Belief in the guardian deity

Japanese: 番神信仰 - ばんじんしんこう

Banshin is an abbreviation of Sanjubanshin. It is a belief that 30 gods enshrined throughout Japan take turns protecting the country and its people for each of the 30 days of the month. The belief was born from the idea of syncretism between Shinto and Buddhism, and in the mid-Heian period, they were revered as deities protecting the Nyoho-kyo Sutra. Nichizo, who spread the Nichiren sect in Kyoto, adopted the belief in Sanjubanshin and worshiped them as the guardian deities of the land where the Lotus Sutra spread. After this, the belief in Banshin became popular at Nichiren sect temples in Kyoto and other places, and many temples built Banshin halls on their grounds.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

番神は三十番神の略称。日本国中にまつる30の神々が，1ヵ月30日の間，毎日，順番に国家と人々を守るという信仰である。神仏習合思想から生まれた信仰で，平安時代中期には如法（によほう）経守護の神として仰がれた。京都を舞台に日蓮宗を広めた日像は，三十番神信仰をとり入れて，《法華経》の広まる国土の守護神としてまつった。この後，京都をはじめとする各地の日蓮宗寺院では番神信仰が盛んとなり，境内に番神堂を構えた寺も多い。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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