hotoke

The Japanese noun {{nihongo|hotoke|仏}} is a word of Buddhist origin and uncertain etymology. It has several meanings, all but a few directly linked to Buddhism. It can refer to:

• A person who has achieved satori (state of enlightenment) and has therefore become a "buddha".Iwanami {{nihongo|Kōjien|広辞苑}} Japanese dictionary, 6th Edition (2008), DVD version (In Buddhism, the term "buddha" in the lower case refers to a person who has become enlightened (i.e., awakened to the truth).)New Oxford American Dictionary 2nd edition, 2005, Oxford University Press, Inc.The term is also sometimes used to represent Buddhism as a whole. For example, the expression {{nihongo|"kami and hotoke"|神と仏}} draws a distinction between Japanese kami and the enlightened beings of foreign Buddhism.
• The historical Gautama Buddha himself
• The statue or the name of a buddha
• The laws of Buddhism
• Figuratively, the performing of a Buddhist memorial service. The Eiga Monogatari for example contains a sentence in which the term is used in that sense.
• In common parlance, a dead person; someone's soul
• Figuratively, a benevolent person or someone dear to one's heart
• Hotoke can also be a person's name or a nickname. It is for example a female character in the Heike Monogatari and daimyō Kōriki Kiyonaga's nickname.