust on the surface of the Dai Gohonzon. The recitation of Ushitora Gongyo is not directed to the mandala, rather the Buddhist ritual of Gokaihi (御開扉; "Opening the Butsudan doors") is directly offered instead. Legend claims that a Tennyo goddess named Shichimen (disguised as a little girl) kept following Nichiren Daishonin who at the time was reciting
6930-475: 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 gohonzon . In Mikkyō practices such as in Shingon Buddhism , the term honzon to 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
7040-407: The glass was coated with a tin-mercury amalgam, and the mercury was then evaporated by heating the piece. This process caused less thermal shock to the glass than the older molten-lead method. The date and location of the discovery is unknown, but by the 16th century Venice was a center of mirror production using this technique. These Venetian mirrors were up to 40 inches (100 cm) square. For
7150-477: The great Zo-han personal signature seal of Nichiren. It features a semi-rounded backing cage and rippled textured surface. Carved deeply on the image are names of Buddhas, Buddhist and Indian gods along with mystical creatures representing the "Treasure Tower" of the Lotus Sutra which is also claimed to possess and imbue the immortal soul and legacy of Nichiren himself. Furthermore, it also claims to possess
7260-423: The greater availability of affordable mirrors. Mirrors are often produced by the wet deposition of silver, or sometimes nickel or chromium (the latter used most often in automotive mirrors) via electroplating directly onto the glass substrate. Glass mirrors for optical instruments are usually produced by vacuum deposition methods. These techniques can be traced to observations in the 1920s and 1930s that metal
7370-611: The image was enshrined in the Shohondo building funded by Nichiren Shoshu members, Soka Gakkai members, Kempon Hokke Shu believers, and family relatives of Nichiren Shoshu temple priests. The building was demolished in 1998. The image was removed from the Sho-Hondo building in April 1998 and was temporarily stored in the Go-Hozo treasure house. The image is presently housed in the Shumidan (English: Mount Sumeru ) high altar within
7480-434: The image was later confiscated by Nikko Shonin , who designated his strongest disciple, Hyakken-bo to carry the image on his backside through the forest into the Taisekiji complex, where it remains today. Additionally, the statue of Nichiren carved by Nippo from the leftover remains of the original Camphorwood log is stored in a stupa next to the Dai-Gohonzon in the Hoando at Taisekiji. Accordingly, this mythological account
7590-617: The image, 59th High Priest Nichiko Hori declared the following regarding the matter: "In the early times, this matter (the Dai-Gohonzon) was not publicized within our school nor outside." On 16 September 1972, the 66th High Priest Nittatsu Hosoi Shonin in Hokeiji Temple in Omuta, Fukuoka Prefecture asserted the authenticity of the wooden image, and cited the procurement of the log from a secluded part of Mount Minobu in response to
7700-440: The incident rays are parallel among themselves but not parallel to the mirror's axis, or are divergent from a point that is not the focus – as when trying to form an image of an object that is near the mirror or spans a wide angle as seen from it. However, this aberration can be sufficiently small if the object image is sufficiently far from the mirror and spans a sufficiently small angle around its axis. Mirrors reflect an image to
7810-471: The indescribable persecutions they suffered during those years. For myself, Nichiren , it took 27 years, and the great persecutions I faced during this period are well known to you all." According to the sect, the creation of the Dai Gohonzon image is the ultimate purpose of Nichiren's entrance into the Sahā world of humans. Furthermore, they claim that this particular Gohonzon was inscribed so that all people in
7920-540: The internal enlightenment of Nichiren revealed from a mysterious timeless past, termed as “Nai-Sho .” The venerated mandala has the following inscriptions on the right lower portion of the image: English Translation: "…Mr. Yashiro Kunishige is (now) applying for ordination platform of the High Sanctuary of Essential Teachings through this (Image) of the Lotus believers." This Gohonzon is also sometimes venerated as " Ichien-Bodai-Soyo Gohonzon " which refers to its bestowal to
8030-633: The lake "Ichi—no—ike" and remain there to protect the Kuon Ji Temple. This same deity is claimed to have sent the log of what would become the Dai Gohonzon when Nippo Shonin wanted to carve a statue of his master, Nichiren. According to the doctrines of Nichiren Shoshu based on the Gosho writing Jogyo-Shu-den-Sho , Nippo underwent immense fasting and prayer to the dragon goddess Shichimen, the patroness of Yamanashi prefecture. The goddess, owing her enlightenment to Nichiren, answered his prayer by sending
8140-419: The latter Muromachi period . Furthermore, such sects maintain that Nichiren never meant to permanently enshrine Buddhist Mandalas in a written format, but intended to permit both written form and Buddhist statues in the Gohonzon arrangement after his own demise. Owing to the scarcity of financial sources during Nichiren's own lifetime, they dismiss the claim of a Dai-Gohonzon's purpose and exclusive privilege to
8250-650: 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 gohonzon . He began inscribing gohonzon immediately before and during his exile on Sado between late 1271 and early 1274. This follows
8360-402: The light source, that are always perpendicular to the waves). These rays are reflected at an equal yet opposite angle from which they strike the mirror (incident light). This property, called specular reflection , distinguishes a mirror from objects that diffuse light, breaking up the wave and scattering it in many directions (such as flat-white paint). Thus, a mirror can be any surface in which
8470-551: The mainstream use of venerated objects within Nichiren Buddhism , referring to the calligraphic paper mandala inscribed by the 13th Japanese Buddhist priest Nichiren 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- ( 御 ) prefix. Varying Nichiren groups accord their own meanings to
8580-444: The normal vector n → {\displaystyle {\vec {n}}} , and direction vector v → {\displaystyle {\vec {v}}} of the reflected beam will be coplanar , and the angle between n → {\displaystyle {\vec {n}}} and v → {\displaystyle {\vec {v}}} will be equal to
8690-447: The observer. However, unlike a projected image on a screen, an image does not actually exist on the surface of the mirror. For example, when two people look at each other in a mirror, both see different images on the same surface. When the light waves converge through the lens of the eye they interfere with each other to form the image on the surface of the retina , and since both viewers see waves coming from different directions, each sees
8800-442: The other 17 refused to back down and he eventually freed them. The Fuji Branch believes that these events took place on 15 October 1279. The Nichiren Shoshu sect claims the following regarding the Dai Gohonzon's nature and purpose: The Nichiren Shōshū sect claims that Nichiren inscribed the Dai Gohonzon on 12 October 1279 (Japanese: Ko-an). Nichiren Shōshū adherents cite the following passage in Nichiren's "On Persecutions Befalling
8910-457: The other focus. A convex parabolic mirror, on the other hand, will reflect rays that are parallel to its axis into rays that seem to emanate from the focus of the surface, behind the mirror. Conversely, it will reflect incoming rays that converge toward that point into rays that are parallel to the axis. A convex mirror that is part of a prolate ellipsoid will reflect rays that converge towards one focus into divergent rays that seem to emanate from
9020-531: The other focus. Spherical mirrors do not reflect parallel rays to rays that converge to or diverge from a single point, or vice versa, due to spherical aberration . However, a spherical mirror whose diameter is sufficiently small compared to the sphere's radius will behave very similarly to a parabolic mirror whose axis goes through the mirror's center and the center of that sphere; so that spherical mirrors can substitute for parabolic ones in many applications. A similar aberration occurs with parabolic mirrors when
9130-407: The person. The founder Nichiren referred to gohonzon as "the banner of propagation" and "a cluster of blessings." Without exception, all these Buddhas, bodhisattvas, great sages, and, in general, all the various beings of the two worlds and the eight groups who appear in the “Introduction” chapter of the Lotus Sutra dwell in this Gohonzon. Illuminated by the light of the five characters of
9240-807: The poor quality, high cost, and small size of glass mirrors, solid-metal mirrors (primarily of steel) remained in common use until the late nineteenth century. Silver-coated metal mirrors were developed in China as early as 500 CE. The bare metal was coated with an amalgam , then heated until the mercury boiled away. The evolution of glass mirrors in the Middle Ages followed improvements in glassmaking technology. Glassmakers in France made flat glass plates by blowing glass bubbles, spinning them rapidly to flatten them, and cutting rectangles out of them. A better method, developed in Germany and perfected in Venice by
9350-570: The present time. Researchers of the Nichiren Mandala Study Workshop claim that the Head Temple Taisekiji have had at least four different Dai Gohonzons, alleging that the current version of the Dai Gohonzon is just one of several modern reproductions made over time after fires at Taiseki-ji destroyed previous copies. The most notable and significant size changes after fire outbreaks have been recorded in
9460-466: The priesthood of the sect claims that due to the present incompleteness of the altar of the Dai Gohonzon, it is not enshrined with Japanese Shikimi evergreen plants nor Taiko drums. In addition, they believe that the Dai Gohonzon should not be exposed for public view until kosen-rufu is achieved, primarily referring to Nichiren Shoshu becoming the main religion on the planet. The 26th High Priest, Nichikan Shonin, declared in his treatise "Exegesis on
9570-462: The public, evidence of this claim has not been proven. In addition, some researchers state that the Dai Gohonzon image is fake and not consistent with any other Gohonzon that Nichiren inscribed in 1279. Instead, they claim the scholarly calligraphy style of the Dai Gohonzon is more accurately dated to 8 May 1280, instead of 12 October 1279. Accordingly, a 19th-century calligraphy scholar and priest Kaiso Inada (稲田海素, 1 November 1869 — 26 February 1956),
9680-407: The reflective layer is usually some metal like silver, tin, nickel , or chromium , deposited by a wet process; or aluminium, deposited by sputtering or evaporation in vacuum. The reflective layer may also be made of one or more layers of transparent materials with suitable indices of refraction . The structural material may be a metal, in which case the reflecting layer may be just the surface of
9790-540: The rendition of the mandala to range from being fully transcribed or abbreviated or to add and subtract whatever is deemed appropriate into the Gohonzon. There are two recognized forms of a transcription of the Dai-Gohonzon: The application for transcribing the Dai Gohonzon image is found in five forms: Every year on April 6 or 7 at the O-Mushibarai ceremony, the High Priest of Nichiren Shoshu takes on
9900-588: The same. Metal concave dishes are often used to reflect infrared light (such as in space heaters ) or microwaves (as in satellite TV antennas). Liquid metal telescopes use a surface of liquid metal such as mercury. Mirrors that reflect only part of the light, while transmitting some of the rest, can be made with very thin metal layers or suitable combinations of dielectric layers. They are typically used as beamsplitters . A dichroic mirror , in particular, has surface that reflects certain wavelengths of light, while letting other wavelengths pass through. A cold mirror
10010-542: The scroll consists of an image of Gautama Buddha. At the Risshō Kōsei Kai headquarters there is a gohonzon that is a statue of Shakyamuni. In the Jōdo Shinshū school of Pure Land Buddhism , under Hōnen and Shinran , the use of honzon became more prevalent; they took the form of inscriptions of the sect's mantra Namu Amida Buddha , other phrases, images of the Buddha, statuary, and even representations of
10120-549: The sect teaches that there are two kinds of transmission of its Dharma essence: "specific transmission," referred to by the sect as the "Heritage of the Entity of the Law," which claims the Dai Gohonzon image is bestowed and entrusted to each of the successive High Priests passed on by one person at a given time; and "general transmission," referred to by the sect as "Heritage of Faith" and pertaining to both disciples and believers who chant and follow closely its doctrines. Accordingly,
10230-590: The successorship of Nikko Shonin and possession of their mandala. The Dai Gohonzon image was brought by Nikko Shonin to the Mutsubo, and was stored at the Shimonobo temple in Fujinomiya , the historical "Jibutsudo" residence of Nanjo Tokimitsu, the land donor of the present Taisekiji Temple. Later it was enshrined in the Great Kaidan hall as well as the Gohozo treasury building of Taisekiji. In October 1972,
10340-930: The surface is not flat, a mirror may behave like a reflecting lens . A plane mirror yields a real-looking undistorted image, while a curved mirror may distort, magnify, or reduce the image in various ways, while keeping the lines, contrast , sharpness , colors, and other image properties intact. A mirror is commonly used for inspecting oneself, such as during personal grooming ; hence the old-fashioned name "looking glass". This use, which dates from prehistory, overlaps with uses in decoration and architecture . Mirrors are also used to view other items that are not directly visible because of obstructions; examples include rear-view mirrors in vehicles, security mirrors in or around buildings, and dentist's mirrors . Mirrors are also used in optical and scientific apparatus such as telescopes , lasers , cameras , periscopes , and industrial machinery. According to superstitions breaking
10450-419: The term gohonzon in different ways, signifying their treatment of the object: Paper scroll gohonzon are sometimes known as kakejiku gohonzon or moji-mandala ( 文字曼荼羅 , "script mandala") . The term butsuzo gohonzon is used for statuary. Gohonzon are often enshrined within an altar shrine ( butsudan ). Nichiren himself attached the greatest importance to his inscription of
10560-409: The texture or roughness of the surface is smaller (smoother) than the wavelength of the waves. When looking at a mirror, one will see a mirror image or reflected image of objects in the environment, formed by light emitted or scattered by them and reflected by the mirror towards one's eyes. This effect gives the illusion that those objects are behind the mirror, or (sometimes) in front of it . When
10670-444: The true mandate of Nichiren for widespread propagation. By contrast, Nichiren Shoshu Hokkeko members often omit the honorific term go- ( 御 ) when referring to gohonzon 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 gohonzon outside their sectarian beliefs, often citing them as either fake and lacking
10780-443: The two, the first document is a draft written in the second year of Gentoku (1330). The second is the actual transfer document itself, dated the first year of Shoukei (1332). Both documents are signed by Nikko Shonin. The signatures on these documents have been determined to be consistent with Nikko Shonin's signature from the period in his life. Additionally, the third High Priest, Nichimoku Shonin, stated "...The Dai-Gohonzon, which
10890-458: The warriors arrived but were no match, and several were wounded; twenty were arrested and hauled off to Kamakura for trial. When they arrived, a local police officer named Hei no Saemon Yoritsuna attempted to intimidate the peasants into renouncing their faith — on pain of death if they did not, but in exchange for their freedom if they did. Despite repeated threats and even torture , they remained steadfast. Hei no Saemon had three beheaded , but
11000-662: The way to Kamakura , he claimed to have received a dream from the Buddhist deities instructing him to recite the Lotus Sutra for salvation. He held on to reading a copy of the Chapter 25 of the Lotus Sutra dedicated to the goddess Kanzeon . As the executioner prepared to behead him, a great light allegedly appeared from the Sutra scroll which blinded his eyesight and destroyed the executioners sword. Morihisa presented this miraculous account of testimony to Lord Minamoto no Yoritomo ,
11110-661: The wealthy. Common metal mirrors tarnished and required frequent polishing. Bronze mirrors had low reflectivity and poor color rendering , and stone mirrors were much worse in this regard. These defects explain the New Testament reference in 1 Corinthians 13 to seeing "as in a mirror, darkly." The Greek philosopher Socrates urged young people to look at themselves in mirrors so that, if they were beautiful, they would become worthy of their beauty, and if they were ugly, they would know how to hide their disgrace through learning. Glass began to be used for mirrors in
11220-411: The world. Various theories continue to speculate the true identity of "Yashiro Kunishige." The High Priest Nittatsu Shonin once remarked the vague possibility that "Ya-shiro" refers to "Jin-shiro", the older brother of Yaroguro, one the three martyred disciples in 1279. The Dai Gohonzon image is transcribed by the living incumbent who serves as High Priest of the sect (Hossu). As High Priest, this permits
11330-422: The years 1600, 1764, 1911 and the current Dai Gohonzon, which was allegedly created by the 67th High Priest Nikken Shonin. However, no objective proof exists to substantiate these claims. The researchers further state that the image, having been analyzed by independent calligraphers, is a combination image based on a latter Gohonzon from Taiyu Ajari Nichizon (太夫阿闍梨日尊, 1265 — 1345), a disciple of Nikko Shonin in
11440-511: Was a colleague of the Nichiren Shoshu 59th High Priest Nichiko Shonin. The priest Inada had recorded that he was granted lodging at Taiseki-ji and was able to examine the Dai Gohonzon image and other Nichiren mandalas stored within the Head Temple. He concluded that the Dai Gohonzon stored at Taiseki-ji was created using different sheets traced from at least two other Nichiren mandalas. His Colleague Hori Nichiko Shonin strongly disagreed with his conclusion, and dealt very critically with claims against
11550-432: Was an important manufacturer, and Bohemian and German glass, often rather cheaper, was also important. The invention of the silvered-glass mirror is credited to German chemist Justus von Liebig in 1835. His wet deposition process involved the deposition of a thin layer of metallic silver onto glass through the chemical reduction of silver nitrate . This silvering process was adapted for mass manufacturing and led to
11660-425: Was being ejected from electrodes in gas discharge lamps and condensed on the glass walls forming a mirror-like coating. The phenomenon, called sputtering , was developed into an industrial metal-coating method with the development of semiconductor technology in the 1970s. A similar phenomenon had been observed with incandescent light bulbs : the metal in the hot filament would slowly sublimate and condense on
11770-643: Was copied and transcribed from the Dai Gohonzon in July 1720 by Nichikan Shonin (1665–1726), the twenty-sixth High Priest of Nichiren Shoshu. Another gohonzon in possession of the Soka Gakkai is the wooden copy manufactured in 1974 transcribed from the Dai Gohonzon by 64th High Priest Nissho Shonin, 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
11880-405: Was entrusted upon the person of Nikko, is the plank Gohonzon. It is now here at this temple (Taisekiji)." From documents written by Nikko Shonin and Nichimoku Shonin, the Dai-Gohonzon was transferred between the successive high priests of Nichiren Shoshu. The sect further claims that the Dai Gohonzon may only be publicly enshrined for widespread access when Japan converts to this religion, including
11990-464: Was leaked through industrial espionage. French workshops succeeded in large-scale industrialization of the process, eventually making mirrors affordable to the masses, in spite of the toxicity of mercury's vapor. The invention of the ribbon machine in the late Industrial Revolution allowed modern glass panes to be produced in bulk. The Saint-Gobain factory, founded by royal initiative in France,
12100-418: Was to allow people to connect directly with the Law so they, too, could discard the transient and reveal their essential enlightened selves. The first extant gohonzon 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 gohonzon in its full form with the inscription "Nichiren inscribes this for
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