noun
manifestation of a Buddha as a Shinto kami
A term from honji suijaku thought, where a Buddhist deity temporarily appears in the form of a native Japanese kami to save sentient beings. Often encountered in historical and religious contexts, especially in reference to figures like Tokugawa Ieyasu (Tōshō Daigongen).
東照大権現は徳川家康の神号である。
Tōshō Daigongen is the posthumous Shinto title of Tokugawa Ieyasu.
権現造りの神社は、本地垂迹の思想
Shrines built in the Gongen style reflect the honji suijaku concept.
The broader doctrine of which 権現 is a specific manifestation; 本地垂迹 is the theory, while 権現 is the actual temporary form taken by the Buddha.
Another type of syncretic deity, but 明神 often implies a more direct, luminous manifestation, whereas 権現 emphasizes the provisional, expedient nature of the appearance.
From 権 (provisional, temporary) and 現 (manifestation), translating the Sanskrit concept of avatāra or nirmāṇa-kāya in a Japanese Buddhist-Shinto syncretic context.