Myoken - Myoken

Japanese: 妙見 - みょうけん

A Buddhist term for the North Star, or the Alpha star of Ursa Minor. It is also called Hokushin Myoken. Myoken Bosatsu is a deity who protects the land and relieves poverty, and is said to appear in this world as the North Star. Because the Big Dipper surrounding the North Star is added as a background in Buddhist statues and paintings, Myoken and Hokuto are often confused. Due to the legend that the Hokuto is a sword that protects the Heavenly Emperor, Myoken was believed to protect military fortune, and military commanders such as Taira no Masakado and Kato Kiyomasa made it their guardian deity. (→Hokushin)

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

北極星すなわちこぐま座α星の仏教語。北辰妙見とも呼ばれる。妙見菩薩は，国土を守り貧窮を救う神で，北極星としてこの世に現れるという。仏像や絵画には，北極星をめぐる北斗七星が背景として加えられるために，しばしば妙見と北斗が混同される。北斗は天帝を守る剣であるという伝説から，妙見は武運を守ると信じられ，平将門，加藤清正など武将はこれを守り神とした。 (→北辰 )

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