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principal object of worship (at a Buddhist temple); principal image
idol; icon; object of adoration
the man himself; the person at the heart of the matter
お寺の本尊に手を合わせた。
I put my hands together before the temple's principal image.
この本尊は鎌倉時代に作られた。
This principal image was made in the Kamakura period.
秘仏とされている本尊は年に一度だけ公開される。
The principal image, considered a hidden Buddha, is displayed only once a year.