Myōken - Revision history

SolomonL12: small changes

2025-11-02T09:49:58Z

small changes

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:19, 2 November 2025
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	\| sanskrit_name = सुदृष्टि<br/>([[International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration\|IAST]]: Sudṛṣṭi)		\| sanskrit_name = सुदृष्टि<br/>([[International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration\|IAST]]: Sudṛṣṭi)
	\| chinese_name = (Traditional) 妙見菩薩<br/>(Simplified) 妙见菩萨<br/>([[Pinyin]]: ''Miàojiàn Púsà'') <br/>(Traditional) 妙見尊星王<br/>(Simplified) 妙见尊星王<br/>([[Pinyin]]: ''Miàojiàn Zūnxīng Wáng'')		\| chinese_name = (Traditional) 妙見菩薩<br/>(Simplified) 妙见菩萨<br/>([[Pinyin]]: ''Miàojiàn Púsà'') <br/>(Traditional) 妙見尊星王<br/>(Simplified) 妙见尊星王<br/>([[Pinyin]]: ''Miàojiàn Zūnxīng Wáng'')
	\| japanese_name = 妙見菩薩 (''Myōken Bosatsu'')<br/>尊星王 (''Sonjō-Ō / Sonshō-Ō / Sonsei-Ō'')<br/>北辰菩薩 (''Hokushin Bosatsu'')<br/>妙見尊星王 (''Myōken Sonjō-Ō'')<br/>北辰妙見菩薩 (''Hokushin Myōken Bosatsu~~'')<br/>妙見天 (''Myōkenten~~'')		\| japanese_name = 妙見菩薩 (''Myōken Bosatsu'')<br/>尊星王 (''Sonjō-Ō / Sonshō-Ō / Sonsei-Ō'')<br/>北辰菩薩 (''Hokushin Bosatsu'')<br/>妙見尊星王 (''Myōken Sonjō-Ō'')<br/>北辰妙見菩薩 (''Hokushin Myōken Bosatsu'')
	\| korean_name = 묘견보살 ([[Revised Romanization of Korean\|RR]]: ''Myogyeon Bosal'')<br/>존성왕 ([[Revised Romanization of Korean\|RR]]: ''Jonseong Bosal'')		\| korean_name = 묘견보살 ([[Revised Romanization of Korean\|RR]]: ''Myogyeon Bosal'')<br/>존성왕 ([[Revised Romanization of Korean\|RR]]: ''Jonseong Bosal'')
	\| vietnamese_name = Diệu Kiến Bồ Tát<br/>Tôn Tinh Vương		\| vietnamese_name = Diệu Kiến Bồ Tát<br/>Tôn Tinh Vương
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	}}		}}

	'''Myōken''' ({{~~lang-~~sa\|~~डाकिनी~~}}, {{IAST\|Sudṛṣṭi}}; [[Chinese language\|Chinese]]: 妙見菩薩 <small>([[Traditional Chinese characters\|Traditional]])</small> / 妙见菩萨 <small>([[Simplified Chinese characters\|Simplified]])</small>, {{zh\|p=Miàojiàn Púsà}}; [[Japanese language\|Japanese]]: 妙見菩薩, ''Myōken Bosatsu''), also known as '''Sonjō-Ō''' (尊星王, "Venerable Star King", also ''Sonsei-Ō'' or ''Sonshō-Ō''), is a [[Buddhist]] deification of the [[North Star]] worshiped mainly in the [[Shingon Buddhism\|Shingon]], [[Tendai]] and [[Nichiren Buddhism\|Nichiren]] schools of [[Japanese Buddhism]].<ref name="Bocking 2005">{{Cite book\|author=Brian Bocking\|title=A Popular Dictionary of Shinto\|date=30 September 2005\|publisher=Routledge\|isbn=978-1-135-79739-3\|pages=97}}</ref>		'''Myōken''' ({{langx\|sa\|सुदृष्टि}}, {{IAST\|Sudṛṣṭi}}; [[Chinese language\|Chinese]]: 妙見菩薩 <small>([[Traditional Chinese characters\|Traditional]])</small> / 妙见菩萨 <small>([[Simplified Chinese characters\|Simplified]])</small>, {{zh\|p=Miàojiàn Púsà}}; [[Japanese language\|Japanese]]: 妙見菩薩, ''Myōken Bosatsu''), also known as '''Sonjō-Ō''' (尊星王, "Venerable Star King", also ''Sonsei-Ō'' or ''Sonshō-Ō''), is a [[Buddhist]] deification of the [[North Star]] worshiped mainly in the [[Shingon Buddhism\|Shingon]], [[Tendai]] and [[Nichiren Buddhism\|Nichiren]] schools of [[Japanese Buddhism]].<ref name="Bocking 2005">{{Cite book\|author=Brian Bocking\|title=A Popular Dictionary of Shinto\|date=30 September 2005\|publisher=Routledge\|isbn=978-1-135-79739-3\|pages=97}}</ref>

	Despite the alleged Sanskrit origin of his name and his [[bodhisattva]] status, Myōken is conspicuously absent from early [[Buddhist literature]], with his name first appearing in apocryphal [[Mahayana sutras\|sutras]] of Chinese origin. He is thus thought to have originated from [[Taoist]] and folk beliefs regarding the northern pole star and/or the [[Big Dipper]] that had syncretized with Buddhism during the [[Tang dynasty]].<ref>{{cite book \|last1=Faure \|first1=Bernard \|title=The Fluid Pantheon: Gods of Medieval Japan, Volume 1 \|date=2015 \|publisher=University of Hawaii Press \|pages=~~59-60~~}}</ref><ref>{{cite book \|last1=Nakamura \|first1=Kyoko Motomuchi \|title=Miraculous Stories from the Japanese Buddhist Tradition: The Nihon Ryoiki of the Monk Kyokai \|date=2013 \|publisher=Routledge \|isbn=978-1136792601 \|page=85 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EcjbAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA85}}</ref><ref>{{cite book \|editor1=Shively, Donald H.\|editor2=McCullough, William H.\|title=The Cambridge History of Japan, Volume 2: Heian Japan\|date=1988 \|publisher=Cambridge University Press \|pages=549–550\|isbn=9780521223539\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eiTWWfoyuyAC&pg=PA549}}</ref> Indeed, despite being called 'bodhisattva' (''bosatsu''), the deity is actually more often classified as a [[Deva (Buddhism)\|deva]].<ref>{{cite book \|author=Kodama, Giryū (児玉義隆) \|title=印と梵字ご利益・功徳事典: 聖なる象徴に表された諸尊の姿と仏の教え\|date=2009 \|publisher=Gakken Publishing \|isbn=9784054041875\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6Y5-pwj_3x0C&pg=PA147}}</ref>		Despite the alleged Sanskrit origin of his name and his [[bodhisattva]] status, Myōken is conspicuously absent from early [[Buddhist literature]], with his name first appearing in apocryphal [[Mahayana sutras\|sutras]] of Chinese origin. He is thus thought to have originated from [[Taoist]] and folk beliefs regarding the northern pole star and/or the [[Big Dipper]] that had syncretized with Buddhism during the [[Tang dynasty]].<ref>{{cite book \|last1=Faure \|first1=Bernard \|title=The Fluid Pantheon: Gods of Medieval Japan, Volume 1 \|date=2015 \|publisher=University of Hawaii Press \|pages=59–60}}</ref><ref>{{cite book \|last1=Nakamura \|first1=Kyoko Motomuchi \|title=Miraculous Stories from the Japanese Buddhist Tradition: The Nihon Ryoiki of the Monk Kyokai \|date=2013 \|publisher=Routledge \|isbn=978-1136792601 \|page=85 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EcjbAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA85}}</ref><ref>{{cite book \|editor1=Shively, Donald H.\|editor2=McCullough, William H.\|title=The Cambridge History of Japan, Volume 2: Heian Japan\|date=1988 \|publisher=Cambridge University Press \|pages=549–550\|isbn=9780521223539\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eiTWWfoyuyAC&pg=PA549}}</ref> Indeed, despite being called 'bodhisattva' (''bosatsu''), the deity is actually more often classified as a [[Deva (Buddhism)\|deva]].<ref>{{cite book \|author=Kodama, Giryū (児玉義隆) \|title=印と梵字ご利益・功徳事典: 聖なる象徴に表された諸尊の姿と仏の教え\|date=2009 \|publisher=Gakken Publishing \|isbn=9784054041875\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6Y5-pwj_3x0C&pg=PA147}}</ref>

	The cult of Myōken is believed to have been introduced to Japan around the 7th century by the ''[[~~Kofun period#Toraijin\|~~toraijin]]'', immigrants from the [[Korea\|Korean]] kingdoms of [[Goguryeo]] and [[Baekje]], and flourished during the [[Heian period]] (794–1185). The eastern half of the country (the modern [[Kantō]] and [[Tōhoku]] regions), where these immigrants were settled, became a notable stronghold of Myōken worship; the [[Chiba clan]], based on what is now [[Chiba Prefecture]], and its offshoots adopted Myōken as their patron deity and spread his cult through their domains across Japan. Myōken also became an important deity within certain branches of [[Nichiren Buddhism]] (such as [[Nichiren-shū]]) due to the school's connections with the Chiba.<ref>{{cite book \|last1=Faure \|first1=Bernard \|title=The Fluid Pantheon: Gods of Medieval Japan, Volume 1 \|date=2015 \|publisher=University of Hawaii Press \|pages=~~71-80~~}}</ref>		The cult of Myōken is believed to have been introduced to Japan around the 7th century by the ''[[toraijin]]'', immigrants from the [[Korea\|Korean]] kingdoms of [[Goguryeo]] and [[Baekje]], most notably the legendary [[Prince Imseong]], and flourished during the [[Heian period]] (794–1185). The eastern half of the country (the modern [[Kantō]] and [[Tōhoku]] regions), where these immigrants were settled, became a notable stronghold of Myōken worship; the [[Chiba clan]], based on what is now [[Chiba Prefecture]], and its offshoots adopted Myōken as their patron deity and spread his cult through their domains across Japan. Myōken also became an important deity within certain branches of [[Nichiren Buddhism]] (such as [[Nichiren-shū]]) due to the school's connections with the Chiba.<ref>{{cite book \|last1=Faure \|first1=Bernard \|title=The Fluid Pantheon: Gods of Medieval Japan, Volume 1 \|date=2015 \|publisher=University of Hawaii Press \|pages=71–80}}</ref>

	==Origins==		==Origins==
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	==Spread to Japan==		==Spread to Japan==
	[[File:Chiba-jinja Haupthalle 2.jpg\|thumb\|[[Chiba Shrine]] in [[Chiba City]], [[Chiba Prefecture]]<br/>Originally an 11th-century Buddhist temple dedicated to Myōken, converted into a [[Shinto shrine]] during the [[Meiji period]]]]		[[File:Chiba-jinja Haupthalle 2.jpg\|thumb\|[[Chiba Shrine]] in [[Chiba City]], [[Chiba Prefecture]]<br/>Originally an 11th-century Buddhist temple dedicated to Myōken, converted into a [[Shinto shrine]] during the [[Meiji period]]]]
	The cult of Myōken is thought to have been brought in Japan during the 7th century by immigrants (''[[Kofun period#Toraijin\|toraijin]]'') from [[Goguryeo]] and [[Baekje]]. During the reign of [[Emperor Tenji]] (661–672), the ''toraijin'' were resettled in the easternmost parts of the country; as a result, Myōken worship spread throughout the eastern provinces.<ref name="Ensenji">{{cite web \|title=妙見菩薩と妙見信仰 \|url=https://www.ensenji.or.jp/contents/category/believe/#post-1517 \|website=梅松山円泉寺 \|access-date=2019-09-29}}</ref>		The cult of Myōken is thought to have been brought in Japan during the 7th century by immigrants (''[[Kofun period#Toraijin\|toraijin]]'') from [[Goguryeo]] and [[Baekje]], most notably [[Prince Imseong]]. During the reign of [[Emperor Tenji]] (661–672), the ''toraijin'' were resettled in the easternmost parts of the country; as a result, Myōken worship spread throughout the eastern provinces.<ref name="Ensenji">{{cite web \|title=妙見菩薩と妙見信仰 \|url=https://www.ensenji.or.jp/contents/category/believe/#post-1517 \|website=梅松山円泉寺 \|access-date=2019-09-29}}</ref>

	By the [[Heian period]], pole [[star worship]] had become widespread enough that imperial decrees banned it for the reason that it involved "mingling of men and women," and thus caused ritual impurity. Pole star worship was also forbidden among the inhabitants of the capital and nearby areas when the imperial princess (''[[~~saiō~~]]'') made her way to [[Ise Grand Shrine\|Ise]] to begin her service at the shrines. Nevertheless, the cult of the pole star left its mark on imperial rituals such as the [[Enthronement of the Japanese emperor\|emperor's enthronement]] and the worship of [[Amaterasu\|the imperial clan deity]] at Ise Shrine.<ref>{{cite book \|editor1-last=Rambelli \|editor1-first=Fabio \|editor2-last=Teeuwen \|editor2-first=Mark \|title=Buddhas and Kami in Japan, Honji Suijaku as a Combinatory Paradigm \|date=2003 \|publisher=Routledge \|isbn=978-1134431236 \|pages=35-36, 164-167}}</ref> Worship of the pole star was also practiced in [[Onmyōdō]], where it was deified as ''Chintaku Reifujin'' (鎮宅霊符神).<ref>{{cite book \|editor1-last=Friday \|editor1-first=Karl F. \|editor1-link=Karl Friday \|title=Routledge Handbook of Premodern Japanese History \|date=2017 \|publisher=Taylor & Francis \|page=340 \|isbn=9781351692021 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XgkqDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA340}}</ref>		By the [[Heian period]], pole [[star worship]] had become widespread enough that imperial decrees banned it for the reason that it involved "mingling of men and women," and thus caused ritual impurity. Pole star worship was also forbidden among the inhabitants of the capital and nearby areas when the imperial princess (''[[Saiō]]'') made her way to [[Ise Grand Shrine\|Ise]] to begin her service at the shrines. Nevertheless, the cult of the pole star left its mark on imperial rituals such as the [[Enthronement of the Japanese emperor\|emperor's enthronement]] and the worship of [[Amaterasu\|the imperial clan deity]] at Ise Shrine.<ref>{{cite book \|editor1-last=Rambelli \|editor1-first=Fabio \|editor2-last=Teeuwen \|editor2-first=Mark \|title=Buddhas and Kami in Japan, Honji Suijaku as a Combinatory Paradigm \|date=2003 \|publisher=Routledge \|isbn=978-1134431236 \|pages=35-36, 164-167}}</ref> Worship of the pole star was also practiced in [[Onmyōdō]], where it was deified as ''Chintaku Reifujin'' (鎮宅霊符神).<ref>{{cite book \|editor1-last=Friday \|editor1-first=Karl F. \|editor1-link=Karl Friday \|title=Routledge Handbook of Premodern Japanese History \|date=2017 \|publisher=Taylor & Francis \|page=340 \|isbn=9781351692021 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XgkqDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA340}}</ref>

	Myōken worship was particularly prevalent among clans based in eastern Japan (the modern [[Kantō]] and [[Tōhoku]] regions), with the [[Emperor Kanmu\|Kanmu]] [[Taira clan]] (Kanmu Heishi) and their offshoots such as the [[Chiba clan\|Chiba]] and the [[Sōma clan\|Sōma]] clans being among the deity's notable devotees. One legend claims that [[Taira no Masakado]] was a devotee of Myōken, who aided him in his military exploits. When Masakado grew proud and arrogant, the deity withdrew his favor and instead aided Masakado's uncle [[:ja:平良文\|Yoshifumi]], the ancestor of the Chiba clan.<ref>{{cite web \|title=千葉神社 \|url=http://www.lares.dti.ne.jp/hisadome/honji/files/CHIBA.html \|website=本地垂迹資料便覧 \|access-date=2019-09-29 \|language=ja}}</ref> Owing to his status as the Chiba clan's ''[[ujigami]]'' (guardian deity), temples and shrines dedicated to Myōken are particularly numerous in former Chiba territories.<ref>{{cite web \|title=千葉氏と北辰（妙見）信仰 \|url=https://www.city.chiba.jp/sogoseisaku/sogoseisaku/identitysuishin/chiba-myouken.html \|website=Chiba City Official Website \|access-date=2019-09-29 \|language=ja}}</ref> Myōken worship is also prevalent in many [[Nichiren-shū\|Nichiren-shū Buddhist]] temples due to the clan's connections with the school's [[Hokekyō-ji (Ichikawa)\|Nakayama]] lineage.<ref>{{cite web \|title=妙見菩薩「開運大野妙見大菩薩」 \|url=https://www.honkouji.com/butsujin/myoukenbosatsu \|website=日蓮宗法華道場光胤山本光寺 \|access-date=2019-09-29 \|language=ja}}</ref>		Myōken worship was particularly prevalent among clans based in eastern Japan (the modern [[Kantō]] and [[Tōhoku]] regions), with the [[Emperor Kanmu\|Kanmu]] [[Taira clan]] (Kanmu Heishi) and their offshoots such as the [[Chiba clan\|Chiba]] and the [[Sōma clan\|Sōma]] clans being among the deity's notable devotees. One legend claims that [[Taira no Masakado]] was a devotee of Myōken, who aided him in his military exploits. When Masakado grew proud and arrogant, the deity withdrew his favor and instead aided Masakado's uncle [[:ja:平良文\|Yoshifumi]], the ancestor of the Chiba clan.<ref>{{cite web \|title=千葉神社 \|url=http://www.lares.dti.ne.jp/hisadome/honji/files/CHIBA.html \|website=本地垂迹資料便覧 \|access-date=2019-09-29 \|language=ja}}</ref> Owing to his status as the Chiba clan's ''[[ujigami]]'' (guardian deity), temples and shrines dedicated to Myōken are particularly numerous in former Chiba territories.<ref>{{cite web \|title=千葉氏と北辰（妙見）信仰 \|url=https://www.city.chiba.jp/sogoseisaku/sogoseisaku/identitysuishin/chiba-myouken.html \|website=Chiba City Official Website \|access-date=2019-09-29 \|language=ja}}</ref> Myōken worship is also prevalent in many [[Nichiren-shū\|Nichiren-shū Buddhist]] temples due to the clan's connections with the school's [[Hokekyō-ji (Ichikawa)\|Nakayama]] lineage.<ref>{{cite web \|title=妙見菩薩「開運大野妙見大菩薩」 \|url=https://www.honkouji.com/butsujin/myoukenbosatsu \|website=日蓮宗法華道場光胤山本光寺 \|access-date=2019-09-29 \|language=ja}}</ref>
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	* [[Big Dipper]]		* [[Big Dipper]]
	* [[Black Tortoise]]		* [[Black Tortoise]]
			* [[Tara (Buddhism)]]
	* [[Buddhism in Japan]]		* [[Buddhism in Japan]]
	* [[Chiba clan]]		* [[Chiba clan]]
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	* [[Little Dipper]]		* [[Little Dipper]]
	* [[Mount Myōken (Tajima)]]		* [[Mount Myōken (Tajima)]]
			* [[Tianhuang Emperor]]
	* [[Xuanwu (god)]]		* [[Xuanwu (god)]]
			* [[Ziwei Emperor]]

	==Notes==		==Notes==
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	[[Category:Japanese gods]]		[[Category:Japanese gods]]
	[[Category:Stellar gods]]		[[Category:Stellar gods]]
	[[Category:Vajrayana]]		[[Category:Vajrayana deities]]
	[[Category:Nichiren Buddhism]]		[[Category:Nichiren Buddhism]]
	[[Category:Dharmapalas]]		[[Category:Dharmapalas]]
	[[Category:War gods]]		[[Category:War gods]]
	[[Category:Onmyōdō deities]]		[[Category:Onmyōdō deities]]
	[[Category:~~Polaris~~]]		[[Category:Japanese Buddhist deities]]

UpdateBot: robot: Update article (please report if you notice any mistake or error in this edit)

2022-04-11T01:00:25Z

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← Older revision		Revision as of 06:30, 11 April 2022
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	'''Myōken''' ({{lang-sa\|डाकिनी}}, {{IAST\|Sudṛṣṭi}}; [[Chinese language\|Chinese]]: 妙見菩薩 <small>([[Traditional Chinese characters\|Traditional]])</small> / 妙见菩萨 <small>([[Simplified Chinese characters\|Simplified]])</small>, {{zh\|p=Miàojiàn Púsà}}; [[Japanese language\|Japanese]]: 妙見菩薩, ''Myōken Bosatsu''), also known as '''Sonjō-Ō''' (尊星王, "Venerable Star King", also ''Sonsei-Ō'' or ''Sonshō-Ō''), is a [[Buddhist]] deification of the [[North Star]] worshiped mainly in the [[Shingon Buddhism\|Shingon]], [[Tendai]] and [[Nichiren Buddhism\|Nichiren]] schools of [[Japanese Buddhism]].<ref name="Bocking 2005">{{Cite book\|author=Brian Bocking\|title=A Popular Dictionary of Shinto\|date=30 September 2005\|publisher=Routledge\|isbn=978-1-135-79739-3\|pages=97}}</ref>		'''Myōken''' ({{lang-sa\|डाकिनी}}, {{IAST\|Sudṛṣṭi}}; [[Chinese language\|Chinese]]: 妙見菩薩 <small>([[Traditional Chinese characters\|Traditional]])</small> / 妙见菩萨 <small>([[Simplified Chinese characters\|Simplified]])</small>, {{zh\|p=Miàojiàn Púsà}}; [[Japanese language\|Japanese]]: 妙見菩薩, ''Myōken Bosatsu''), also known as '''Sonjō-Ō''' (尊星王, "Venerable Star King", also ''Sonsei-Ō'' or ''Sonshō-Ō''), is a [[Buddhist]] deification of the [[North Star]] worshiped mainly in the [[Shingon Buddhism\|Shingon]], [[Tendai]] and [[Nichiren Buddhism\|Nichiren]] schools of [[Japanese Buddhism]].<ref name="Bocking 2005">{{Cite book\|author=Brian Bocking\|title=A Popular Dictionary of Shinto\|date=30 September 2005\|publisher=Routledge\|isbn=978-1-135-79739-3\|pages=97}}</ref>

	Despite the alleged Sanskrit origin of his name and his [[bodhisattva]] status, Myōken is conspicuously absent from early [[Buddhist literature]], with his name first appearing in apocryphal [[Mahayana sutras\|sutras]] of Chinese origin. He is thus thought to have originated from [[Taoist]] and folk beliefs regarding the northern pole star and/or the [[Big Dipper]] that had syncretized with Buddhism during the [[Tang dynasty]].<ref>{{cite book \|last1=Faure \|first1=Bernard \|title=The Fluid Pantheon: Gods of Medieval Japan, Volume 1 \|date=2015 \|publisher=University of Hawaii Press \|pages=~~59–60~~}}</ref><ref>{{cite book \|last1=Nakamura \|first1=Kyoko Motomuchi \|title=Miraculous Stories from the Japanese Buddhist Tradition: The Nihon Ryoiki of the Monk Kyokai \|date=2013 \|publisher=Routledge \|isbn=978-1136792601 \|page=85 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EcjbAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA85}}</ref><ref>{{cite book \|editor1=Shively, Donald H.\|editor2=McCullough, William H.\|title=The Cambridge History of Japan, Volume 2: Heian Japan\|date=1988 \|publisher=Cambridge University Press \|pages=549–550\|isbn=9780521223539\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eiTWWfoyuyAC&pg=PA549}}</ref> Indeed, despite being called 'bodhisattva' (''bosatsu''), the deity is actually more often classified as a [[Deva (Buddhism)\|deva]].<ref>{{cite book \|author=Kodama, Giryū (児玉義隆) \|title=印と梵字ご利益・功徳事典: 聖なる象徴に表された諸尊の姿と仏の教え\|date=2009 \|publisher=Gakken Publishing \|isbn=9784054041875\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6Y5-pwj_3x0C&pg=PA147}}</ref>		Despite the alleged Sanskrit origin of his name and his [[bodhisattva]] status, Myōken is conspicuously absent from early [[Buddhist literature]], with his name first appearing in apocryphal [[Mahayana sutras\|sutras]] of Chinese origin. He is thus thought to have originated from [[Taoist]] and folk beliefs regarding the northern pole star and/or the [[Big Dipper]] that had syncretized with Buddhism during the [[Tang dynasty]].<ref>{{cite book \|last1=Faure \|first1=Bernard \|title=The Fluid Pantheon: Gods of Medieval Japan, Volume 1 \|date=2015 \|publisher=University of Hawaii Press \|pages=59-60}}</ref><ref>{{cite book \|last1=Nakamura \|first1=Kyoko Motomuchi \|title=Miraculous Stories from the Japanese Buddhist Tradition: The Nihon Ryoiki of the Monk Kyokai \|date=2013 \|publisher=Routledge \|isbn=978-1136792601 \|page=85 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EcjbAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA85}}</ref><ref>{{cite book \|editor1=Shively, Donald H.\|editor2=McCullough, William H.\|title=The Cambridge History of Japan, Volume 2: Heian Japan\|date=1988 \|publisher=Cambridge University Press \|pages=549–550\|isbn=9780521223539\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eiTWWfoyuyAC&pg=PA549}}</ref> Indeed, despite being called 'bodhisattva' (''bosatsu''), the deity is actually more often classified as a [[Deva (Buddhism)\|deva]].<ref>{{cite book \|author=Kodama, Giryū (児玉義隆) \|title=印と梵字ご利益・功徳事典: 聖なる象徴に表された諸尊の姿と仏の教え\|date=2009 \|publisher=Gakken Publishing \|isbn=9784054041875\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6Y5-pwj_3x0C&pg=PA147}}</ref>

	The cult of Myōken is believed to have been introduced to Japan around the 7th century by the ''[[Kofun period#Toraijin\|toraijin]]'', immigrants from the [[Korea]]n kingdoms of [[Goguryeo]] and [[Baekje]], and flourished during the [[Heian period]] (794–1185). The eastern half of the country (the modern [[Kantō]] and [[Tōhoku]] regions), where these immigrants were settled, became a notable stronghold of Myōken worship; the [[Chiba clan]], based on what is now [[Chiba Prefecture]], and its offshoots adopted Myōken as their patron deity and spread his cult through their domains across Japan. Myōken also became an important deity within certain branches of [[Nichiren Buddhism]] (such as [[Nichiren-shū]]) due to the school's connections with the Chiba.<ref>{{cite book \|last1=Faure \|first1=Bernard \|title=The Fluid Pantheon: Gods of Medieval Japan, Volume 1 \|date=2015 \|publisher=University of Hawaii Press \|pages=~~71–80~~}}</ref>		The cult of Myōken is believed to have been introduced to Japan around the 7th century by the ''[[Kofun period#Toraijin\|toraijin]]'', immigrants from the [[Korea\|Korean]] kingdoms of [[Goguryeo]] and [[Baekje]], and flourished during the [[Heian period]] (794–1185). The eastern half of the country (the modern [[Kantō]] and [[Tōhoku]] regions), where these immigrants were settled, became a notable stronghold of Myōken worship; the [[Chiba clan]], based on what is now [[Chiba Prefecture]], and its offshoots adopted Myōken as their patron deity and spread his cult through their domains across Japan. Myōken also became an important deity within certain branches of [[Nichiren Buddhism]] (such as [[Nichiren-shū]]) due to the school's connections with the Chiba.<ref>{{cite book \|last1=Faure \|first1=Bernard \|title=The Fluid Pantheon: Gods of Medieval Japan, Volume 1 \|date=2015 \|publisher=University of Hawaii Press \|pages=71-80}}</ref>

	==Origins==		==Origins==
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	The cult of Myōken is thought to have been brought in Japan during the 7th century by immigrants (''[[Kofun period#Toraijin\|toraijin]]'') from [[Goguryeo]] and [[Baekje]]. During the reign of [[Emperor Tenji]] (661–672), the ''toraijin'' were resettled in the easternmost parts of the country; as a result, Myōken worship spread throughout the eastern provinces.<ref name="Ensenji">{{cite web \|title=妙見菩薩と妙見信仰 \|url=https://www.ensenji.or.jp/contents/category/believe/#post-1517 \|website=梅松山円泉寺 \|access-date=2019-09-29}}</ref>		The cult of Myōken is thought to have been brought in Japan during the 7th century by immigrants (''[[Kofun period#Toraijin\|toraijin]]'') from [[Goguryeo]] and [[Baekje]]. During the reign of [[Emperor Tenji]] (661–672), the ''toraijin'' were resettled in the easternmost parts of the country; as a result, Myōken worship spread throughout the eastern provinces.<ref name="Ensenji">{{cite web \|title=妙見菩薩と妙見信仰 \|url=https://www.ensenji.or.jp/contents/category/believe/#post-1517 \|website=梅松山円泉寺 \|access-date=2019-09-29}}</ref>

	By the [[Heian period]], pole star worship had become widespread enough that imperial decrees banned it for the reason that it involved "mingling of men and women," and thus caused ritual impurity. Pole star worship was also forbidden among the inhabitants of the capital and nearby areas when the imperial princess (''[[saiō]]'') made her way to [[Ise Grand Shrine\|Ise]] to begin her service at the shrines. Nevertheless, the cult of the pole star left its mark on imperial rituals such as the [[Enthronement of the Japanese emperor\|emperor's enthronement]] and the worship of [[Amaterasu\|the imperial clan deity]] at Ise Shrine.<ref>{{cite book \|editor1-last=Rambelli \|editor1-first=Fabio \|editor2-last=Teeuwen \|editor2-first=Mark \|title=Buddhas and Kami in Japan, Honji Suijaku as a Combinatory Paradigm \|date=2003 \|publisher=Routledge \|isbn=978-1134431236 \|pages=~~35–36~~, ~~164–167~~}}</ref> Worship of the pole star was also practiced in [[Onmyōdō]], where it was deified as ''Chintaku Reifujin'' (鎮宅霊符神).<ref>{{cite book \|editor1-last=Friday \|editor1-first=Karl F. \|title=Routledge Handbook of Premodern Japanese History \|date=2017 \|publisher=Taylor & Francis \|page=340 \|isbn=9781351692021 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XgkqDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA340}}</ref>		By the [[Heian period]], pole [[star worship]] had become widespread enough that imperial decrees banned it for the reason that it involved "mingling of men and women," and thus caused ritual impurity. Pole star worship was also forbidden among the inhabitants of the capital and nearby areas when the imperial princess (''[[saiō]]'') made her way to [[Ise Grand Shrine\|Ise]] to begin her service at the shrines. Nevertheless, the cult of the pole star left its mark on imperial rituals such as the [[Enthronement of the Japanese emperor\|emperor's enthronement]] and the worship of [[Amaterasu\|the imperial clan deity]] at Ise Shrine.<ref>{{cite book \|editor1-last=Rambelli \|editor1-first=Fabio \|editor2-last=Teeuwen \|editor2-first=Mark \|title=Buddhas and Kami in Japan, Honji Suijaku as a Combinatory Paradigm \|date=2003 \|publisher=Routledge \|isbn=978-1134431236 \|pages=35-36, 164-167}}</ref> Worship of the pole star was also practiced in [[Onmyōdō]], where it was deified as ''Chintaku Reifujin'' (鎮宅霊符神).<ref>{{cite book \|editor1-last=Friday \|editor1-first=Karl F. \|editor1-link=Karl Friday \|title=Routledge Handbook of Premodern Japanese History \|date=2017 \|publisher=Taylor & Francis \|page=340 \|isbn=9781351692021 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XgkqDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA340}}</ref>

	Myōken worship was particularly prevalent among clans based in eastern Japan (the modern [[Kantō]] and [[Tōhoku]] regions), with the [[Emperor Kanmu\|Kanmu]] [[Taira clan]] (Kanmu Heishi) and their offshoots such as the [[Chiba clan\|Chiba]] and the [[Sōma clan\|Sōma]] clans being among the deity's notable devotees. One legend claims that [[Taira no Masakado]] was a devotee of Myōken, who aided him in his military exploits. When Masakado grew proud and arrogant, the deity withdrew his favor and instead aided Masakado's uncle [[:ja:平良文\|Yoshifumi]], the ancestor of the Chiba clan.<ref>{{cite web \|title=千葉神社 \|url=http://www.lares.dti.ne.jp/hisadome/honji/files/CHIBA.html \|website=本地垂迹資料便覧 \|access-date=2019-09-29 \|language=ja}}</ref> Owing to his status as the Chiba clan's ''[[ujigami]]'' (guardian deity), temples and shrines dedicated to Myōken are particularly numerous in former Chiba territories.<ref>{{cite web \|title=千葉氏と北辰（妙見）信仰 \|url=https://www.city.chiba.jp/sogoseisaku/sogoseisaku/identitysuishin/chiba-myouken.html \|website=Chiba City Official Website \|access-date=2019-09-29 \|language=ja}}</ref> Myōken worship is also prevalent in many [[Nichiren-shū\|Nichiren-shū Buddhist]] temples due to the clan's connections with the school's [[Hokekyō-ji (Ichikawa)\|Nakayama]] lineage.<ref>{{cite web \|title=妙見菩薩「開運大野妙見大菩薩」 \|url=https://www.honkouji.com/butsujin/myoukenbosatsu \|website=日蓮宗法華道場光胤山本光寺 \|access-date=2019-09-29 \|language=ja}}</ref>		Myōken worship was particularly prevalent among clans based in eastern Japan (the modern [[Kantō]] and [[Tōhoku]] regions), with the [[Emperor Kanmu\|Kanmu]] [[Taira clan]] (Kanmu Heishi) and their offshoots such as the [[Chiba clan\|Chiba]] and the [[Sōma clan\|Sōma]] clans being among the deity's notable devotees. One legend claims that [[Taira no Masakado]] was a devotee of Myōken, who aided him in his military exploits. When Masakado grew proud and arrogant, the deity withdrew his favor and instead aided Masakado's uncle [[:ja:平良文\|Yoshifumi]], the ancestor of the Chiba clan.<ref>{{cite web \|title=千葉神社 \|url=http://www.lares.dti.ne.jp/hisadome/honji/files/CHIBA.html \|website=本地垂迹資料便覧 \|access-date=2019-09-29 \|language=ja}}</ref> Owing to his status as the Chiba clan's ''[[ujigami]]'' (guardian deity), temples and shrines dedicated to Myōken are particularly numerous in former Chiba territories.<ref>{{cite web \|title=千葉氏と北辰（妙見）信仰 \|url=https://www.city.chiba.jp/sogoseisaku/sogoseisaku/identitysuishin/chiba-myouken.html \|website=Chiba City Official Website \|access-date=2019-09-29 \|language=ja}}</ref> Myōken worship is also prevalent in many [[Nichiren-shū\|Nichiren-shū Buddhist]] temples due to the clan's connections with the school's [[Hokekyō-ji (Ichikawa)\|Nakayama]] lineage.<ref>{{cite web \|title=妙見菩薩「開運大野妙見大菩薩」 \|url=https://www.honkouji.com/butsujin/myoukenbosatsu \|website=日蓮宗法華道場光胤山本光寺 \|access-date=2019-09-29 \|language=ja}}</ref>

	Veneration of Myōken as a god of war is believed to derive from the practice of worshiping the easternmost star of the Big Dipper, [[Alkaid]] (η UMa), known in Chinese as the 'Broken Army' or the 'Destroyer of Armies' (破軍星, Pinyin: ''Pòjūn xīng''; Japanese: ''Hagunsei'') to bring success in battle.<ref name="Ensenji"/><ref>{{cite book \|author=Sano, Kenji (佐野賢治)\|isbn=978-4892870965\|title=星の信仰―妙見・虚空蔵 \|date=1994 \|publisher=Keisuisha \|~~pages~~=9, 237}}</ref> The ''Sutra of the Big Dipper for Prolonging Life'' (北斗七星延命經, Pinyin: ''Běidǒu qīxīng yánmìng jīng''; T. [http://buddhism.lib.ntu.edu.tw/BDLM/sutra/chi_pdf/sutra10/T21n1307.pdf 1307]) identifies Alkaid with the [[buddha]] [[Bhaisajyaguru]] (Yakushi Nyorai),{{efn\|「南無破軍星。是東方琉璃世界藥師琉璃光如來佛。」}} so that Myōken is thus sometimes considered to be a manifestation of Bhaisajyaguru.<ref>{{cite web \|author1=高橋俊隆 \|title=北辰妙見信仰（北斗・二十八宿） \|url=http://www.myoukakuji.com/html/telling/benkyonoto/index225.htm \|website=日蓮宗妙覚寺 \|access-date=2019-09-29 \|language=ja}}</ref> In other traditions Myōken was also associated with [[Kisshōten]] ([[Lakshmi\|Mahāśrī]], one of the [[Seven Lucky Gods]]).<ref>{{cite book \|author1=Misaki, Ryōshū (三崎良周) \|title=密教と神祗思想 \|date=1992 \|isbn=978-4423270127\|publisher=Sōbunsha \|language=ja\|pages=197–198}}</ref> Indeed, some early depictions of Myōken shared similar attributes to those of Kisshōten that a number of what are commonly believed to be depictions of Kisshōten may have originally been Myōken statues.<ref name="Ensenji"/>		Veneration of Myōken as a god of war is believed to derive from the practice of worshiping the easternmost star of the Big Dipper, [[Alkaid]] (η UMa), known in Chinese as the 'Broken Army' or the 'Destroyer of Armies' (破軍星, Pinyin: ''Pòjūn xīng''; Japanese: ''Hagunsei'') to bring success in battle.<ref name="Ensenji"/><ref>{{cite book \|author=Sano, Kenji (佐野賢治)\|isbn=978-4892870965\|title=星の信仰―妙見・虚空蔵 \|date=1994 \|publisher=Keisuisha \|page=9, 237}}</ref> The ''Sutra of the Big Dipper for Prolonging Life'' (北斗七星延命經, Pinyin: ''Běidǒu qīxīng yánmìng jīng''; T. [http://buddhism.lib.ntu.edu.tw/BDLM/sutra/chi_pdf/sutra10/T21n1307.pdf 1307]) identifies Alkaid with the [[buddha]] [[Bhaisajyaguru]] (Yakushi Nyorai),{{efn\|「南無破軍星。是東方琉璃世界藥師琉璃光如來佛。」}} so that Myōken is thus sometimes considered to be a manifestation of Bhaisajyaguru.<ref>{{cite web \|author1=高橋俊隆 \|title=北辰妙見信仰（北斗・二十八宿） \|url=http://www.myoukakuji.com/html/telling/benkyonoto/index225.htm \|website=日蓮宗妙覚寺 \|access-date=2019-09-29 \|language=ja}}</ref> In other traditions Myōken was also associated with [[Kisshōten]] ([[Lakshmi\|Mahāśrī]], one of the [[Seven Lucky Gods]]).<ref>{{cite book \|author1=Misaki, Ryōshū (三崎良周) \|title=密教と神祗思想 \|date=1992 \|isbn=978-4423270127\|publisher=Sōbunsha \|language=ja\|pages=197–198}}</ref> Indeed, some early depictions of Myōken shared similar attributes to those of Kisshōten that a number of what are commonly believed to be depictions of Kisshōten may have originally been Myōken statues.<ref name="Ensenji"/>

	[[File:妙見菩薩 - Myōken Bosatsu (01).jpg\|thumb\|Depiction of Myōken with four arms]]		[[File:妙見菩薩 - Myōken Bosatsu (01).jpg\|thumb\|Depiction of Myōken with four arms]]
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	== See also ==		== See also ==
	* [[~~Xuanwu (god)~~]]		* [[Astrotheology]]
			* [[Big Dipper]]
	* [[Black Tortoise]]		* [[Black Tortoise]]
			* [[Buddhism in Japan]]
			* [[Chiba clan]]
			* [[Chiba Shrine]]
	* [[Dhruva]]		* [[Dhruva]]
	* [[Big Dipper]]
	* [[Little Dipper]]		* [[Little Dipper]]
	* [[Buddhism in Japan]]
	* [[Mount Myōken (Tajima)]]		* [[Mount Myōken (Tajima)]]
	* [[~~Chiba clan]]~~		* [[Xuanwu (god)]]
	* [[Chiba Shrine]]

	==Notes==		==Notes==

CleanupBot: clean up

2022-01-03T16:49:14Z

clean up

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:19, 3 January 2022
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	'''Myōken''' ({{lang-sa\|डाकिनी}}, {{IAST\|Sudṛṣṭi}}; [[Chinese language\|Chinese]]: 妙見菩薩 <small>([[Traditional Chinese characters\|Traditional]])</small> / 妙见菩萨 <small>([[Simplified Chinese characters\|Simplified]])</small>, {{zh\|p=Miàojiàn Púsà}}; [[Japanese language\|Japanese]]: 妙見菩薩, ''Myōken Bosatsu''), also known as '''Sonjō-Ō''' (尊星王, "Venerable Star King", also ''Sonsei-Ō'' or ''Sonshō-Ō''), is a [[Buddhist]] deification of the [[North Star]] worshiped mainly in the [[Shingon Buddhism\|Shingon]], [[Tendai]] and [[Nichiren Buddhism\|Nichiren]] schools of [[Japanese Buddhism]].<ref name="Bocking 2005">{{Cite book\|author=Brian Bocking\|title=A Popular Dictionary of Shinto\|date=30 September 2005\|publisher=Routledge\|isbn=978-1-135-79739-3\|pages=97}}</ref>		'''Myōken''' ({{lang-sa\|डाकिनी}}, {{IAST\|Sudṛṣṭi}}; [[Chinese language\|Chinese]]: 妙見菩薩 <small>([[Traditional Chinese characters\|Traditional]])</small> / 妙见菩萨 <small>([[Simplified Chinese characters\|Simplified]])</small>, {{zh\|p=Miàojiàn Púsà}}; [[Japanese language\|Japanese]]: 妙見菩薩, ''Myōken Bosatsu''), also known as '''Sonjō-Ō''' (尊星王, "Venerable Star King", also ''Sonsei-Ō'' or ''Sonshō-Ō''), is a [[Buddhist]] deification of the [[North Star]] worshiped mainly in the [[Shingon Buddhism\|Shingon]], [[Tendai]] and [[Nichiren Buddhism\|Nichiren]] schools of [[Japanese Buddhism]].<ref name="Bocking 2005">{{Cite book\|author=Brian Bocking\|title=A Popular Dictionary of Shinto\|date=30 September 2005\|publisher=Routledge\|isbn=978-1-135-79739-3\|pages=97}}</ref>

	Despite the alleged Sanskrit origin of his name and his [[bodhisattva]] status, Myōken is conspicuously absent from early [[Buddhist literature]], with his name first appearing in apocryphal [[Mahayana sutras\|sutras]] of Chinese origin. He is thus thought to have originated from [[Taoist]] and folk beliefs regarding the northern pole star and/or the [[Big Dipper]] that had syncretized with Buddhism during the [[Tang dynasty]].<ref>{{cite book \|last1=Faure \|first1=Bernard \|title=The Fluid Pantheon: Gods of Medieval Japan, Volume 1 \|date=2015 \|publisher=University of Hawaii Press \|pages=~~59-60~~}}</ref><ref>{{cite book \|last1=Nakamura \|first1=Kyoko Motomuchi \|title=Miraculous Stories from the Japanese Buddhist Tradition: The Nihon Ryoiki of the Monk Kyokai \|date=2013 \|publisher=Routledge \|isbn=978-1136792601 \|page=85 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EcjbAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA85}}</ref><ref>{{cite book \|editor1=Shively, Donald H.\|editor2=McCullough, William H.\|title=The Cambridge History of Japan, Volume 2: Heian Japan\|date=1988 \|publisher=Cambridge University Press \|pages=549–550\|isbn=9780521223539\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eiTWWfoyuyAC&pg=PA549}}</ref> Indeed, despite being called 'bodhisattva' (''bosatsu''), the deity is actually more often classified as a [[Deva (Buddhism)\|deva]].<ref>{{cite book \|author=Kodama, Giryū (児玉義隆) \|title=印と梵字ご利益・功徳事典: 聖なる象徴に表された諸尊の姿と仏の教え\|date=2009 \|publisher=Gakken Publishing \|isbn=9784054041875\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6Y5-pwj_3x0C&pg=PA147}}</ref>		Despite the alleged Sanskrit origin of his name and his [[bodhisattva]] status, Myōken is conspicuously absent from early [[Buddhist literature]], with his name first appearing in apocryphal [[Mahayana sutras\|sutras]] of Chinese origin. He is thus thought to have originated from [[Taoist]] and folk beliefs regarding the northern pole star and/or the [[Big Dipper]] that had syncretized with Buddhism during the [[Tang dynasty]].<ref>{{cite book \|last1=Faure \|first1=Bernard \|title=The Fluid Pantheon: Gods of Medieval Japan, Volume 1 \|date=2015 \|publisher=University of Hawaii Press \|pages=59–60}}</ref><ref>{{cite book \|last1=Nakamura \|first1=Kyoko Motomuchi \|title=Miraculous Stories from the Japanese Buddhist Tradition: The Nihon Ryoiki of the Monk Kyokai \|date=2013 \|publisher=Routledge \|isbn=978-1136792601 \|page=85 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EcjbAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA85}}</ref><ref>{{cite book \|editor1=Shively, Donald H.\|editor2=McCullough, William H.\|title=The Cambridge History of Japan, Volume 2: Heian Japan\|date=1988 \|publisher=Cambridge University Press \|pages=549–550\|isbn=9780521223539\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eiTWWfoyuyAC&pg=PA549}}</ref> Indeed, despite being called 'bodhisattva' (''bosatsu''), the deity is actually more often classified as a [[Deva (Buddhism)\|deva]].<ref>{{cite book \|author=Kodama, Giryū (児玉義隆) \|title=印と梵字ご利益・功徳事典: 聖なる象徴に表された諸尊の姿と仏の教え\|date=2009 \|publisher=Gakken Publishing \|isbn=9784054041875\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6Y5-pwj_3x0C&pg=PA147}}</ref>

	The cult of Myōken is believed to have been introduced to Japan around the 7th century by the ''[[Kofun period#Toraijin\|toraijin]]'', immigrants from the [[Korea~~\|Korean~~]] kingdoms of [[Goguryeo]] and [[Baekje]], and flourished during the [[Heian period]] (794–1185). The eastern half of the country (the modern [[Kantō]] and [[Tōhoku]] regions), where these immigrants were settled, became a notable stronghold of Myōken worship; the [[Chiba clan]], based on what is now [[Chiba Prefecture]], and its offshoots adopted Myōken as their patron deity and spread his cult through their domains across Japan. Myōken also became an important deity within certain branches of [[Nichiren Buddhism]] (such as [[Nichiren-shū]]) due to the school's connections with the Chiba.<ref>{{cite book \|last1=Faure \|first1=Bernard \|title=The Fluid Pantheon: Gods of Medieval Japan, Volume 1 \|date=2015 \|publisher=University of Hawaii Press \|pages=~~71-80~~}}</ref>		The cult of Myōken is believed to have been introduced to Japan around the 7th century by the ''[[Kofun period#Toraijin\|toraijin]]'', immigrants from the [[Korea]]n kingdoms of [[Goguryeo]] and [[Baekje]], and flourished during the [[Heian period]] (794–1185). The eastern half of the country (the modern [[Kantō]] and [[Tōhoku]] regions), where these immigrants were settled, became a notable stronghold of Myōken worship; the [[Chiba clan]], based on what is now [[Chiba Prefecture]], and its offshoots adopted Myōken as their patron deity and spread his cult through their domains across Japan. Myōken also became an important deity within certain branches of [[Nichiren Buddhism]] (such as [[Nichiren-shū]]) due to the school's connections with the Chiba.<ref>{{cite book \|last1=Faure \|first1=Bernard \|title=The Fluid Pantheon: Gods of Medieval Japan, Volume 1 \|date=2015 \|publisher=University of Hawaii Press \|pages=71–80}}</ref>

	==Origins==		==Origins==
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	The cult of Myōken is thought to have been brought in Japan during the 7th century by immigrants (''[[Kofun period#Toraijin\|toraijin]]'') from [[Goguryeo]] and [[Baekje]]. During the reign of [[Emperor Tenji]] (661–672), the ''toraijin'' were resettled in the easternmost parts of the country; as a result, Myōken worship spread throughout the eastern provinces.<ref name="Ensenji">{{cite web \|title=妙見菩薩と妙見信仰 \|url=https://www.ensenji.or.jp/contents/category/believe/#post-1517 \|website=梅松山円泉寺 \|access-date=2019-09-29}}</ref>		The cult of Myōken is thought to have been brought in Japan during the 7th century by immigrants (''[[Kofun period#Toraijin\|toraijin]]'') from [[Goguryeo]] and [[Baekje]]. During the reign of [[Emperor Tenji]] (661–672), the ''toraijin'' were resettled in the easternmost parts of the country; as a result, Myōken worship spread throughout the eastern provinces.<ref name="Ensenji">{{cite web \|title=妙見菩薩と妙見信仰 \|url=https://www.ensenji.or.jp/contents/category/believe/#post-1517 \|website=梅松山円泉寺 \|access-date=2019-09-29}}</ref>

	By the [[Heian period]], pole star worship had become widespread enough that imperial decrees banned it for the reason that it involved "mingling of men and women," and thus caused ritual impurity. Pole star worship was also forbidden among the inhabitants of the capital and nearby areas when the imperial princess (''[[saiō]]'') made her way to [[Ise Grand Shrine\|Ise]] to begin her service at the shrines. Nevertheless, the cult of the pole star left its mark on imperial rituals such as the [[Enthronement of the Japanese emperor\|emperor's enthronement]] and the worship of [[Amaterasu\|the imperial clan deity]] at Ise Shrine.<ref>{{cite book \|editor1-last=Rambelli \|editor1-first=Fabio \|editor2-last=Teeuwen \|editor2-first=Mark \|title=Buddhas and Kami in Japan, Honji Suijaku as a Combinatory Paradigm \|date=2003 \|publisher=Routledge \|isbn=978-1134431236 \|pages=~~35-36~~, ~~164-167~~}}</ref> Worship of the pole star was also practiced in [[Onmyōdō]], where it was deified as ''Chintaku Reifujin'' (鎮宅霊符神).<ref>{{cite book \|editor1-last=Friday \|editor1-first=Karl F. \|title=Routledge Handbook of Premodern Japanese History \|date=2017 \|publisher=Taylor & Francis \|page=340 \|isbn=9781351692021 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XgkqDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA340}}</ref>		By the [[Heian period]], pole star worship had become widespread enough that imperial decrees banned it for the reason that it involved "mingling of men and women," and thus caused ritual impurity. Pole star worship was also forbidden among the inhabitants of the capital and nearby areas when the imperial princess (''[[saiō]]'') made her way to [[Ise Grand Shrine\|Ise]] to begin her service at the shrines. Nevertheless, the cult of the pole star left its mark on imperial rituals such as the [[Enthronement of the Japanese emperor\|emperor's enthronement]] and the worship of [[Amaterasu\|the imperial clan deity]] at Ise Shrine.<ref>{{cite book \|editor1-last=Rambelli \|editor1-first=Fabio \|editor2-last=Teeuwen \|editor2-first=Mark \|title=Buddhas and Kami in Japan, Honji Suijaku as a Combinatory Paradigm \|date=2003 \|publisher=Routledge \|isbn=978-1134431236 \|pages=35–36, 164–167}}</ref> Worship of the pole star was also practiced in [[Onmyōdō]], where it was deified as ''Chintaku Reifujin'' (鎮宅霊符神).<ref>{{cite book \|editor1-last=Friday \|editor1-first=Karl F. \|title=Routledge Handbook of Premodern Japanese History \|date=2017 \|publisher=Taylor & Francis \|page=340 \|isbn=9781351692021 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XgkqDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA340}}</ref>

	Myōken worship was particularly prevalent among clans based in eastern Japan (the modern [[Kantō]] and [[Tōhoku]] regions), with the [[Emperor Kanmu\|Kanmu]] [[Taira clan]] (Kanmu Heishi) and their offshoots such as the [[Chiba clan\|Chiba]] and the [[Sōma clan\|Sōma]] clans being among the deity's notable devotees. One legend claims that [[Taira no Masakado]] was a devotee of Myōken, who aided him in his military exploits. When Masakado grew proud and arrogant, the deity withdrew his favor and instead aided Masakado's uncle [[:ja:平良文\|Yoshifumi]], the ancestor of the Chiba clan.<ref>{{cite web \|title=千葉神社 \|url=http://www.lares.dti.ne.jp/hisadome/honji/files/CHIBA.html \|website=本地垂迹資料便覧 \|access-date=2019-09-29 \|language=ja}}</ref> Owing to his status as the Chiba clan's ''[[ujigami]]'' (guardian deity), temples and shrines dedicated to Myōken are particularly numerous in former Chiba territories.<ref>{{cite web \|title=千葉氏と北辰（妙見）信仰 \|url=https://www.city.chiba.jp/sogoseisaku/sogoseisaku/identitysuishin/chiba-myouken.html \|website=Chiba City Official Website \|access-date=2019-09-29 \|language=ja}}</ref> Myōken worship is also prevalent in many [[Nichiren-shū\|Nichiren-shū Buddhist]] temples due to the clan's connections with the school's [[Hokekyō-ji (Ichikawa)\|Nakayama]] lineage.<ref>{{cite web \|title=妙見菩薩「開運大野妙見大菩薩」 \|url=https://www.honkouji.com/butsujin/myoukenbosatsu \|website=日蓮宗法華道場光胤山本光寺 \|access-date=2019-09-29 \|language=ja}}</ref>		Myōken worship was particularly prevalent among clans based in eastern Japan (the modern [[Kantō]] and [[Tōhoku]] regions), with the [[Emperor Kanmu\|Kanmu]] [[Taira clan]] (Kanmu Heishi) and their offshoots such as the [[Chiba clan\|Chiba]] and the [[Sōma clan\|Sōma]] clans being among the deity's notable devotees. One legend claims that [[Taira no Masakado]] was a devotee of Myōken, who aided him in his military exploits. When Masakado grew proud and arrogant, the deity withdrew his favor and instead aided Masakado's uncle [[:ja:平良文\|Yoshifumi]], the ancestor of the Chiba clan.<ref>{{cite web \|title=千葉神社 \|url=http://www.lares.dti.ne.jp/hisadome/honji/files/CHIBA.html \|website=本地垂迹資料便覧 \|access-date=2019-09-29 \|language=ja}}</ref> Owing to his status as the Chiba clan's ''[[ujigami]]'' (guardian deity), temples and shrines dedicated to Myōken are particularly numerous in former Chiba territories.<ref>{{cite web \|title=千葉氏と北辰（妙見）信仰 \|url=https://www.city.chiba.jp/sogoseisaku/sogoseisaku/identitysuishin/chiba-myouken.html \|website=Chiba City Official Website \|access-date=2019-09-29 \|language=ja}}</ref> Myōken worship is also prevalent in many [[Nichiren-shū\|Nichiren-shū Buddhist]] temples due to the clan's connections with the school's [[Hokekyō-ji (Ichikawa)\|Nakayama]] lineage.<ref>{{cite web \|title=妙見菩薩「開運大野妙見大菩薩」 \|url=https://www.honkouji.com/butsujin/myoukenbosatsu \|website=日蓮宗法華道場光胤山本光寺 \|access-date=2019-09-29 \|language=ja}}</ref>

	Veneration of Myōken as a god of war is believed to derive from the practice of worshiping the easternmost star of the Big Dipper, [[Alkaid]] (η UMa), known in Chinese as the 'Broken Army' or the 'Destroyer of Armies' (破軍星, Pinyin: ''Pòjūn xīng''; Japanese: ''Hagunsei'') to bring success in battle.<ref name="Ensenji"/><ref>{{cite book \|author=Sano, Kenji (佐野賢治)\|isbn=978-4892870965\|title=星の信仰―妙見・虚空蔵 \|date=1994 \|publisher=Keisuisha \|~~page~~=9, 237}}</ref> The ''Sutra of the Big Dipper for Prolonging Life'' (北斗七星延命經, Pinyin: ''Běidǒu qīxīng yánmìng jīng''; T. [http://buddhism.lib.ntu.edu.tw/BDLM/sutra/chi_pdf/sutra10/T21n1307.pdf 1307]) identifies Alkaid with the [[buddha]] [[Bhaisajyaguru]] (Yakushi Nyorai),{{efn\|「南無破軍星。是東方琉璃世界藥師琉璃光如來佛。」}} so that Myōken is thus sometimes considered to be a manifestation of Bhaisajyaguru.<ref>{{cite web \|author1=高橋俊隆 \|title=北辰妙見信仰（北斗・二十八宿） \|url=http://www.myoukakuji.com/html/telling/benkyonoto/index225.htm \|website=日蓮宗妙覚寺 \|access-date=2019-09-29 \|language=ja}}</ref> In other traditions Myōken was also associated with [[Kisshōten]] ([[Lakshmi\|Mahāśrī]], one of the [[Seven Lucky Gods]]).<ref>{{cite book \|author1=Misaki, Ryōshū (三崎良周) \|title=密教と神祗思想 \|date=1992 \|isbn=978-4423270127\|publisher=Sōbunsha \|language=ja\|pages=197–198}}</ref> Indeed, some early depictions of Myōken shared similar attributes to those of Kisshōten that a number of what are commonly believed to be depictions of Kisshōten may have originally been Myōken statues.<ref name="Ensenji"/>		Veneration of Myōken as a god of war is believed to derive from the practice of worshiping the easternmost star of the Big Dipper, [[Alkaid]] (η UMa), known in Chinese as the 'Broken Army' or the 'Destroyer of Armies' (破軍星, Pinyin: ''Pòjūn xīng''; Japanese: ''Hagunsei'') to bring success in battle.<ref name="Ensenji"/><ref>{{cite book \|author=Sano, Kenji (佐野賢治)\|isbn=978-4892870965\|title=星の信仰―妙見・虚空蔵 \|date=1994 \|publisher=Keisuisha \|pages=9, 237}}</ref> The ''Sutra of the Big Dipper for Prolonging Life'' (北斗七星延命經, Pinyin: ''Běidǒu qīxīng yánmìng jīng''; T. [http://buddhism.lib.ntu.edu.tw/BDLM/sutra/chi_pdf/sutra10/T21n1307.pdf 1307]) identifies Alkaid with the [[buddha]] [[Bhaisajyaguru]] (Yakushi Nyorai),{{efn\|「南無破軍星。是東方琉璃世界藥師琉璃光如來佛。」}} so that Myōken is thus sometimes considered to be a manifestation of Bhaisajyaguru.<ref>{{cite web \|author1=高橋俊隆 \|title=北辰妙見信仰（北斗・二十八宿） \|url=http://www.myoukakuji.com/html/telling/benkyonoto/index225.htm \|website=日蓮宗妙覚寺 \|access-date=2019-09-29 \|language=ja}}</ref> In other traditions Myōken was also associated with [[Kisshōten]] ([[Lakshmi\|Mahāśrī]], one of the [[Seven Lucky Gods]]).<ref>{{cite book \|author1=Misaki, Ryōshū (三崎良周) \|title=密教と神祗思想 \|date=1992 \|isbn=978-4423270127\|publisher=Sōbunsha \|language=ja\|pages=197–198}}</ref> Indeed, some early depictions of Myōken shared similar attributes to those of Kisshōten that a number of what are commonly believed to be depictions of Kisshōten may have originally been Myōken statues.<ref name="Ensenji"/>

	[[File:妙見菩薩 - Myōken Bosatsu (01).jpg\|thumb\|Depiction of Myōken with four arms]]		[[File:妙見菩薩 - Myōken Bosatsu (01).jpg\|thumb\|Depiction of Myōken with four arms]]

->The Mighty Forest: Punctuation & link corrections

2021-10-13T10:27:17Z

Punctuation & link corrections

New page

{{Short description|Buddhist deification of the North Star}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox Buddha
| name = Myōken (Sudṛṣṭi)
| image = Myouken.jpg
| caption = Statue of Myōken of the '[[Nose, Osaka|Nose]] Myōken' (能勢妙見) type, showing him as a warrior with an upraised sword in his right hand ([[Hōun-ji (Kami)|Hōun-ji]], [[Kami, Hyōgo (Mikata)|Kami]], [[Hyōgo Prefecture]])
| sanskrit_name = सुदृष्टि ([[International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration|IAST]]: Sudṛṣṭi)
| chinese_name = (Traditional) 妙見菩薩 (Simplified) 妙见菩萨 ([[Pinyin]]: ''Miàojiàn Púsà'') (Traditional) 妙見尊星王 (Simplified) 妙见尊星王 ([[Pinyin]]: ''Miàojiàn Zūnxīng Wáng'')
| japanese_name = 妙見菩薩 (''Myōken Bosatsu'') 尊星王 (''Sonjō-Ō / Sonshō-Ō / Sonsei-Ō'') 北辰菩薩 (''Hokushin Bosatsu'') 妙見尊星王 (''Myōken Sonjō-Ō'') 北辰妙見菩薩 (''Hokushin Myōken Bosatsu'') 妙見天 (''Myōkenten'')
| korean_name = 묘견보살 ([[Revised Romanization of Korean|RR]]: ''Myogyeon Bosal'') 존성왕 ([[Revised Romanization of Korean|RR]]: ''Jonseong Bosal'')
| vietnamese_name = Diệu Kiến Bồ Tát Tôn Tinh Vương
| veneration = [[Mahāyāna]], [[Vajrayāna]]
| attributes = sword, [[Black Tortoise|tortoise]], [[Big Dipper]]
}}

'''Myōken''' ({{lang-sa|डाकिनी}}, {{IAST|Sudṛṣṭi}}; [[Chinese language|Chinese]]: 妙見菩薩 ([[Traditional Chinese characters|Traditional]]) / 妙见菩萨 ([[Simplified Chinese characters|Simplified]]), {{zh|p=Miàojiàn Púsà}}; [[Japanese language|Japanese]]: 妙見菩薩, ''Myōken Bosatsu''), also known as '''Sonjō-Ō''' (尊星王, "Venerable Star King", also ''Sonsei-Ō'' or ''Sonshō-Ō''), is a [[Buddhist]] deification of the [[North Star]] worshiped mainly in the [[Shingon Buddhism|Shingon]], [[Tendai]] and [[Nichiren Buddhism|Nichiren]] schools of [[Japanese Buddhism]].<ref name="Bocking 2005">{{Cite book|author=Brian Bocking|title=A Popular Dictionary of Shinto|date=30 September 2005|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-135-79739-3|pages=97}}</ref>

Despite the alleged Sanskrit origin of his name and his [[bodhisattva]] status, Myōken is conspicuously absent from early [[Buddhist literature]], with his name first appearing in apocryphal [[Mahayana sutras|sutras]] of Chinese origin. He is thus thought to have originated from [[Taoist]] and folk beliefs regarding the northern pole star and/or the [[Big Dipper]] that had syncretized with Buddhism during the [[Tang dynasty]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Faure |first1=Bernard |title=The Fluid Pantheon: Gods of Medieval Japan, Volume 1 |date=2015 |publisher=University of Hawaii Press |pages=59-60}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Nakamura |first1=Kyoko Motomuchi |title=Miraculous Stories from the Japanese Buddhist Tradition: The Nihon Ryoiki of the Monk Kyokai |date=2013 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1136792601 |page=85 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EcjbAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA85}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |editor1=Shively, Donald H.|editor2=McCullough, William H.|title=The Cambridge History of Japan, Volume 2: Heian Japan|date=1988 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |pages=549–550|isbn=9780521223539|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eiTWWfoyuyAC&pg=PA549}}</ref> Indeed, despite being called 'bodhisattva' (''bosatsu''), the deity is actually more often classified as a [[Deva (Buddhism)|deva]].<ref>{{cite book |author=Kodama, Giryū (児玉義隆) |title=印と梵字ご利益・功徳事典: 聖なる象徴に表された諸尊の姿と仏の教え|date=2009 |publisher=Gakken Publishing |isbn=9784054041875|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6Y5-pwj_3x0C&pg=PA147}}</ref>

The cult of Myōken is believed to have been introduced to Japan around the 7th century by the ''[[Kofun period#Toraijin|toraijin]]'', immigrants from the [[Korea|Korean]] kingdoms of [[Goguryeo]] and [[Baekje]], and flourished during the [[Heian period]] (794–1185). The eastern half of the country (the modern [[Kantō]] and [[Tōhoku]] regions), where these immigrants were settled, became a notable stronghold of Myōken worship; the [[Chiba clan]], based on what is now [[Chiba Prefecture]], and its offshoots adopted Myōken as their patron deity and spread his cult through their domains across Japan. Myōken also became an important deity within certain branches of [[Nichiren Buddhism]] (such as [[Nichiren-shū]]) due to the school's connections with the Chiba.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Faure |first1=Bernard |title=The Fluid Pantheon: Gods of Medieval Japan, Volume 1 |date=2015 |publisher=University of Hawaii Press |pages=71-80}}</ref>

==Origins==
[[File:妙見菩薩（『仏像図彙』より）- Myōken Bosatsu (from the Butsuzōzui).jpg|thumb|left|160px|Myōken riding a tortoise]]
During the [[Tang dynasty]], Chinese Buddhism adopted [[Taoist]] Big Dipper worship, borrowing various texts and rituals which were then modified to conform with Buddhist practices and doctrines. The cult of the Big Dipper was eventually absorbed in the cults of various Buddhist divinities, Myōken being one of these.<ref name="EsotericBuddhism2011">{{cite book |editor1-last=Orzech |editor1-first=Charles |editor2-last=Sørensen |editor2-first=Henrik |editor3-last=Payne |editor3-first=Richard |title=Esoteric Buddhism and the Tantras in East Asia |date=2011 |publisher=Brill |isbn=978-9004184916 |pages=238–239 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F0XNX3N1a2AC&pg=PA238}}</ref>

The earliest source on Myōken is ''The Divine Spells of the Great [[Dharani|Dhāraṇīs]] Taught by the Seven Buddhas and Eight Bodhisattvas''<ref>{{cite book |last1=Shinohara |first1=Koichi |title=Spells, Images, and Mandalas: Tracing the Evolution of Esoteric Buddhist Rituals |date=2014 |publisher=Columbia University Press |isbn=978-0231537391 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1nbeAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA5|pages=4–5}}</ref> ([[Traditional Chinese characters|traditional]]: 七佛八菩薩所説大陀羅尼神咒經, [[Pinyin]]: ''Qīfó bā púsà suǒshuō dà tuóluóní shénzhòu jīng''; [[Taishō Tripitaka|T.]] [http://buddhism.lib.ntu.edu.tw/BDLM/sutra/chi_pdf/sutra10/T21n1332.pdf 1332]), purportedly translated some time during the [[Jin dynasty (266–420)#Eastern Jin|Eastern Jin dynasty]] (317–420 CE).<ref name="EsotericBuddhism2011"/> In the text, Myōken introduces himself as "the bodhisattva of the north star (北辰菩薩) named 'Wondrous Vision' (妙見, pinyin: ''Miàojiàn'', Japanese: ''Myōken'')."{{efn|「我北辰菩薩、名曰妙見。今欲說神呪擁護諸國土。所作甚奇特故名曰妙見。」}}

By the Tang period, [[Chinese Esoteric Buddhism|esoteric]] texts and rituals centered on Myōken proliferated; a number of astral [[mandala]]s with Myōken as the primary divinity, drawing directly on the Tang texts, have been preserved in Japan. [[Ennin]]'s [[Ennin's Diary|diary]] of his travels in China in 838 suggests that the cult of Myōken was still flourishing there during the late Tang period.<ref name="EsotericBuddhism2011"/>

==Spread to Japan==
[[File:Chiba-jinja Haupthalle 2.jpg|thumb|[[Chiba Shrine]] in [[Chiba City]], [[Chiba Prefecture]] Originally an 11th-century Buddhist temple dedicated to Myōken, converted into a [[Shinto shrine]] during the [[Meiji period]]]]
The cult of Myōken is thought to have been brought in Japan during the 7th century by immigrants (''[[Kofun period#Toraijin|toraijin]]'') from [[Goguryeo]] and [[Baekje]]. During the reign of [[Emperor Tenji]] (661–672), the ''toraijin'' were resettled in the easternmost parts of the country; as a result, Myōken worship spread throughout the eastern provinces.<ref name="Ensenji">{{cite web |title=妙見菩薩と妙見信仰 |url=https://www.ensenji.or.jp/contents/category/believe/#post-1517 |website=梅松山円泉寺 |access-date=2019-09-29}}</ref>

By the [[Heian period]], pole star worship had become widespread enough that imperial decrees banned it for the reason that it involved "mingling of men and women," and thus caused ritual impurity. Pole star worship was also forbidden among the inhabitants of the capital and nearby areas when the imperial princess (''[[saiō]]'') made her way to [[Ise Grand Shrine|Ise]] to begin her service at the shrines. Nevertheless, the cult of the pole star left its mark on imperial rituals such as the [[Enthronement of the Japanese emperor|emperor's enthronement]] and the worship of [[Amaterasu|the imperial clan deity]] at Ise Shrine.<ref>{{cite book |editor1-last=Rambelli |editor1-first=Fabio |editor2-last=Teeuwen |editor2-first=Mark |title=Buddhas and Kami in Japan, Honji Suijaku as a Combinatory Paradigm |date=2003 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1134431236 |pages=35-36, 164-167}}</ref> Worship of the pole star was also practiced in [[Onmyōdō]], where it was deified as ''Chintaku Reifujin'' (鎮宅霊符神).<ref>{{cite book |editor1-last=Friday |editor1-first=Karl F. |title=Routledge Handbook of Premodern Japanese History |date=2017 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |page=340 |isbn=9781351692021 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XgkqDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA340}}</ref>

Myōken worship was particularly prevalent among clans based in eastern Japan (the modern [[Kantō]] and [[Tōhoku]] regions), with the [[Emperor Kanmu|Kanmu]] [[Taira clan]] (Kanmu Heishi) and their offshoots such as the [[Chiba clan|Chiba]] and the [[Sōma clan|Sōma]] clans being among the deity's notable devotees. One legend claims that [[Taira no Masakado]] was a devotee of Myōken, who aided him in his military exploits. When Masakado grew proud and arrogant, the deity withdrew his favor and instead aided Masakado's uncle [[:ja:平良文|Yoshifumi]], the ancestor of the Chiba clan.<ref>{{cite web |title=千葉神社 |url=http://www.lares.dti.ne.jp/hisadome/honji/files/CHIBA.html |website=本地垂迹資料便覧 |access-date=2019-09-29 |language=ja}}</ref> Owing to his status as the Chiba clan's ''[[ujigami]]'' (guardian deity), temples and shrines dedicated to Myōken are particularly numerous in former Chiba territories.<ref>{{cite web |title=千葉氏と北辰（妙見）信仰 |url=https://www.city.chiba.jp/sogoseisaku/sogoseisaku/identitysuishin/chiba-myouken.html |website=Chiba City Official Website |access-date=2019-09-29 |language=ja}}</ref> Myōken worship is also prevalent in many [[Nichiren-shū|Nichiren-shū Buddhist]] temples due to the clan's connections with the school's [[Hokekyō-ji (Ichikawa)|Nakayama]] lineage.<ref>{{cite web |title=妙見菩薩「開運大野妙見大菩薩」 |url=https://www.honkouji.com/butsujin/myoukenbosatsu |website=日蓮宗法華道場光胤山本光寺 |access-date=2019-09-29 |language=ja}}</ref>

Veneration of Myōken as a god of war is believed to derive from the practice of worshiping the easternmost star of the Big Dipper, [[Alkaid]] (η UMa), known in Chinese as the 'Broken Army' or the 'Destroyer of Armies' (破軍星, Pinyin: ''Pòjūn xīng''; Japanese: ''Hagunsei'') to bring success in battle.<ref name="Ensenji"/><ref>{{cite book |author=Sano, Kenji (佐野賢治)|isbn=978-4892870965|title=星の信仰―妙見・虚空蔵 |date=1994 |publisher=Keisuisha |page=9, 237}}</ref> The ''Sutra of the Big Dipper for Prolonging Life'' (北斗七星延命經, Pinyin: ''Běidǒu qīxīng yánmìng jīng''; T. [http://buddhism.lib.ntu.edu.tw/BDLM/sutra/chi_pdf/sutra10/T21n1307.pdf 1307]) identifies Alkaid with the [[buddha]] [[Bhaisajyaguru]] (Yakushi Nyorai),{{efn|「南無破軍星。是東方琉璃世界藥師琉璃光如來佛。」}} so that Myōken is thus sometimes considered to be a manifestation of Bhaisajyaguru.<ref>{{cite web |author1=高橋俊隆 |title=北辰妙見信仰（北斗・二十八宿） |url=http://www.myoukakuji.com/html/telling/benkyonoto/index225.htm |website=日蓮宗妙覚寺 |access-date=2019-09-29 |language=ja}}</ref> In other traditions Myōken was also associated with [[Kisshōten]] ([[Lakshmi|Mahāśrī]], one of the [[Seven Lucky Gods]]).<ref>{{cite book |author1=Misaki, Ryōshū (三崎良周) |title=密教と神祗思想 |date=1992 |isbn=978-4423270127|publisher=Sōbunsha |language=ja|pages=197–198}}</ref> Indeed, some early depictions of Myōken shared similar attributes to those of Kisshōten that a number of what are commonly believed to be depictions of Kisshōten may have originally been Myōken statues.<ref name="Ensenji"/>

[[File:妙見菩薩 - Myōken Bosatsu (01).jpg|thumb|Depiction of Myōken with four arms]]
During the late [[Edo period]], the ''[[kokugaku]]'' scholar [[Hirata Atsutane]] identified the Big Dipper with the primordial deity [[Amenominakanushi]]-no-Kami.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sasaki |first1=Kiyoshi |title=Amenominakanushi no Kami in Late Tokugawa Period |url=https://www2.kokugakuin.ac.jp/ijcc/wp/cpjr/kami/sasaki.html |publisher=Kokugakuin University |access-date=2019-09-29}}</ref><ref name="EncShinto">{{cite web |last1=Mori |first1=Mizue |title=Amenominakanushi |url=http://eos.kokugakuin.ac.jp/modules/xwords/entry.php?entryID=38 |website=Encyclopedia of Shinto |publisher=Kokugakuin University |access-date=2019-09-29}}</ref> Due to the [[Shinbutsu bunri|separation of Buddhism and Shinto]], many shrines (and some temples) dedicated to Myōken officially became Amenominakanushi shrines.<ref name="Ensenji"/><ref name="EncShinto"/>

==Iconography==
Depictions of Myōken have varied greatly over time. Aside from representations which conform to standard bodhisattva iconography, Myōken is also portrayed as a youth or as an armored, stern-faced figure holding a sword above his head. He can be shown standing or sitting atop a cloud, a dragon or a [[Black Tortoise|tortoise]] (the symbol of the north in Chinese cosmology). Artistic portrayals of Myōken, particularly those showing him with a sword, are thought to be influenced by depictions of the Taoist deity [[Xuanwu (god)|Xuanwu]], who is also venerated as the god of the north.<ref name="Ensenji"/><ref>{{cite web |last1=Schumacher |first1=Mark |title=Twenty-Eight Constellations 28 Moon Lodges, 28 Lunar Mansions |url=https://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/28-moon-stations.html#myoken |website=A to Z Photo Dictionary of Japanese Buddhist Statues and Shinto Art |access-date=2019-09-29}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Xuanwu (god)]]
* [[Black Tortoise]]
* [[Dhruva]]
* [[Big Dipper]]
* [[Little Dipper]]
* [[Buddhism in Japan]]
* [[Mount Myōken (Tajima)]]
* [[Chiba clan]]
* [[Chiba Shrine]]

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}
== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commonscat|Myōken}}

{{Buddhism topics}}
{{Bodhisattvas}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Myoken}}
[[Category:Buddhist gods]]
[[Category:Bodhisattvas]]
[[Category:Japanese gods]]
[[Category:Stellar gods]]
[[Category:Vajrayana]]
[[Category:Nichiren Buddhism]]
[[Category:Dharmapalas]]
[[Category:War gods]]
[[Category:Onmyōdō deities]]
[[Category:Polaris]]