honzon　本尊

KEY WORD :　art history / sculptures

The principal image (or group of images) of worship at a Buddhist temple or a single building within the temple complex. The honzon of the *hondou 本堂 or *kondou 金堂 can also be the honzon for the whole temple complex. Many different types of deities are used as honzon, though *Shaka 釈迦, *Amida 阿弥陀 and *Kannon 観音 are the most popular. Usually a honzon is a sculpted image, but it can also be a painting or mandala *mandara 曼荼羅. Honzon sometimes refers to the central image *chuuson 中尊 within a group of three or five images, *sanzonbutsu 三尊仏 and goson 五尊 respectively. The image of *Fudou Myouou 不動明王 in the group of *Godai Myouou 五大明王 at Kyouougokokuji 教王護国寺 (Touji 東寺) is an example.

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