Go is an honorific prefix that can be dispensed with. Hon means, “root, fundamental, original, primary, or supreme.” Son or zon means, “honorable or venerable.” Thus honzon means, “the Most Venerable One,” or “the object of worship.” However, the term “the object of worship” is too apathetic and emotionless an expression to apply to the Gohonzon, which we worship as the Most Venerable One in the world.

The Gohonzon of Nichiren Buddhism

In Nichiren Buddhism the Original, Eternal Buddha is ‘One’ with the Historical Sâkyamuni Buddha. This synthesis represents the Gohonzon of Nichiren Buddhism.

Sâkyamuni Buddha became the Buddha in the remotest past. There was no Buddha before him. He was the first Buddha, the Original Buddha. All the other Buddhas in the past, present and Future are His emanations. Shakyamuni says in the Lotus Sûtra (Murano’s Lotus Sûtra, pp. 242-243), “The number of kalpas which elapsed since I became the Buddha is so long…. During this time I have given various names to myself…. I showed my replicas in some sûtras, And my transformations in other sûtras.”

The Historical Sâkyamuni Buddha is no other than the Original Buddha. He says in the Lotus Sûtra (ibid., p.241), “The gods, men and asura in the world think that I left the palace of the Sakyas, sat at the place of enlightenment not far from the City of Gaya, and attained Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi forty and some years ago. To tell the truth, it is many… billions of kalpas since I became the Buddha.”

The Original Buddha is named Sâkyamuni because the Historical Buddha had no name other than Sâkyamuni.

The Original Sâkyamuni Buddha is eternal. He says in the Lotus Sûtra (p. 246), “1 shall never pass away. I always live here and expound the Dharma.”

He remains eternal to save us. The definition of the Buddha as eternal is more preferable to us who seek his salvation.

The Mandala

Nichiren depicted the Purified Saha World in the form of a Mandala. Mandala means “a circle.” Nichiren called it Dai-mandara or the “Great Mandala.” We usually call it Omandara or Mandara.

According to Nichiren’s perspective of the Purified Saha World given in the Kanjin-honzon-shô, all the Bodhisattvas attend Sâkyamuni Buddha, none accompanies Prabhûtaratna. To maintain the balance of the Mandala, Nichiren moved some Bodhisattvas from the left to the right column as though they were the attendants of Prabhûtaratna. Nichiren added living beings to the Mandala as representatives of the inhabitants of the Purified Saha World:

1.Theravada Buddhist saints such as Sâriputra and Mahâ-Kâsyapa, who are assured of Future Buddhahood in the Lotus Sûtra.
2.Cakravartiraja (Wheel-turning-holy-king, Tenrin-jo-o) and King Ajatasatru as the representatives of laymen.
3.Devadatta, once a disciple of Sâkyamuni Buddha. He later became an apostate, was assured of Future Buddhahood in the Lotus Sûtra.
4. Noted propagators of the Lotus Sûtra: Nagarjuna of India, Tendai Daishi and Myôraku Daishi of China, and Dengyo Daishi of Japan.
5. Gods and demigods: Brahman, Mara, Sâkra, the Heavenly Kings of the Four Quarters (Shitenno), Surya, Cândra, Aruna, Asuraraja, Nagaraja, Hariti and the ten female raksasa of India, Tensho Daijin and Hachiman Daibosatsu of Japan.
6.Two esoteric deities: Acalanatha (Fudo) and Ragaraja (Aizen) in the form of their Sanskrit symbols.

The Omandara Gohonzon

The Gohonzon worshipped by Nichiren Buddhists is the Eternal Sâkyamuni Buddha. The Mandala is a depiction of the Pure World of the Gohonzon, not the Eternal Buddha himself. However, a number of factors, academic and conventional, compel us to apply the honorific title, Gohonzon, to the Mandala itself.

1.The Japanese feel it impolite to refer to someone ranked higher or something regarded as sacred by one’s name directly. Instead, the name of one’s residence or the locality of one’s abode is used. Dono, an honorific suffix attached to a personal name, primarily meant “mansion.” The “Imperial Palace,” for example, implies the Emperor. Similarly, the Mandala is called Gohonzon in place of the Eternal Buddha.
2. When Nichiren described the Purified Saha World in the Kanjin-honzon-shô, he positioned the Daimoku between the two Buddhas as the symbol of the Purified Saha World. Symbolism was very important during Nichiren’s day. Various warring families were distinguished by their particular crests, flags and banners. Nichiren thought that the Daimoku was the best symbol to characterize Nichiren Buddhism while all the other sects were more or less connected with the Nembutsu.
However, the Daimoku written in the center of the Mandala appears so gigantic and powerful that it overwhelms the surrounding beings. Even Sâkyamuni Buddha is overshadowed by the Daimoku. This arrangement of the Mandala gave rise to the worship of the Daimoku as the Gohonzon. Some held that all the Buddhas including Sâkyamuni, Bodhisattvas and other dignitaries as well as the gods and demigods inscribed in the Mandala, are the attendants of the Daimoku. This view was supported by the Japanese people who were fundamentally polytheistic.
3. The Mandala written on a piece of paper is fragile, easily worn out and torn. A more enduring material was necessary to maintain the Mandala. Therefore, wooden or metal statues were promoted in place of the Mandala. Idolization was promoted for another reason, In order to recover the dignity of the Original and Eternal Sâkyamuni Buddha, which was overshadowed by the Daimoku in the Mandala, a set of the statues, one-Buddha-four-Bodhisattvas, was recommended for worship.

The frontier spirit of Nichiren, however, lies in the Mandala. Because the Mandala can be written anywhere, impromptu, it is suitable at the front of the Daimoku-chanting campaign.

The Daimoku by itself can stand as the Gohonzon. There exists the term Ippen-shudai-no-honzon, which means the “Gohonzon of the Daimoku Only.” The Daimoku is the symbol of all the Three Treasures of Nichiren Buddhism:

The Original and Eternal Sâkyamuni Buddha in One with the Historical Sâkyamuni Buddha.

The Wonderful Dharma of the Equality of All Living Beings, and The Samgha headed by Visistacâritra Bodhisattva, the First and Foremost Disciple of the Original Sâkyamuni Buddha.

When one sees the Daimoku inscribed on a flag, or a banner, or a stone monument, therein one can see the Buddha at once, and receive the protection of His messenger, Nichiren Shonin, the reincarnation of Visistacâritra Bodhisattva, Jogyo Bosatsu.

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