Gohonzon

The Gohonzon (御本尊) is typically used as an object of devotion in Japanese Buddhism. In Japanese, go means worthy of honor and honzon means object of fundamental respect. The Gohonzon may be enshrined in a butsudan meaning home of the Buddha, hung on a wall or placed on a surface. A Gohonzon may be a paper mandala with Chinese characters and two Sanskrit characters inscribed in ink, or the characters could be carved into wood.

Gohonzons are used as the primary object of devotion by members of Nichiren Buddhism including Nichiren Shu, Soka Gakkai International, Nichiren Shoshu and various other schools.