The New International Encyclopædia/Shin-gon

​Shin′-gon′ (Jap., True Word). A Japanese sect of Buddhists. It was founded in the beginning of the ninth century A.D. by Kobo Daishi. Dissatisfied with Buddhism as taught in Japan, he visited China in 802–804, and returning formed his sect. Its doctrine bears little resemblance to the teachings of the historic Gautama, and he is held in relatively light esteem. The worship centres in Vairocana, a quasi-divine being, who is a greater Buddha: he is truth and his emblem is the sun. He is represented as surrounded by four planets, Gautama being one of them, and these again by smaller satellites, and these again by others forming a complete system. This represents the unchanging universe of pure ideas, the ‘diamond world,’ the true world, only intellectually conceived. Around Vairocana is arranged, like the petals of a lotus, also the phenomenal world, so that all things centre in him. There are two ways of approach, by the intellect and by morality. He who attains salvation perceives the complete unity of both systems and becomes himself identical with Vairocana. The sect was eclipsed in popularity by the rise of the Shin-shu (q.v.) and the Nichiren sects, and at present has comparatively little influence. Consult: Nanjio, Short History of the Twelve Japanese Buddhist Sects (Tokio, 1887); Griffis, The Religions of Japan (New York, 1895).