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Hotoke

From Tibetan Buddhist Encyclopedia
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The Japanese noun hotoke (仏?)[note 1] is a word of Buddhist origin and uncertain etymology. It has several meanings, all but a few directly linked to Buddhism. It can refer to:

  • A person who has achieved satori (state of enlightenment) and has therefore become a "Buddha". (In Buddhism, the term "Buddha" in the lower case refers to a person who has become enlightened (i.e., awakened to the truth).)
  • The historical Gautama Buddha himself
  • The statue or the name of a Buddha
  • The laws of Buddhism
  • Figuratively, the performing of a Buddhist memorial service. The Eiga Monogatari for example contains a sentence in which the term is used in that sense.
  • In common parlance, a dead person; his or her soul
  • Figuratively, a benevolent person or someone dear to one's heart
  • Hotoke can also be a person's name or a nickname. It is for example a female character in the Heike Monogatari and daimyō Kōriki Kiyonaga's nickname.

Source

Wikipedia:Hotoke