manifestation theory (holding that Shinto gods are manifestations of buddhas)
manifestation theory (holding that Shinto gods are manifestations of buddhas)
The buddhas and bodhisattvas are "hontoji" - the true, original forms, while the Shinto deities are their "taruhaku" - local, temporary forms. In the Heian period (794-1185), the theory of "manifestation" (hon-chi-duhaku) arose, in which a bodhisattva or a buddha took the form of a deity and was called "gongen" (gongen: a manifestation of a deity). God came to be called gongen ("kari no arareru"). [The Tendai sect gave birth to the Sanno-Ichijitsu Shinto religion, and the Shingon sect to the Ryobu Shinto religion. ---
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