本尊(ほんぞん)

ほんぞん
noun
principal image of worship (in a temple)
religionculture
1. principal image of worship (in a Buddhist temple)
The main statue or image of a Buddha or deity enshrined and worshipped at a temple.
本尊(ほんぞん)を拝(おが)む。
To pray before the principal image.
この寺(てら)の本尊(ほんぞん)は阿弥陀如来(あみだにょらい)だ。
The principal image of this temple is Amida Buddha.
普段(ふだん)は見(み)ることのできない秘仏(ひぶつ)の本尊(ほんぞん)が、三十三年(さんじゅうさんねん)ぶりに公開(こうかい)された。
The temple's secret principal image, normally hidden from view, was shown to the public for the first time in thirty-three years.

本(ほん) (main) + 尊(ぞん) (revered one).

Common collocations

  • 本尊(ほんぞん)を拝(おが)む: to worship the principal image
  • 本尊(ほんぞん)を安置(あんち)する: to enshrine the principal image
  • 秘仏(ひぶつ)の本尊(ほんぞん): a secret principal image, shown only rarely

Usage

With ご, ご本尊(ほんぞん) is also used humorously for the person at the center of a matter: 騒(さわ)ぎのご本尊(ほんぞん)は涼(すず)しい顔(かお)をしている (the cause of all the fuss looks completely unbothered).

Related Words

Related: 仏壇(ぶつだん) (Buddhist altar)
general
Added 2026.10.10 4:06 · Revised 2026.10.11 21:20
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