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Concept
Ofuda
Summary
In Shinto and Buddhism in Japan, an お札/御札 is a talisman made out of various materials such as paper, wood, cloth or metal. Ofuda are commonly found in both Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples and are considered to be imbued with the power of the deities (kami) or Buddhist figures revered therein. Such amulets are also called 護符.
Certain kinds of ofuda are intended for a specific purpose (such as protection against calamity or misfortune, safety within the home, or finding love) and may be kept on one's person or placed on other areas of the home (such as gates, doorways, kitchens, or ceilings). Paper ofuda may also be referred to as 紙札, while those made of wood may be called 木札. Omamori, another kind of Japanese amulet, shares the same origin as and may be considered as a smaller, portable version of ofuda.
A specific type of ofuda is a talisman issued by a Shinto shrine on which is written the name of the shrine or its enshrined kami and stamped with the shrine's seal. Such ofuda, also called 神札, 御神札 or 神符, are often placed on household Shinto altars (kamidana) and revered both as a symbol of the shrine and its deity (or deities) – containing the kami's essence or power by virtue of its consecration – and a medium through which the kami in question can be accessed by the worshiper. In this regard they are somewhat similar to (but not the same as) goshintai, physical objects which serve as repositories for kami in Shinto shrines.
In a similar vein, Buddhist ofuda are regarded as imbued with the spirit and the virtue of buddhas, bodhisattvas, or other revered figures of the Buddhist pantheon, essentially functioning in many cases as a more economic alternative to Buddhist icons and statuary.
The origins of Shinto and Buddhist ofuda may be traced from both the Taoist lingfu, introduced to Japan via Onmyōdō (which adopted elements of Taoism), and woodblock prints of Buddhist texts and images produced by temples since the Nara and Heian periods.
Official source
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