Gohonzon - Buddha Statue and Gohonzon As Objects of Devotion

Buddha Statue and Gohonzon As Objects of Devotion

Each of the Objects of Devotion implies a significant meaning for practitioners. In his letter "The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind" Nichiren described Shakyamuni’s Buddhahood as that of the harvest (effect) :“Shakyamuni’s, however, is the Buddhism of the harvest, and this is the Buddhism of sowing”. Under the light of this statement, a statue of Shakyamuni represents the "Effect" of Buddhahood. The Gohonzon on the other hand represents the "Cause" for attaining Buddhahood. Another difference is that a statue indicates the aspect of the “person” but does not indicate the "Dharma" - or the Law. The Gohonzon embodies both in the principle of the oneness of the Universal Law (Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō) and the Person (represented by Nichiren). A third difference between the implication of Statue and Gohonozn is that the Gohonzon manifests the whole spectrum of the states of Mind (called the Ten Worlds of Life), while a statue represents only the world of Shakyamuni's Buddhahood. Nichiren describes the Gohonzon as the object for observing the Ten Worlds: “The observation of the mind means to observe one’s own mind and to find the Ten Worlds within it”

Just as characters may be used to represent the entirety of the Ten Worlds, there are valid statue arrangements that also represent the entirety of the Ten Worlds. Statue Gohonzon are called Nin-Gohonzon. Nichiren has written on more than one occasion, "Statues or paintings", including in his most important treatise, The True Object of Worship.