Why do we believe in Kannon

It is roughly written as “Kannon, Amida Nyorai, Daikokuten, etc.,” but the context of why each Buddha and Bodhisattva is worshipped differs depending on their dignity and purpose.
For example, there are ways to answer questions such as why Kannon Bosatsu is emphasized and worshipped in the Soto sect, but it is impossible to answer the question if it is too general.
Incidentally, when it comes to the Soto sect and Kannon faith, Kannon Bosatsu is revered as an ideal image and great predecessor of the Bodhisattva path, where he has already completed Buddhism and is virtually the same as Nyorai, yet remains a Bodhisattva according to his vows and continues to be sentient. At least for religious priests, it's not the kind of person who asks “please make me rich” or “let me pass to ○○ university” and get it fulfilled.
As an encouragement for one's own ascetic practice, the idea of “Buddha Zunen,” which observes the Buddha as an ideal image, is explained not only in Mahayana Buddhism, but also in Theravada sutras, which are thought to be close to Shakyamuni's direct explanation.
Please try studying more.

It may have been a bit of an outcast, but the fact that you have a monk's license means you've already passed through the entrance of a real monk.
However, this is not a time when you feel like you've captured something with a vague phrase you've heard somewhere, such as “look at yourself and realize it” or “I will help myself.” They say “look at yourself and realize,” but what is self actually? How do I end up staring at you? What is enlightenment in the first place? Sect priests are required to accept it as their own problem. In that respect, it is exactly necessary to “help myself.” Let's work hard together.

Hi

“Kanjizai Bosatsu” is the origin of the sutra “Heart Sutra,” which is often read by Buddhists, and this is written as “Kanjizai Bosatsu,” and it means Kannon (Kanzeon Bosatsu). Kannon appears at the beginning of the most famous sutras. The starting point of worship for Eizan Zenji, one of the two ancestors of the Soto sect, was Kannon worship. As you can see, it can be said that Kannon and Buddhism are closely related.

I'll change my point of view a bit, but Japanese people have the idea that “ladyboys are watching.” In modern times, ladyboys (the sun) are stars in the galaxy shining due to hydrogen fusion, and they probably don't have eyes that can see people's actions, but even so, we still have the idea of “let's not do bad things even in places where there are no people,” even now. Also, we still treat things we can't see with awe, such as drawing “omikuji,” doing magic tricks, and putting our hands together with our ancestors. You might laugh it off if it's unscientific now, but as you can see even by watching the taiga drama “To Your Light” last year, ancient people cast curses as a real problem, and there are scenes that cast curses even in “Berabou,” which is currently being broadcast, so you can see how unseen things were treated as reality until just a little while ago.

You can imagine that India was the same at the time of the birth of Buddhism. When the Buddha attained enlightenment, even if he explained the truth he had learned, he thought it was useless because people wouldn't be able to understand it, and he just tried to settle into a comfortable world of enlightenment. However, there is a story that Bonten requested that the law be preached, and Shakyamuni decided to preach the law after being prompted by this. “Bonten” was the god of India at the time and should not have actually existed as a historical figure, but “Bonten” appears in a very normal context. Other Indian gods probably came to Japan along with Buddhism in this way.

It was in the last few decades or so in the history of mankind that we began to say “science,” “evidence,” etc. I think things that are invisible have continued to be worshipped over a long history.
I wasn't able to talk about it enough due to the number of characters, but as the monk who answered earlier said, each rank has something different, so I think it's a good idea to do your own research.

Most Japanese adults probably don't believe in Santa's reality, but they are familiar with the character Santa.
Isn't Kannon Bosatsu like that too?
There are many people who are familiar with the character Kannon Bosatsu, and I think that way of believing is quite different from the way believers in monotheism believe in only one god.
Temples also have theme park elements, and there is an aspect of enjoying events at temples, such as statues of Buddha and bodhisattvas, ringing bells, etc., offering incense, putting in offerings, and buying amulets and souvenirs depending on the temple.
There are also temples where Buddha statues that are not the main principal image of the sect are gaining popularity.
If you become a monk belonging to a temple, I think the “job” of running a historic theme park often sticks to you.
The other day, I did Jizo Bon at home, but there is no detailed doctrine about Jizo Bosatsu in the Jodo sect.
However, I believe that local Jizo, which has been around for a long time, can also be used as an opportunity for edification by local people to enjoy events related to it.