Myōken

A Myoken statue of Hōun-ji, Kami, Hyōgo

Myōken Bodhisattva, or Myōken Bosatsu in Japanese, (Japanese: 妙見菩薩) or Hokushin-sonsei-myōken Daibosatsu, is a bodhisattva, who is the deification of the North Star. It is mainly associated with the Nichiren, Shingon and Tendai temples.

As god of the Polestar, he was associated with Amenominakanushi-no-kami, but also Kisshoten (one of the Seven Lucky Gods) and Yakushi Nyōrai (medicine god). Myōken has always been worshipped by the Heike, and among them one of the first samurai, Taira-no-Masakado. Even today, he is still worshipped by the Sōma clan's lords and honorary generals, as part of the rituals of Sōma Nomaoi.

See also


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