Buddha (nyorai)
Daitsūchishōbutsu
大通智勝仏
Daitsūchishōbutsu is a buddha of the past who appears in the Kejōyu-hon chapter of the Lotus Sutra. It is told that he attained awakening after an extremely long period of practice, and that his sixteen princes also left home to become monks and learned the teachings. He appears in the bodhisattva section of the original source, but in the sutra he appears as a buddha (nyorai).
This introduction is based on materials from Shōhōin (Tobi Fudō). It is summarized within the scope of the beliefs and traditions those materials convey, and does not present explanations or customs common to all schools, shrines, and temples.
English pages are the site’s own translations of its Japanese pages. The sources cited are in Japanese. 日本語で読む
A buddha who preached the teachings in the distant past
Daitsūchishōbutsu is a buddha of the past who appears in the Kejōyu-hon chapter of the Lotus Sutra. It is told that he attained awakening after an extremely long period of practice, and that his sixteen princes also left home to become monks and learned the teachings. He appears in the bodhisattva section of the original source, but in the sutra he appears as a buddha (nyorai).
Source: 広済寺・飛不動尊 正宝院
Sixteen princes carry on the teachings
While Daitsūchishōbutsu is quietly meditating, the sixteen princes preach the Lotus Sutra to the people. It is revealed that they later became buddhas in various lands, and that one of them was Shaka. It is a story in which a bond with the teachings continues across a long span of time.
Source: 広済寺
Related kami and buddhas
Sources (in Japanese)
- 飛不動尊 正宝院「仏様の世界：大通智勝仏」（2026-10-14 確認）
- 飛不動尊 正宝院「仏様の世界：目次」（2026-10-14 確認）
- 東寺「天、菩薩、明王、如来」（2026-10-14 確認）
- 広済寺「法華経解説：化城喩品第七」（2026-10-15 確認）