Buddha (nyorai)
Jōkōbutsu
定光仏
Jōkōbutsu is a buddha of the past also called by names such as 錠光仏 and Nentōbutsu. It is said that in a past life, when Shaka was still a practitioner, this buddha foretold that he would become a buddha in the future. This prediction is called juki, and it is valued as a story showing that practice leads to awakening.
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 of the past who foretold Shaka's buddhahood
Jōkōbutsu is a buddha of the past also called by names such as 錠光仏 and Nentōbutsu. It is said that in a past life, when Shaka was still a practitioner, this buddha foretold that he would become a buddha in the future. This prediction is called juki, and it is valued as a story showing that practice leads to awakening.
Source: 飛不動尊 正宝院
The bond from teacher to disciple told in the Lotus Sutra
In the story in the Jo-hon (introductory chapter) of the Lotus Sutra, the princes of Nichigatsu Tōmyō Butsu study under Myōkō Bosatsu as their teacher, and the last of them to become a buddha is said to be Nentōbutsu. Buddhas are depicted not as appearing in isolation, but in a relationship of inheriting the teachings of earlier buddhas and teachers.
Source: 広済寺
Related kami and buddhas
Sources (in Japanese)
- 飛不動尊 正宝院「仏様の世界：定光仏」（2026-10-14 確認）
- 飛不動尊 正宝院「仏様の世界：目次」（2026-10-14 確認）
- 広済寺「法華経解説：序品第一（後半）」（2026-10-15 確認）