Hibutsu

Hibutsu (秘仏, "hidden Buddhas") are Japanese Buddhist icons or statues concealed from public view. Hibutsu are generally located within Buddhist temples in shrines called zushi (厨子, "miniature shrines"). They are unavailable for viewing or worship except for certain religious ceremonies. It is possible in some cases for the hibutsu to be viewed in exchange for an offering to the temple. Some hibutsu, such as the wooden statue of Gautama Buddha at Seiryō-ji or the Amida statuary at Zenkō-ji, are almost never displayed, even to initiates of the temples in which they are held (such examples are called zettai hibutsu).[1] Others are put on public display rarely, in a ceremony called kaichō (開帳, "opening the curtain").[2]

  1. ^ Suzuki, Michitaka. "Hibutsu (Hidden Buddha): Living Images in Japan and the Orthodox Icons" (PDF). University of Okayama. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 December 2014. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
  2. ^ Rambelli, Fabio (Autumn 2002). "Secret Buddhas: The Limits of Buddhist Representation". Monumenta Nipponica. 57 (3): 271–307. JSTOR 3096768.