Nothing obliges you to return it
Before anything else: there is no problem whatever with keeping a finished book.
A goshuin book is a record of visits made. It does not expire and it is not something held on loan. The reasoning that applies to amulets and paper talismans, replaced each year, does not apply here.
People keep decades of books at home as a matter of course. Since the point of the book is to be looked back at, at home is where it belongs.
Four ways to go
| Option | Suits | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Keep it | Wanting to look back at it | Only the storage conditions need attention |
| Placed in the coffin | Where the person wished it | Arrange with the funeral director in advance |
| Offered for otakiage | Where keeping it is not practical | Confirm it is accepted first |
| Passed to family | Keeping it as a record | Pass on the storage advice too |
Placing the book in the coffin is a long-standing custom and it is not the correct answer over the others. Funeral directors now restrict what may be placed, so it needs arranging in advance.
Offering it for otakiage
Where keeping it is genuinely not practical, a shrine or temple may accept it for ritual burning. Not everywhere does.
- 1. Confirm it is acceptedBy website or telephone. A place with a receptacle for old talismans may still not take books
- 2. Choose whereUsually somewhere that wrote in the book, or somewhere local
- 3. Ask about the feeSome set an amount; others leave it to you
- 4. Take it in personIn a bag or a box, carried carefully
For a book mixing shrine and temple entries, ask before you go. Handling differs between schools. Whether to separate books at all is covered in the one book or two finder.
What mangan actually means
Mangan properly means completing a vow or a pilgrimage. Applying it to a book that has run out of pages is a derived use.
- Completing a circuit: every temple on the route visited. Some routes issue a certificate of completion
- A full book: the pages are used up. A milestone, but not one that calls for a ceremony
Filling a book requires no ritual and no report to anyone. You get the next one and carry on.
For circuit completion, follow the guidance of the route itself. The difference between the books is set out in nokyocho and goshuimoncho.
Moving to the next book
Line the next one up as the pages run down and you will not be caught short.
- Count what is left. If you are not using the reverse, it is often less than you think
- Choose the next book. Fix whatever annoyed you: heavier paper, or the large format
- Buy it where you are visiting, and the first page can be written on the spot
- Move the finished book into storage, a paulownia box or similar, since it will be opened rarely now
Whether you use the reverse doubles or halves what is left; read using the reverse side first. Storage is in storing your goshuin book, and sourcing the next book in where to buy a book.
Read next
Practice around goshuin and the books that hold them differs between shrines, temples and Buddhist schools. What follows is general orientation, not a rule. Notices posted on site and the guidance of the office there always take precedence. Nichiren-shu temples inscribe a goshuimon, and some will not write it into a book that already holds entries from elsewhere.
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Frequently asked questions
Do I have to return a finished goshuin book?
No. A goshuin book is a record of visits made; it does not expire and is not held on loan. The yearly-replacement reasoning that applies to amulets and talismans does not apply, and people keep decades of books at home as a matter of course.
Will a shrine or temple burn my old book for me?
Some accept books for otakiage and some do not. A receptacle for old talismans does not necessarily take books, so check the website or telephone first. A book mixing shrine and temple entries is handled differently by different schools.
Should a goshuin book be placed in the coffin?
It is one long-standing custom, not the correct answer over the others. Keeping it, passing it to family and offering it for otakiage are all available. Funeral directors now restrict what may be placed, so arrange it in advance if that is the wish.
What does mangan mean?
Properly, completing a vow or a pilgrimage. On a numbered circuit it means visiting every temple on the route, and some routes issue a certificate. Applying it to a book that has run out of pages is a derived use, and needs no ceremony.
When should I get my next book?
As the pages run down. If you are not using the reverse there is often less left than you think. Buying the new book at a place you are visiting lets you have the first page written on the spot.