Hotoke
# Hotoke

The Japanese noun 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". (In Buddhism, the term "buddha" in the lower case refers to a person who has become enlightened (i.e., awakened to the truth).)
* 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.
