Honkaku thought - Hongakushisou

Japanese: 本覚思想 - ほんがくしそう

Honkaku is the opposite of shigaku (initial enlightenment). Shigaku is when one first becomes enlightened, and is attained only after listening to teachings and practicing. However, the experience of enlightenment is called honkaku because it is believed that enlightenment is inherently present within oneself. Not realizing honkaku, or the enlightenment that one is inherently endowed with, is called fukaku (unawakening), and it was thought that shigaku could be attained by eliminating unawakening. The word honkaku appears in the Diamond Samadhi Sutra and the Nio Prajna Sutra, and the relationship between shigaku and honkaku is described in the Mahayana Awakening of Faith Treatise.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

本覚とは始覚（しがく）に対する語。始覚とは，はじめて〈さとる〉こと，教えを聞いて修行し，はじめて得られる〈さとり〉。しかし，〈さとり〉を体験するのは，本来わが身にさとりがそなわっているからだとして，それを本覚と名づける。本覚，すなわち本来そなえている覚（さとり）に気づかないことを不覚（ふかく）といい，不覚をとりはらうことによって始覚を得られると考えられた。《金剛三昧経》《仁王般若経》に本覚の語がみえ，《大乗起信論》には始覚と本覚との関係が述べられている。

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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