- [Mandala] Number {番号}: 008
- Era & Year {年}: Bun'ei Era {文永} Year Unknown.
- Month; Moon {月}: Unknown
- Day; Sun {日}: Unknown
- Estimated Date: It is thought that the Ichinen Sanzen Honzon was written in June of 1272, at Ichi-no-sawa, which is modern Sawata, Sado. At the time, Nichiren was staying at the residence of Kondo Kiyohisa
- Nichiren's Laudatory Inscription {讃文}: None
- Conferral; Recipient {授与書}: None
- Kept at, Housed at, Possession {所蔵}: Chiba Prefecture {千葉県} Hiraga {平賀} Hondoji {本土寺}
- Nickname/Popular Name {通称}: Ichinen Sanzen {一念三千} Honzon {本尊}
- Sheets {紙数}: One {1} Paper {1紙}
- Height {丈}: 39.7 cm/15.62 inches inches
- Width {幅}: 30.3 cm/ 11.9 inches
- Side Note or Scriptural Quotation: 當知身土一念三千。故成道時稱此本理。一身一念遍於法界。 [from: 止観輔行伝弘決 by 妙楽]{Same sentence is found in 観心本尊抄}
As of April of 1272, Nichiren, then in exile on Sado Island, had been transferred from Tsukahara (eastern central Sado), to the residence of Kondo Kiyohisa at Ichinosawa (modern Sawata, west central Sado, near Mano Bay).
The Esoteric Ichinen Sanzen Honzon or Amulet is one of about 8 early honzon that are not dated. It is thouht that it was written in June of 1272 at Ichino-no-sawa. There are 3 Nichiren Temples that I know of in the Sawata area. These are Abutsubo Myosenji, Sado Jisso-ji, and Sado Myoshoji. Sado Myoshoji was likely the site of the residence of Kondo Kiyohisa.
What makes the Ichinen Sanzen Mandara unique, is the inclusion of the siddham, or two esoteric sanskrit seed symbols, for the Buddha Mahavairochana (Dainichi). In Nichiren’s time, the eclectic-syncretic Jimon-Tendai and Shingon Schools, who ran the Buddhist temples at Kamakura Tsurugaoka Hachimaguji, viewed Shinto Kami as manifestations of Buddhist Divinities. The most important of these was the syntheses of the Sun Goddess Amaterasu Omikami or Tensho Daijin with Dainichi. This also relates to the Siddham symbols for Aizen and Fudo, which are on many of Nichiren’s Mandala Gohonzon.
Side Note or Scriptural Quotation: 當知身土一念三千。故成道時稱此本理。一身一念遍於法界。 [from: Annotations on "Great Concentration and Insight" 止観輔行伝弘決 {Shikan-bugyo-den-guketsu} by 妙楽 {Miao-lo, Myoraku, aka Chan-jan}] [The same sentence is also found in 観心本尊抄 {Kanjin Honzon Sho}]
"The Great Teacher Miao-lo says: 'You should understand that one’s life and its environment at a single moment encompass the three thousand realms. Therefore, when one attains the Buddha way, one puts oneself in accord with this fundamental principle, and one’s body and mind at a single moment pervade the entire realm of phenomena.'" -- Kanjin Honzon Sho, WND translation
"One should achieve the gnosis that one's body and land is the reality of Ichinen Sanzen. When one attains the way by the cause of invoking this original principle, one's body and ichinen pervade all of the Dharma Realm." -- my translation of the same phrase.
