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Nichiren
Shoshu
Buddhism
The Hoando at the Head Temple Taisekiji, Japan
A publication of
Seiganzan Myoshinji Temple
2631 Appian Way
Pinole, California
http://nichirenshoshumyoshinji.org/
Copyright © 1993 - 2007
INTRODUCTION
Although some Buddhist
and non-Buddhist faiths acknowledge the validity of other religious paths
and some accept the premise that most religions essentially strive for the
same end, Nichiren Shoshu teaches that there is only one valid path, and
that path is a practice based on an incomparable object of worship that
embodies both the pristine origins of the end and the end itself. Relying
on a step-by-step summary of the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha and
Nichiren Daishonin, this booklet explains - for those willing to explore
this practice - why the path of Nichiren Daishonin, as preserved by
Nichiren Shoshu, should be considered superior to all others.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Buddhism is generally
considered to be a religion founded by Shakyamuni Buddha in the foothills
of the Himalayan Mountains, south of central Nepal. Modern scholars have
concluded that Shakyamuni lived around 500 to 600 B.C., but threads of
Buddhist ecclesiastic tradition hold that he actually lived much earlier,
around 1,000 B.C. Regardless of which estimate is most accurate, however,
most would agree that, when Shakyamuni began to advance Buddhist
principles, Brahmanism had a substantial influence on that area of the
world.
Under Brahman theology,
each person possessed a transmigratory soul, storing the remnants of good
and bad actions from many past lifetimes.
The accumulated
characteristics of this soul determined if one was predestined for a life
in the preeminent clergy; noble and warrior; merchant and
artisan; or slave and servant castes.
There was also a belief associated with Brahmanism, which held
that an individual could break free from the transmigratory soul through
union with the underlying essence of the universe, called Brahma.(1)
Their religious observances included accepting and diligently fulfilling
one’s duties as a member of a caste, worshiping deities who served as
functionaries of Brahma, respecting and supporting the role of the
clergy, ritualistic bathing, animal sacrifices, and austerities that
ranged from self-denial to severe asceticism.
Shakyamuni's given
name was Siddhartha Gautama. He was born a Prince in the Shakya clan, and
raised with many of the advantages of royal life, including a stately home
and a sound education. He was also considered to be deeply concerned about
the human condition. Eventually, due to his concern for humanity and, of
course, the influence of Brahmanism, he came to the conclusion that the
primary suffering shared by all people was the perpetual cycle of birth,
aging, sickness and death. Compelled by this awareness, he left his
father's kingdom in pursuit of a way to overcome these four universal
sufferings.
After years of
sustained effort that included meditation and a period of severe physical
deprivation, followed by a much more moderate practice, he reached a
turning point in his quest. While meditating under a tree outside the city
of Gaya, at about age thirty Shakyamuni attained what is commonly referred
to as enlightenment. Although enlightenment is difficult to explain
because, by definition, it goes beyond comprehension, it can be said, based
on a study of Shakyamuni's teachings, that his entire being was
permanently enveloped at that moment by a profound realm that came from
within himself, that simultaneously pervaded all existence, and was so
majestic and omnipotent that it could be none other than the fundamental
basis for all life's functions. From the perspective of his Buddhahood,
which was considered much deeper than anything previously experienced by
Brahman sages, Shakyamuni was able to appreciate the primary interrelation
of all existence, past and future lifetimes, the absolute pure core of
each human being, and a way for all humanity to alleviate everyday
suffering and the sufferings that recur lifetime after lifetime. For the
remainder of his historical existence, which lasted about fifty more
years, he traveled throughout India, engaging in
discourses called sutras, to teach others how they too could attain
enlightenment.
During the first month
of his ministry, it is believed that Shakyamuni revealed one of the most
profound aspects of his enlightenment. That is that all things are
interrelated and give rise to one another.
Thereafter, to help his
followers abandon worldly desires, he taught the Four Noble Truths, which
defined the origins of suffering as cravings for material satisfaction.
These Truths further instructed that suffering could be eliminated by
strictly following a life based on the Eightfold Path of right view, right
thinking, right speech, right action, right way of life, right endeavor,
right mindfulness, and right meditation. Through a practice based on these
guidelines, which also included detailed rules of conduct, his community
of monks were told they could extinguish their desires, find peace of
mind, transcend the world of form and attachment, and thereafter attain
a preliminary form of enlightenment.
As his teachings evolved,
however, Shakyamuni shifted his emphasis from the Eightfold Path and
strict rules of conduct, to a more conceptual practice based on the Six
Paramitas of almsgiving, keeping the precepts, patience, persistence,
meditation and striving for profound wisdom. Around this time he also
encouraged the monks in his entourage to, first, fully embrace the
bodhisattva-way by helping others attain enlightenment and, second, to
think of karma in much more complex terms than taught by the Brahmans of
his day.(2)
This period was then succeeded by over two decades of
instruction on the principal of non-substantiality to clarify that,
through the Buddha’s eyes, both existence and non-existence must be
considered when determining the reality of all things.
Along the way Shakyamuni
also referred to the benefits offered by other Buddhas. For example, Amida
Buddha (Sanskrit: Amitayus or Amitabhu) was said to reside in the Pure
Land of Utmost Bliss located in another galaxy. As an alternative to
adhering to austere practices, the monks in attendance during the Amida
sutra were told,
… if a good man or woman who hears of Amida Buddha holds fast to his name
… with concentrated and undistracted mind, then, at the hour of death, Amida Buddha will appear before them with a host of holy ones.
Consequently, when their life comes to an end, the aspirants’ minds will
not fall into confusion and so will be born immediately in the
land of Utmost Bliss of
Amida Buddha.
(Three
Pureland Sutras, 3rd Ed., p. 351)
Another Buddha mentioned by Shakyamuni was Dainichi (Sanskrit:
Mahavairochana). According to Shakyamuni, the path to enlightenment of
Dainichi Buddha was founded on great compassion, observing the true aspect
of one’s mind, and rituals that involved hand gestures, esoteric chants
and the worship of an assortment of sacred objects.
During the last eight
years of Shakyamuni’s life, however, he no longer spoke about Amida and
Dainichi Buddhas. And the Four Noble Truths, the Six Paramitas and the
doctrine of non-substantiality were referred to only as preliminary
lessons. Instead, he focused primarily on teaching the Lotus Sutra. As
Shakyamuni explained,
Knowing that all living beings have many kinds of desires deeply attached
in their minds, I have, according to their capacity, expounded the laws by
various reasonings, parabolic expressions, and tactful powers. Sariputra!
Such teachings all are in order to secure perfect knowledge of the One
Buddha-vehicle.
(Threefold
Lotus Sutra, Weatherhill, p. 61)
The “One Buddha-vehicle”
described here was the Lotus Sutra, which Shakyamuni proclaimed to be the
supreme teaching of all Buddhas.(3)
It was also in the Lotus
Sutra that Shakyamuni made his most profound revelation, announcing that
he had actually attained enlightenment many lifetimes before his existence
in India, after assiduously practicing the bodhisattva-way. This astounded
his followers since they had been told for decades that he initially
attained Buddhahood during his current existence outside the city of
Gaya.(4)
Although
there are many important teachings in the Lotus Sutra as well as the
sutras that complement it, three of the most important are, first, the
proclamation that those who embrace the Lotus Sutra can purify their
senses and accumulated negative causes without eradicating earthly
desires. This has become known as the principle of transforming earthly
desires into enlightenment.(5)
Second, the revelation that all people, regardless of social class,
gender, evil disposition, aptitude or other distinction, can attain
Buddhahood.(6) And, third,
that enlightenment is the manifestation of an eternally compassionate aspect of life, which
resides
at every moment in the realities of existence.
AFTER SHAKYAMUNI
Shortly after
Shakyamuni passed away, his successor presided over a council that was
held to recall, recite and confirm the Buddha's teachings. As Buddhism
spread into India, similar councils were held about once every hundred
years for the next three centuries.
While these efforts at
unification were underway, there were also many divisions in the faith.
The most significant of these was the schism between the so-called
Hinayana and Mahayana schools. Around the end of the first century B.C., a
faction of Buddhists emerged who opposed the mainstream emphasis on
attaining personal enlightenment through following strict rules of
monastic discipline, based on a literal interpretation of Shakyamuni's
earlier teachings. As this opposition movement evolved it became known as
Mahayana, meaning great or superior vehicle, while the traditional
mainstream school became known as Hinayana, or lesser vehicle. Mahayana
was thought to be superior to Hinayana because it sought to unite Buddhism
on a more comprehensive level by clarifying the true meaning of
Shakyamuni's teachings and by embracing a practice that was not only for
one's own enlightenment, but also for the enlightenment of others.(7)
By the time the last of Shakyamuni's twenty-four successors was executed
for his Buddhist beliefs in the sixth century A.D., Mahayana Buddhism had
become widely accepted in India, although Hinayana Buddhism remained a
substantial influence.
As Buddhism spread
northward into China, T'ien T'ai (Chih-i), a Chinese Buddhist monk who
lived in the sixth century, conducted a thorough study of Hinayana and
Mahayana sutras found in India, China, and elsewhere. Based on this
research and enlightened insight, he classified Shakyamuni's sutras into
five periods and eight types of teachings, concluding that the Mahayana
teachings were superior to the Hinayana, and that the Lotus Sutra, a
Mahayana sutra, was the foremost of them all.(8)
Also, using a distinction first recognized in the second chapter of the
Lotus Sutra, he classified the pre Lotus Sutra teachings as provisional
and the Lotus Sutra as true, with “provisional” referring to temporary and
“true” to that which the Buddha designated as eternally valid.
In 804 A.D., a Japanese
Buddhist monk by the name of Dengyo traveled to China, mastered T'ien T'ai
Buddhism and returned to
Japan
to reform the Tendai sect based on what he learned. Until shortly
after Dengyo's death,
Japanese Buddhist priests were ordained under Hinayana precepts.
As Buddhism grew in
Japan, its decline in India was becoming apparent. Islamic forces
conducted a series of incursions into India from the seventh through the
tenth centuries, with a full-scale invasion in the eleventh century. At
the same time, Indian Buddhist faiths began to deteriorate under the
influence of pre Lotus Sutra teachings, which gradually diminished in
their power to help people.
Chinese Buddhism met a
similar fate due to the infusion of so many variations of Shakyamuni's
earlier teachings. Also influencing the decline of Buddhism in China was
the Mongol invasion that began early in the thirteenth century and the
acceptance of more traditional philosophies such as Taoism and
Confucianism.
It was in this context, over 750 years ago, that
Nichiren Daishonin emerged to alter the course of Buddhism for generations
to come.
NICHIREN DAISHONIN
Nichiren Daishonin was
born in Japan in 1222.(9)
His father was a common fisherman. At age twelve, the Daishonin entered a Buddhist temple
and, at sixteen, he was ordained a priest. Eventually, after studying
Buddhism for a total of twenty years at numerous temples throughout Japan,
he reached the conclusion that the Lotus Sutra was supreme among all of Shakyamuni's sutras.
This took a
considerable amount of wisdom to unravel, since the Tendai sect
established by Dengyo four centuries earlier had succumbed to multiple
schisms, thereafter losing its focus on the Lotus Sutra. As a result,
sects that relied on Shakyamuni's preliminary sutras dominated Buddhism in
Japan. Some required adherence to strict rules of proper behavior and
correct eating habits; some developed meditation practices based on
Shakyamuni's earlier sutras; others believed in esoteric spells to attain the
Way; and another encouraged worship of Amida Buddha, who was said to be
more powerful than Shakyamuni. The Zen sect, widely embraced by the
samurai class, maintained that enlightenment was not to be found in any of
the sutras, but rather in the direct perception of one's mind through
meditation.
As Nichiren Daishonin
was aware, however, it was only through a belief in the teachings of the
Lotus Sutra that one could appreciate the mere preparatory value of
Shakyamuni's earlier teachings. Accordingly, religions that based their
fundamental doctrine on the earlier teachings or rejected the sutras
entirely were inherently defective and, instead of guiding followers into
the tranquility of Buddhahood, were actually reinforcing deluded notions
leading to suffering.
Nichiren Daishonin chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
for the first time on
April 28th,1253.
At about the same time that the Daishonin became convinced of this
correlation, Japan began to experience a series of unusually severe
storms, floods, droughts, earthquakes and epidemics. In his treatise, "Rissho
Ankoku Ron," Nichiren Daishonin described the situation as follows:
Famine
and disease rage more fiercely than ever, beggars are everywhere in sight,
and scenes of death fill our eyes. Cadavers pile up in mounds like
observation platforms, dead bodies lie side by side like planks on a
bridge.
Through the eyes of
the Daishonin:
The people of today
all turn their backs on what is right; to a man, they give their
allegiance to evil. That is the reason why the benevolent deities have
abandoned the nation, why sages leave and do not return. And in their
stead come devils and demons, disasters and calamities that arise one
after another.
(The Major Writings of
Nichiren Daishonin (MWND), vol. two, p. 5)
THE LATTER DAY OF THE LAW
Also important to understanding the role of Nichiren Daishonin is the
prophecy in the Lotus Sutra about the Latter Day of the Law. The Latter
Day of the Law is an immensely long period of time that was predicted to
begin approximately 2,000 years after Shakyamuni's death. At that point
the purity of Shakyamuni's teachings was to have been lost and someone other than
Shakyamuni was to emerge to teach the true meaning of the Lotus Sutra.
(10)
Furthermore, it was foretold in considerable detail in the Lotus Sutra that those who embraced this person's teaching would be the
recipients of severe persecution, fomented by cunning Buddhist priests.
The ensuing oppression would involve mobs yielding swords and makeshift
clubs, and government officials imposing repeated sentences of exile.
(11)
Nichiren Daishonin experienced a series of remarkably similar hardships
over a fourteen-year period from 1260 to 1274. Initially, in the summer of
1260, he narrowly escaped assassination at the hands of a mob of several
hundred people whipped into a frenzy by opposition priests. When he
returned to the same area the following spring, he was wrongfully charged
with defamation and banished, without investigation or trial, to the
remote peninsula of Izu for a year and nine months.
In another incident, a village steward along with a band of his men
ambushed Nichiren Daishonin and a group of the Daishonin's followers.
During the fight that ensued, Nichiren Daishonin suffered a sword cut to
his forehead and a broken hand. Also, two lay believers who supported him were
killed.
Then, in a flurry of incidents during the last part of this fourteen-year
period, he was arrested and bludgeoned with the very scroll of the Lotus
Sutra predicting such persecutions; charged with treason; narrowly escaped
an arbitrary death sentence imposed by a meddling adversary through the
appearance of a comet that scared his executioners away; was incarcerated
locally for one month; and sent into exile once again. This time confined
to the desolate, windswept,
snowbound island of Sado for two and a half years.
In 1271, Nichiren Daishonin avoided decapitation on the beach at
Tatsunokuchi when a comet appeared at the last moment.
Nichiren Daishonin recognized the prophetic significance of these
persecutions in many of his writings. However, for a full understanding of
the ultimate role of Nichiren Daishonin, it is essential to point out that
he also realized he was someone who went far beyond just fulfilling the
prophecies of the Lotus Sutra. As explained through the following analogy, this
role predated Shakyamuni himself.
SHAKYAMUNI'S AND THE
DAISHONIN'S BUDDHISM COMPARED
Although Nichiren Daishonin appeared many
centuries after Shakyamuni passed away, the Daishonin is considered to be
the Buddha of the True Cause, while Shakyamuni is regarded as the Buddha
of the True Effect. The “True Cause” referring here to the Buddha
who discovers and plants the seeds of Buddhahood, enabling all people to
attain enlightenment at the point when they are first influenced to begin
practicing with pure faith.
The “True Effect” referring to one who appears in a later lifetime as a
magnificent Buddha to harvest the fruits of the seeds first
planted by the Buddha of the True Cause.
Shakyamuni manifested many of the
characteristics associated with one who possessed the full effects of
Buddhahood. He was born into royalty. Later in life, he employed
spectacular supernatural characteristics and apparitional backdrops to
convey the merits of his teachings.
Nichiren Daishonin, on the other hand, was
born into a poor family, trained as a common priest, propagated his faith
under the most severe conditions, and had only the unembellished substance
of his teachings to convince others of their truth. In this way, he was
much more like a Buddha in the original form.
Also, while Shakyamuni’s purpose was to activate the seeds of Buddhahood
planted in others during a previous lifetime, the Daishonin emphasized
that enlightenment actually occurred at the very moment the seed was
planted. The problem, however, was that those living in the Latter Day of
the Law no longer had the seeds of Buddhahood in their life.
As a result, he realized it was up to him to plant them once again.
Furthermore, since this was his role during the modern evolution of
Buddhism, Nichiren Daishonin concluded that he must have been the Original
Buddha who initially laid the seeds of Buddhahood for Shakyamuni and all
others in the far distant past. This principle was clearly expressed in a
letter to one of his disciples:
My heart is where all Buddhas enter
nirvana; my tongue, where they turn the wheel of doctrine; my throat,
where they are born into this world; and my mouth, where they attain
enlightenment.(12)
(MWND, vol. one, p. 264)
Nichiren Shoshu teaches, therefore, that
at the dawn of time a person with great insight became the first one to
attain supreme enlightenment. As a function of this original enlightenment, over countless
centuries numerous bodhisattvas and Buddhas appeared one after the other
to plant, nurture and harvest the seeds of Buddhahood. This process culminated with the appearance
of Shakyamuni in India approximately three thousand years ago. Then,
after Shakyamuni’s death and the purity of his teaching was lost, the
person who first attained Buddhahood at the dawn of time reappeared in
thirteenth century Japan as Nichiren Daishonin to cultivate the barren
fields of
Buddhahood once again.
For these reasons, Nichiren Daishonin is revered as the Buddha of the True
Cause and third person references to Him and His direct successors are, to
conform to Nichiren Shoshu publication standards, hereafter capitalized.
THE PRACTICE OF NICHIREN
DAISHONIN'S BUDDHISM
At the completion of
His training as a priest, Nichiren Daishonin revealed that the fundamental
Law of the universe was Myoho Renge Kyo, the title of the Lotus Sutra
translated from Sanskrit into Chinese. At the same time He established the
invocation of His Buddhism as Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. "Nam" means devotion; "Myo"
means perfection, mystical, wondrous, and beyond conception;
"ho" is Dharma or Law; "Renge" is lotus flower; and "Kyo" is sutra or
teaching.
By chanting Nam Myoho
Renge Kyo, therefore, one is essentially repeating the phrase: "I express
my devotion to the perfectly endowed Mystic Law of the Lotus Sutra." The
lotus is the most fitting of symbols, for one, because at the time of full
bloom both the seed and flower are readily apparent, thus signifying the
merging of cause and effect, and the immediate attainment of Buddhahood.
And also, since a lotus blooms in muddy water, it is commonly recognized
as a metaphor for the attainment of enlightenment while immersed in the
realities of existence.
Later, at the pinnacle
of His life, the Daishonin inscribed the Dai-Gohonzon as the supreme
object of worship for all humanity. The Dai-Gohonzon is revered as the entity
of the Mystic Law, which is the eternal fusion of Myoho Renge Kyo and the
life of Nichiren Daishonin. Boldly inscribed in Chinese characters down
the center of the Dai-Gohonzon is the phrase, "Nam Myoho Renge Kyo Nichiren." In the background, also in Chinese characters, are the
names of Shakyamuni and Taho Buddha, many other Buddhas and bodhisattvas,
the great teacher T'ien T'ai, Dengyo, those representing life conditions
from the most evil to most compassionate, and others. Along the borders
are the names of the protective deities, who vowed to protect those who
propagate the Lotus Sutra in the Latter Day. In the Daishonin's treatise
entitled "The True Object of Worship," the Dai-Gohonzon is described as
follows:
Now is when the Bodhisattvas of the Earth will
appear in this country and establish the supreme object of worship on the
earth which depicts Shakyamuni Buddha of the essential teaching attending
the true Buddha.
(13)
(MWND, vol. one, p.
81)
Practitioners of
Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo to the Gohonzon, a
spiritually endowed likeness of the Dai-Gohonzon, enshrined in their
homes. This is done every morning and evening in a ceremony called Gongyo
that involves the recitation of core sections of the second and sixteenth
chapters of the Lotus Sutra, along with chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo.
Although streams of thought and the churning of subconscious repositories
tend to obscure the Buddha nature when performing Gongyo, one may
nevertheless, by focusing on the Gohonzon and wholeheartedly chanting Nam
Myoho Renge Kyo, fuse one's innate Buddhahood with the life condition of
the original Buddha. In this way and at that moment, the followers of
Nichiren Daishonin attain enlightenment in their present form and current
existence, without prior lifetimes of practice.
The experience of
enlightenment being referred to here, however, is not that profound
realization attributed earlier to Shakyamuni outside the city of Gaya.
Rather, with the help of a consistent practice based on a sincere
understanding of the faith, one should expect to see a steady improvement
in their life from embracing a force that offers 1) protection from undue
harm, 2) an eventual solution to every form of suffering, 3) the gradual
improvement of one's immediate environment, and 4) a growing sense of
compassion for the profound well-being of others. One should also consider
the effects of this practice in the more profound context of improved
conditions through the eternal cycle of birth, aging, sickness and death.
To perpetuate the
teachings after His passing, Nichiren Daishonin initiated a process by
which the ability to fully understand and convey the spirit of the
Dai-Gohonzon would be transferred by a series of High Priests. This
transfer is referred to as the "Heritage of the Transmission of the Living
Essence," and has explicit doctrinal roots in two of Nichiren Daishonin's
writings.
(14)
The Second High Priest, Nikko Shonin, received the Living Essence directly
from Nichiren Daishonin. Thereafter, the Living Essence has been similarly
transferred in an exclusive, person-to-person manner to each successive
High Priest. The Daishonin described the significance of this transfer as
follows:
Each and every
successive High Priest possesses the mind and heart of Nichiren.
(15)
(Seiten p. 379)
Although the High
Priest is not viewed as equal to Nichiren Daishonin, who alone is revered
as One with the Law, the High Priest is considered to be the single person
who possesses the omniscient perspective of one who leads in complete
accordance with the
compassionate direction of the Founder. He also ensures that each Gohonzon
issued to new believers is endowed with the "mind and heart of Nichiren"
and that the "mind and heart" is filtered to the priesthood, who thereby
propagate the teachings in the context of their individual capacities. It
is for these reasons that the successive lineage of High Priests is
considered one of the Three Treasures of Nichiren Shoshu.
(16)
The current High
Priest resides, like his predecessors, in Japan at the Head Temple
Taisekiji. His busy schedule includes frequent lectures, attending
briefings on administrative matters, and leading many significant
ceremonies, including a special prayer service, called Ushitora Gongyo,
performed during the traditional hours of enlightenment at 2:30 every
morning. Ushitora Gongyo has been conducted in the middle of the night
like this by each of the High Priests to honor the time when Nam Myoho
Renge Kyo will be widely embraced throughout the world, and to offer
appreciation to Nichiren Daishonin, the Dai-Gohonzon, and the successive
lineage of High Priests, for making that eventuality possible.
THE
HEAD
TEMPLE
The Head Temple Taisekiji is spread over scores of acres on a broad plane.
Mount Fuji looms majestically nearby. A young believer, whose father began
practicing Buddhism at the behest of Nichiren Daishonin, donated the land
to the Second High Priest Nikko Shonin. In addition to being the residence
of the High Priest, Taisekiji is the headquarters for the priesthood and
the place where the Dai-Gohonzon is enshrined. It is also where
denominational relics, including a sizable collection of original writings
by Nichiren Daishonin, have been carefully preserved.
When the Second High
Priest Nikko Shonin moved
to Taisekiji in 1289, He brought the Dai-Gohonzon,
original writings, and remains of Nichiren Daishonin.
Within the temple
grounds, amid patches of forest and tree-lined walkways many distinctive
buildings stand together as fitting monuments to a religious faith with a
venerable tradition. Yearly, hundreds of thousands of people make
pilgrimages there to pray with the High Priest as He leads Ushitora Gongyo
and to also perform Gongyo with
Him during daylight hours before the Dai-Gohonzon in the main temple. A
picture of the main temple, called the Hoando, appears on the cover of
this booklet.
The name, Nichiren Shoshu, means "orthodox
Nichiren denomination." Of the factions associated with the Buddhism of
the Daishonin, Nichiren Shoshu is the only one that believes in the
integrity of the lineage of the successive High Priests, the doctrine of
Nichiren Daishonin as the Original Buddha, and the Dai-Gohonzon as the
supreme object of worship for all mankind.
In addition to the head temple at
Taisekiji, Nichiren Shoshu also places considerable importance upon its
local temples, each with a Chief Priest, one or more assistant priests,
and a temple Gohonzon. Family members of priests frequently live at the
temples as well.
The priesthood are primarily responsible
for the propagation of the faith in the area of the temple, performing the
ceremony that enables new members to take faith, bestowing Gohonzon's for
enshrinement in members' homes, delivering sermons consistent with the
teachings of Nichiren Daishonin and the High Priest, and performing other
ceremonies, including weddings and memorial services. Typically, a person
enters the priesthood at age twelve, but there have been priests who have
entered earlier and much later in life.
The Hokkeko, which
means "lotus group," is a general term that refers to all Nichiren Shoshu
laity. The name was first used to identify those lay believers in Nichiren
Daishonin's time called "Hokkeko-shu." During severe persecutions near
Mount Fuji in 1279, just before the Dai-Gohonzon was inscribed, the Hokkeko-shu
showed exemplary faith by continuing to maintain their practice when
threatened with death. Three of its strongest believers were beheaded when
they refused to discard their faith upon demand by authorities. Also, from
1726 to 1879, Hokkeko believers near modern day Tokyo were routinely
subjected to torture, exile and imprisonment for their beliefs. Today,
there are some Nichiren Shoshu families in Japan who trace their lineage
to the origins of the Hokkeko-shu.
What has held the
priesthood and laity together over the centuries is a common desire to
practice Buddhism correctly and a mutual respect for the role each other
plays in this regard. After a priest learns the traditions of Nichiren
Shoshu and is formally ordained, he essentially becomes an executive
teacher of the faith, serving as a link for the personal distribution of
the correct teachings from the High Priest. This commission also places
the priest in a lifelong position of responsibility, where he must
constantly develop his understanding, behavior, ability to communicate,
and compassion for others in order to meet the higher standard expected of
him.
The laity, on the
other hand, emerge to a greater extent from society at large, with its
inherent social inequalities and other secular influences. They represent
Buddhism to the general populous. To do this properly it is imperative to
maintain a lifeline with the correct teachings through a steady
association with the priesthood. The priests are considered our masters in
faith, and we work with them to deeply absorb and earnestly propagate the
teachings.
ENLIGHTENMENT, PRACTICE, AND THE HIGH SANCTUARY
In Buddhism, a person’s actions are
ultimately judged on how effectively they advance enlightenment. We know this is the primary criteria in life because
Shakyamuni revealed in the Lotus Sutra that his constant thought as a
Buddha was to help all people attain enlightenment. We also know this
because Nichiren Daishonin devoted His life to refuting erroneous
religions and planting the seeds of Buddhahood for everyone in the Latter
Day of the Law.
Accordingly, those who wish to begin
practicing Buddhism are encouraged to establish a daily routine
devoted to the advancement of enlightenment for oneself and others. This would include the recitation of the
prescribed liturgy from the Lotus Sutra, chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo,
studying Nichiren Daishonin’s teachings, and helping others break free
from subordinate beliefs. At first this may be difficult but, as one
becomes more familiar with Buddhist compassion and the pure joy of
participating in it, the practices of morning and evening Gongyo, taking
care of your altar at home, chanting with fellow members at area district
meetings, attending temple ceremonies (if you live near a temple), making
offerings to the priesthood, along with study and propagation become
natural activities readily performed to perpetuate Nichiren Daishonin's
great mission.
The Daishonin described the outcome of a
correct practice as follows:
The time will come when all people ... will enter on
the path to Buddhahood, and the Mystic Law alone will flourish throughout
the land. In that time, because all people chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
together, the wind will not beleaguer the branches or boughs, nor will the
rain fall hard enough to break a clod ... Disasters will be driven from
the land, and the people will be rid of misfortune. They will also learn
the art of living long, fulfilling lives.
(MWND, vol. one, pp.
101-102)
He also instructed,
When the principles of
government come to accord with Buddhism and the spirit of Buddhism
pervades secular affairs, when both ruler and the governed alike embrace
the three secret Laws of true Buddhism
(17)
... then, when imperial decree is delivered and handed down, seek out a
place of the finest scenery comparable to the pure land of Eagle Peak and
there erect the high sanctuary. Simply wait for the proper time to come.
This is the actual high sanctuary of true Buddhism.
(Shinpen-gosho p.1595)
These
passages vividly portray the ultimate goals of the Buddhism of Nichiren
Daishonin, as well as its primary unfinished aspects. By formulating the
invocation of Nam Myoho Renge Kyo and then inscribing the Dai-Gohonzon,
the Daishonin established the means for everyone to attain enlightenment.
By creating the Heritage of the Transfer for each successive High Priest,
He also established a way to ensure that the original meaning of the Law
would never be lost. It is well recognized within Nichiren Shoshu,
however, that the establishment of True Buddhism will remain incomplete
until that time when vast numbers of people wholeheartedly embrace the
Dai-Gohonzon and the High Priest formally designates the "actual high
sanctuary" as the place for its enshrinement. It is only in this way that
the Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin will be fully substantiated and the
lasting peace and tranquility associated with enlightened life will become
widely manifest.
There are many religions and life philosophies embraced by people
throughout the world. In the United States alone it is estimated that
there are at least 2,300 distinct religious groups. From the perspective
of a practice based on a correct interpretation of Nichiren Daishonin's
Buddhism, however, one cannot help but observe shortcomings in all other
beliefs.
Since we are human, we are inclined to be impure, imperfect, and subject
to bad influences. Basing our lives, therefore, on imperfect teachings
essentially reinforces those traits. At the same time, to reach the shore
of Buddhahood it is essential to embrace a teaching that is perfectly
endowed. In this way we can tap into the absolute pure core of our being
and transform ourselves, similar to the way a white lotus flower blooms in
a muddy pond.
Numerous religions, of course, contend
that their path is the only true path to happiness and, because of this,
they are criticized for being closed minded and intolerant. Generally,
such criticisms are deserved because the essential tenets of these faiths
are inconsistent with the fundamental Law of the universe and the people
who immerse themselves in them can not transcend the mortal bounds of a
highly rigid mindset.
Yet, at the same time, it would be quite
troubling to deny the possibility of one religion, as the only true
religion, just because of the prevalence of false alternatives with steadfast followers. If we were to think this way wouldn’t
it preclude any hope for the salvation of mankind? For without a belief
that truly mirrors the absolute, wouldn’t we all be condemned to
lives based on fundamental delusion?
No explanation, though, should be expected to entirely convey
the profound nature of Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism. A brief summary of its
rituals and teachings, as presented here, is helpful in conceptualizing
what it is about, but to attain enlightenment one must go beyond mere
understanding by sincerely practicing and embracing the faith. If you are
not already practicing, it is hoped that you will consider taking the
first step by contacting someone who is. In those areas with a temple, the
priests or temple staff can refer you to a temple member who lives nearby,
so that you can get started.
As those who have practiced for a while can attest, if you begin and
persevere, it will be the most liberating decision of your life.
* *
*
Endnotes:
1)
According to the Upanishad, an ancient Brahman text,
The Brahman is the
same as the ether that is around us, and the ether that is around us is
the same as the ether that is within us. And the ether within is the ether
within the heart. That ether in the heart is omnipresent and unchanging.
He who knows this obtains omnipresent and unchangeable happiness. (Kh.
Upanishad, III, 12, 7‑9); "Preface to the Sacred Books of the East," by F.
Max Muller (1879)
See also
The Origins of Buddhism: Circumstances before
the Establishment of Buddhism
2)
Contrary to
the sequential explanation of cause and effect taught in Brahmanism,
Shakyamuni taught that cause and effect could loop around. For
example, effects experienced in one’s current existence could have been
the result of causes made in past, present, or future lifetimes.
3)
According to Chapter 11 of The Threefold
Lotus Sutra, Weatherhill, p. 205, Shakyamuni taught:
I, on account of the
Buddha-way, in innumerable lands from the beginning till now have widely
preached many sutra; but amongst them all this sutra is the chief, and if
anyone is able to keep it, then he keeps the Buddha's body.
In Chapter 14, p. 232,
he also declared,
This Law-Flower Sutra is the foremost
teaching of the tathagatas [Buddhas] and the most profound of all
discourses . . . This Law-Flower Sutra is the mysterious treasury of the
Buddha-tathagatas, which is supreme above all sutras. For long has it been
guarded and not prematurely declared; today for the first time I proclaim
it to you all.
4)
The
Threefold Lotus Sutra, Weatherhill, Chapter 15, p. 245.
5)
The principle of transforming earthly desires into enlightenment is found in the Sutra of
Meditation on the Bodhisattva Universal Virtue, also called the Fugen
Sutra. (The Threefold Lotus Sutra, Weatherhill, pp. 347 - 348). Since the
Fugen Sutra references the Lotus Sutra, it is considered to be an epilogue
for the Lotus Sutra, or "closing sutra." (Ibid, preface, p. x)
6)
The account
in Chapter 12 of the Lotus Sutra (The Threefold Lotus Sutra, Weatherhill,
p. 212) about the Dragon King's daughter, who was only eight years old and
attained enlightenment "in a moment of time," is often cited as the
primary source for the principle of the attainment of enlightenment,
regardless of who you are.
7) Because
Mahayana Buddhism became prominent after Hinayana and the earliest
Hinayana sutras are older than the Mayahana sutras, many scholars have
suggested that the Hinayana sutras, which stress personal enlightenment,
are the only accurate reflection of what Shakyamuni taught, and that
Mahayana sutras, which advocate a practice for others as well as oneself,
are mere extrapolations composed well after Shakyamuni died. This
interpretation is highly unlikely, however, when you consider that
Shakyamuni taught Buddhism for 50 years after he attained enlightenment,
thus basing most of his life on the salvation of others while overcoming
considerable hardships to do so.
8)
T'ien
T'ai's conclusions were founded upon Kumarjiva's Chinese version of the
Lotus Sutra, translated in 406 A.D. Although there was an earlier Chinese
translation of the Lotus Sutra, dated 286 A.D., there is no evidence that
the earlier version was based on an older Sanskrit or Pali text. Because
the versions of the Lotus Sutra used as the source for both translations
have been lost, it is not known which translation was based on the oldest
manuscript or, for that matter, when the Lotus Sutra was first put into
writing and what language was originally used. (The Threefold Lotus Sutra,
Weatherhill, Introduction, p. xiv; See also The Essential Lotus, Burton
Watson, p.xxxii.)
9)
Nichiren Daishonin's name at birth was
Zennichi-maro. At sixteen, when he was ordained a Tendai priest at
Seicho-ji Temple, he took the name Zesho-bo Rencho. In 1253 he renamed
himself Nichiren, which means sun lotus. Daishonin is an honorific name.
“Dai” means great or supreme. “Shonin” signifies sage. As to the name
Nichiren, the Daishonin stated, "Giving myself the name Nichiren signifies
that I attained enlightenment by myself." (MWND, vol. one, p. 236)
See also
The Life of Nichiren Daishonin.
10) a)
Buddhist scriptures differ as to the length of time between Shakyamuni's
death and the beginning of the Latter Day. The Sutra of the Three Kinds of
Mahayana Practice Based on Repentance asserts that the intermediate time
period is 1000 years. The Sutra of the Great Assembly sets the length at
2000 years. The Hike Sutra gauges the length at 1500 years. A Commentary
on Nagarjuna's Chu Ron states that the period is 2000 years. The Buddhist
tradition of China and Japan has generally adopted the latter view. (A
Dictionary of Buddhist Terms and Concepts, p. 462)
b) Chapter 14 of The
Threefold Lotus Sutra, pp. 226, 228, 230, contains numerous references to
the demise of Shakyamuni's teachings.
c)
According to The Threefold Lotus Sutra, p. 300:
After the Tathagata [Buddha] is extinct
such a one, knowing this sutra that the Buddha has taught, together with
its reasoning and process, shall expound it according to its true meaning.
Just as the light of the sun and moon can dispel the darkness, so this
man, working in the world, can disperse the gloom of the living and cause
numberless bodhisattvas finally to abide in the One-vehicle. Therefore he
who has wisdom, hearing the benefits of this merit, after I am
extinct, should receive and keep this sutra. This man shall in the Way of
the Buddha be fixed and have no doubts.
11) The
Threefold Lotus Sutra, Weatherhill, Chapter 13, pp. 218-19.
12) Other
doctrinal sources reflecting Nichiren Daishonin’s recognition of himself
as the Original Buddha include, but are not limited, to the following
passages:
I, Nichiren, have
inscribed my life in sumi ink. Believe in the Gohonzon with your whole
heart. The will of the Buddha is the Lotus Sutra, but the spirit of
Nichiren is nothing other than Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
(Gosho, p. 685; MWND-1,
p. 120)
Nichiren of the eternally living in the
three existences is the original True Buddha of the stage of the immediate
recognition of the truth, who leads all mankind to the unsurpassed Way of
Buddhahood. (Shinpen p. 1696)
The Daimoku, Lord Shakyamni, Taho Buddha
… and all other Buddhas and deities inscribed in the Gohonzon are inherent
in the Life of the True Buddha, Nichiren Daishonin.
(Shinyo-20, p. 11)
My true identity is
the Buddha of Intrinsically Perfect Wisdom. My provisional identity is
the reincarnation of Bodhisattva Jogyo - Nichiren the present Great Master
of the Essential teaching.
(Gosho, p. 1685)
13) This
passage from the "True Object of Worship" was originally written four
years before Nichiren Daishonin inscribed the Dai-Gohonzon. In October
1270, twelve days before He inscribed the Dai-Gohonzon, He wrote (MWND
vol. one, p. 239):
It is twenty-seven
years since I first proclaimed the true teachings ... the Buddha fulfilled
the purpose of his advent in a little over forty years; T'ien t'ai took
about thirty years, and Dengyo, some twenty years ... For me it took
twenty seven years.
Also, on the
Dai-Gohonzon it is written,
Two thousand two
hundred and thirty years after the Buddha's death, the incomparable object
of worship for the world - seal of Nichiren.
Reference to the
Dai-Gohonzon was also made in 1332 by the Second High Priest Nikko Shonin,
at the time of the succession of lineage to the Third High Priest:
I, Nikko, heir to the
Dai-Gohonzon inscribed in 1279, do hereby confer this Dai-Gohonzon upon
Nichimoku Shonin.
(Gosho, p. 1883)
There may have been other writings
confirming the existence of the Dai-Gohonzon, but many of Nichiren
Daishonin’s original writings have been lost or destroyed.
14)
Transfer Documents (Gosho Zenshu, p. 1675) (The originals of these
documents were misappropriated by a deeply confused priest and never recovered.
Their previous existence and the theft, however, are well documented.):
a) Document
Transferring the Law which Nichiren Propagated throughout His Life:
I transfer this
Law, which I, Nichiren, have propagated throughout my life to Byakuren
Ajari Nikko. He is to be the High Priest for the propagation of True
Buddhism. When the sovereign takes faith in and preserves this Law, the
High Sanctuary of Honmonji Temple must be built at Mount Fuji. You must
wait for the time to come. This is what I call the actual Law of precept.
Above all, my disciples and believers must observe this document. Nichiren
(Signature) The ninth month of the fifth year of Koan.
b) Mt. Minobu Transfer
Document:
I transfer Shakyamuni
Buddha's teachings of fifty years to Byakuren Ajari Nikko. He is to be
Head Priest of Minobu-san Kuonji Temple. Those priests and lay believers
who disregard this are slanderers of the Law. The thirteenth day of the
tenth month of the fifth year of Koan. At Ikegami Musashi Province
Nichiren (signature)
15) This
statement about the role of the High Priest was issued verbally by
Nichiren Daishonin and memorialized in writing by the Second High Priest,
Nikko Shonin.
16)
The Three Treasures in Nichiren Shoshu are
the Buddha, the Law and the Priesthood. The Buddha is Nichiren Daishonin,
the Law is the Dai-Gohonzon and the Priesthood is the successive lineage
of High Priests.
17)
The "three secret Laws of True Buddhism"
(also referred to as the Three Great Secret Laws) are the object of
worship, the invocation of Nam Myoho Renge Kyo and the actual high
sanctuary, which is the place where the Dai-Gohonzon will be enshrined
when kosen-rufu is achieved. "Kosen-rufu" refers to the time when the
Dai-Gohonzon is widely revered throughout the world as the supreme object
of worship and, as a result, peace and tranquility prevail.
References:
1. The Major Writings
of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1-7, Nichiren Shoshu International Center (NSIC),
Tokyo, 1979-90
2. The Selected
Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, P. B. Yampolsky, Columbia Press, New York,
1990
3. A Dictionary of
Buddhist Terms and Concepts, NSIC, Tokyo, 1983
4. Japanese-English
Buddhist Dictionary, Daito Shuppansha, Tokyo, 1991
5. Buddhism and the
Nichiren Shoshu Tradition, NSIC, Tokyo, 1987
6. Biography of
Nichiren Daishonin, Nichiren Shoshu Head Temple, Taisekiji, 1981
7. The Threefold Lotus
Sutra, John Weatherhill, Inc., New York and Tokyo, 1978
8. The Lotus Sutra,
translated by Burton Watson, Columbia University Press, N.Y., 1993
9. The Essential
Lotus, Selections from the Lotus Sutra, translated by Burton Watson,
Columbia University Press, N.Y., 2002
10. Nichiren Shoshu
Monthly, Nichiren Shoshu Temple, West Hollywood, CA, 1998-2002
11. Shinyo, Nichiren
Shoshu Overseas Bureau (NSOB), Fujinomiya, Japan, 1998- 2002
12. Nichiren Shoshu
Basics of Practice, Nichiren Shoshu Temple, West Hollywood, CA, 2001
13. The Doctrines and
Practice of Nichiren Shoshu, NSOB, Fujinomiya, Japan, 2002
14. The Collected Sermons of
High Priest Nikken Shonin 1992-2002, NSOB, Fujinomiya, Japan 2002
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