Prayer - Ganmon

A text expressing the intention of a prayer made to the gods and Buddhas. It is also read as "ganbun" and is called ryugamon (prayer text). It generally begins with "Respectfully submitted, prayer" and ends with the words "The matter is as stated in the prayer." They were also written for prayers for long-lasting luck in battle, recovery from illness, and other such things, as well as when offering prayers for the construction of temples, pagodas, and Buddha statues, and when holding Buddhist ceremonies. For example, the inscriptions on the halo of the gilt bronze Shaka Triad in the Golden Hall of Horyuji Temple, which contain prayers such as "Long life after illness" and "Go to the Pure Land and quickly attain perfect results," are thought to be some of the oldest examples of prayer texts. They express the intention of the prayer by praising the divine virtues and benefits before the gods and Buddhas, and the contents are genuine, and many of the surviving prayer texts are valuable materials for the study of the history of faith.

[Ken Mitsuhashi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

神仏に願を立てるとき、その願意を表した文章。「がんぶん」とも読み、立願文(りゅうがんもん)ともいう。一般に、「敬白、立願事」で始まり、「立願之状如件(くだんのごとし)」という語で終わっている。武運長久、傷病平癒などをはじめ、造寺・造塔・造仏の供養や仏事を修した際などにも作成された。たとえば、法隆寺金堂の金銅釈迦(しゃか)三尊像の光背の銘文に「転病延寿」とか「往登浄土、早昇妙果」などと発願(ほつがん)しているのは、願文のもっとも古い例の一つと考えられる。神仏の前で神徳や利益(りやく)をたたえ、願意を表すので、その内容に偽りがなく、残されている多くの願文は信仰史研究上貴重な資料となっている。

［三橋　健］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例