Incarnation - Gonge

Japanese: 権化 - ごんげ

It refers to the state or form in which a god, Buddha, or supernatural being appears for a certain purpose in the form of a human or animal. It is a Chinese translation of the Sanskrit word avatāra. It is also called kegen, ougen, gongen, or jigen, and the incarnated form is called keshin. It corresponds to the English word incarnation, and is translated as juniku, keniku, or takushin in Christianity in particular.

[Akira Sakabe]

Incarnation in Hinduism

In India, there has been a strong belief since ancient times that gods are incarnated in this world. Particularly famous is the theory that the compassionate god Vishnu is incarnated 10 times, in the following order: a fish, a turtle, a wild boar, a man-lion, a dwarf, Parashurama (Rama with an axe), Rama, Krishna, Buddha, and Kalki, to save humanity. Rama and Krishna are heroes who appear in the two great epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, Buddha refers to the historical Gautama Buddha, and Kalki is said to appear in a future evil age to save people. There is also a common belief that Indian gods are incarnated as animals such as cows, monkeys, chickens, and snakes, and this belief remains a part of Indian life to this day.

[Akira Sakabe]

Incarnation in Buddhism

In primitive Buddhism, the gods that had existed since ancient times were not recognized, but in Mahayana Buddhism they were gradually incorporated as guardian deities. Gautama Buddha recognized Dharma (law) as universal truth as the basis for his disciples. However, after his death, his disciples came to see Gautama Buddha as the embodiment of eternal principles, and several theories of the Buddha's body developed. In Japan, the syncretic Shinto-Buddhist idea of Honji Suijakusetsu, which holds that the original nature of Shinto gods is Buddha and Bodhisattva, became common after the Heian period.

[Akira Sakabe]

The Incarnation in Christianity

The doctrine that God appeared in person as His Son, Jesus Christ, in order to save mankind, was already seen by Paul, and after a great controversy it was accepted as orthodox doctrine.

[Akira Sakabe]

[Reference] | Incarnation | Gongen

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

神や仏、あるいは超自然的存在が、ある目的をもって人間あるいは動物などの姿となり、かりに現れた状態、またその形相をいう。サンスクリット語アバターラavatāraの漢訳。化現(けげん)、応現(おうげん)、権現(ごんげん)、示現(じげん)ともいい、権化した形を化身(けしん)という。英語のインカーネーションincarnationにあたり、とくにキリスト教では受肉(じゅにく)、化肉(けにく)、託身(たくしん)と訳す。

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ヒンドゥー教における権化

インドでは古来、神々がこの世に権化するとされる説が根強くある。とくに有名なのは慈悲に満ちたビシュヌ神の権化説で、魚、亀(かめ)、野猪(やちょ)、人獅子(にんじし)、矮人(わいじん)、パラシュラーマ（斧(おの)を持つラーマ）、ラーマ、クリシュナ、ブッダ、カルキの順に10回権化して人間を救うという。ラーマとクリシュナは『マハーバーラタ』『ラーマーヤナ』の二大叙事詩に登場する英雄であり、ブッダは歴史上のゴータマ・ブッダ（釈迦(しゃか)）をさし、カルキは未来の悪世に登場して人々を救うという。また一般にインドの神々はウシ、サル、ニワトリ、ヘビなどの動物となって権化するとされる信仰があり、今日までインド人の生活に溶け込んでいる。

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仏教における権化

原始仏教においては、古来からあった神々を認めなかったが、大乗仏教に入ると護法神として徐々に取り入れていった。ゴータマ・ブッダが弟子たちのよりどころとして認めたのは、普遍的な真理としてのダルマ（法）であった。しかし仏滅後、弟子たちはゴータマ・ブッダを永遠の理法が権化したものとみるようになり、いくつかの仏身論が展開されていった。わが国では、神道の神々の本地(ほんじ)は仏(ぶつ)・菩薩(ぼさつ)であるとする本地垂迹説(ほんじすいじゃくせつ)の神仏習合思想が平安時代以後一般化した。

［坂部　明］