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Nichiren Buddhism emphasizes the sanctity of life and absolute non-violence: “ To deprive a being of life is to commit the gravest kind of sin ”, and considers debate or dialogue as the only avenue to resolve disputes: “ When in public debate, although the teachings that you advocate are perfectly consistent with the truth, you should never on that account be impolite or abusive, or display a conceited attitude.
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Nichiren and Buddhism
* 1253 – Nichiren, a Japanese Buddhist monk, propounds Nam Myoho Renge Kyo for the very first time and declares it to be the essence of Buddhism, in effect founding Nichiren Buddhism.
Love has been a practicing Buddhist since 1989, and has studied and practiced both Tibetan and Nichiren Buddhism.
All Japanese Kamakura sects of Buddhism ( Zen, Nichiren, Jodo ) have relaxed Mahayana vinaya, and as a consequence, vegetarianism is rare.
* 1222 – Nichiren Daishonin, Japanese founder of Nichiren Buddhism ( d. 1282 )
Another example is Nichiren Buddhism.
Based on the Lotus Sutra's teaching of what it describes as the " unsurpassed Dharma ", Nichiren Buddhism acknowledges the Four Noble Truths as the first sermon, but not as the final teaching of the Buddha.
* The Four Noble Truth in Nichiren Buddhism
Nichiren Buddhism includes various schools with their own interpretations of Nichiren's teachings, the most prominent being Nichiren Shu, Nichiren Shoshu and Soka Gakkai ; however, despite the differences between schools, all Nichiren sects share the fundamental practice of chanting daimoku.
To eliminate any possible doubts, Nichiren decided to spend some time at Mount Kōya, the centre of esoteric Buddhism, and also in Nara, Japan ’ s ancient capital, where he studied the Ritsu sect, which emphasized strict monastic discipline and ordination. During this time, he became convinced of the pre-eminence of the Lotus Sutra and in 1253, returned to Seichoji.
After making his declaration, which all schools of Nichiren Buddhism regard as marking their foundation ( 立宗: risshū ), Nichiren began propagating his teachings in Kamakura, then Japan's de facto capital since it was where the shikken ( regent for the shogun ) and shogun lived and the government was established.
This " true and correct form of Buddhism ", as Nichiren saw it, entailed regarding the Lotus Sutra as the fullest expression of the Buddha's teachings and putting those teachings into practice.
Based on prophecies made in several sutras, Nichiren attributed the occurrence of the famines, disease, and natural disasters ( especially drought, typhoons, and earthquakes ) of his day to teachings of Buddhism no longer appropriate for the time.
In his writings, Nichiren refers to his identity in a variety of ways, nevertheless always related to the Lotus Sutra, for example: " I, Nichiren, am the foremost votary of the Lotus Sutra ".. Of the many figures appearing in the Lotus Sutra, Nichiren chose his spiritual identity as that of Bodhisattva Superior Practices, and identified his goal as attaining Buddhahood: " From the beginning … I wanted to master Buddhism and attain Buddhahood ".
After his death, Nichiren has been known by several posthumous names intended to express respect toward him or to represent his position in the history of Buddhism.
Setting out to declare his own teachings of Buddhism, Nichiren started at the age of 32 by denouncing all Mahayana schools of his time and by declaring the correct teaching as the Universal Dharma ( Nam-Myōhō-Renge-Kyō ) and chanting as the only path for personal and social salvation.
Nichiren and life
Nichiren taught devotion to the Lotus Sutra ( entitled Myōhō-Renge-Kyō in Japanese )— which contained Gautama Buddha's teachings towards the end of his life — as the exclusive means to attain enlightenment.
For Nichiren, the Gohonzon embodies the eternal and intrinsic Law of Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, which he identified as the ultimate Law permeating life and the universe.
With the exception of a few short journeys, Nichiren spent the rest of his life at Minobu, where he and his disciples erected a temple, Kuon-ji ( 久遠寺 ), and he continued writing and training his disciples.
Nichiren spent most of the rest of his life here training disciples.
The two outstanding doctrines of the Lotus Sutra, which were the focus of Nichiren ’ s teachings and practice are: the attainment of Buddhahood by all people in their lifetime, and the eternal life of the Buddha revealed in the Ceremony in the Air of the Lotus Sutra.
( The Wonderful Dharma of the Lotus ), Nichiren added to the title the word Namu ( devotion to ), and declared on 28 April 1253, the chanting of the phrase Nam ( u ) Myoho Renge Kyo as his basic practice for revealing one ’ s Buddha nature in daily life.
In addition to the two main teachings of chanting and the Gohonzon, Nichiren Buddhism expounds the doctrine of the Ten Worlds of life, The Ten Factors of existence, the principle of The Three Thousand Realms in a single moment of life and the teachings of The Three Proofs for verification of the validity of teachings.
In Japan, Nichiren continued to lead a life that would come to be revered in Nichiren Buddhism.
Nichiren Shoshu believers strive to elevate their life condition by acting in accordance with this law in their day-to-day lives and by sharing their faith with others, believing their Buddhist practice to be the ultimate good cause for effecting changes in life and attaining enlightenment.
Nichiren taught that by chanting " Nam-Myōhō-Renge-Kyō ", which means, " Devotion to the Mystic / Wonderful Dharma / Law of the Lotus Flower Sutra " to the Gohonzon ( 御本尊 ), a mandala he inscribed with Chinese and Sanskrit characters representing the enlightened life of the True Buddha, anyone can bring forth their inherent Buddha nature and become enlightened.
Individual practice entails chanting Nam-Myōhō-Renge-Kyō daily and reciting excerpts from the ( 2nd ) and the ( 16th ) chapters of the Lotus Sutra ; studying the life and works of Nichiren ; and sharing with others a Nichiren Buddhist view of life and living.
In Nichiren Shoshu, “ Nichiren Daishonin ” is the Buddha of time without beginning ( kuon ganjo ), while according to SGI teachings, the Buddha of time without beginning is the manifestation of the state of Buddhahood Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo: “ The original Buddha whose life is without beginning or end is nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo Thus Come One ”.
Nichiren Shū is currently in the process of translating many of the writings of Nichiren into English using the extant documents from Nichiren's life or copies known to have been made by his original disciples.
Minobu where Nichiren had spent the last years of his life, in a document called Minobu-zan Fuzoku-sho (" Document entrusting Mt.
* Nichiren Daishōnin Gotai-e ( often called Oeshiki ; memorial services for and commemoration of the life and teachings of Nichiren Daishōnin, November 20 – 21 )
Nichiren and “
Nichiren Buddhism is based on the Lotus Sutra: “ According to Nichiren, the Lotus Sutra is the highest teaching of Shakyamuni Buddha.
Nichiren believed, that directly revealing one ’ s Buddha nature is possible through the practice of the Bodhisattvas who: “ do not carry out the practice of gradual progress.
The Gohonzon is described as an object for focus of devotion in Nichiren ’ s letter: “ The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind ” which is acknowledged by most followers of Nichiren Buddhism.
All of these teachings are shared and identical in most schools and groups of Nichiren Buddhism, however, different interpretations are found for the doctrine of the ” Three Great Secret Dharmas ”, called also “ The Three Great Secret Laws ”, and Three Jewels.
Some researchers add that Nichiren strongly criticized the esoteric rituals of other schools: “ As Sasaki notes, Nichiren ’ s view of the shift of authority from GoToba to Yoshitoki was inseparable from his criticism of the esoteric teachings.
Form Nichiren ’ s point of view, however, his uncompromising stance was to save people from sufferings: “ Even in the case of the Nembutsu priests, the Zen priests, and the True Word teachers, and the ruler of the nation and other men of authority, all of whom bear me such hatred — I admonish them because I want to help them, and their hatred for me makes me pity them all the more ”.
Intolerance towards Nichiren Buddhism did not cease after Nichiren ’ s death ( 1282 ), and the most famous persecution was the violent attacks on Nichiren temples in the 16th century, Kyoto, Japan: “ Nichiren temples in Kyoto were attacked by the monks from Mt.
Intolerance towards Nichiren Buddhism led some researchers to compare it with early Christianity: “ Tamura finds Nichiren ’ s Buddhism to be broadly comparable with Christianity ‘ as a religion of prophecy, in its spirit of martyrdom, in its apostolic consciousness, and additionally, in its emphasis upon history ”.
Nichiren encouraged his disciples not to share in violence: “ Even if other are clad in armor and instigate, my disciples should never do the same.
“ The Itchi-Soretsu controversey was of no interest to outsiders, but it kept Nichiren theologians on their toes and forced them to define their positions with more clarity.
Documents first mentioned and discovered by Taiseki-ji priest Nikkyo in 1488 claimed that Nichiren passed full authority “ to Nikkō alone.
Its existence is believed to have been “ hidden in the depths of the text ” ( 文底秘沈: montei hichin ) of Shakyamuni's Lotus Sutra, remaining secret until Nichiren Daishonin revealed it.
The basic difference in views between SGI and Nichiren Shoshu centers on the doctrinal concept of Heritage of the Law, attributed by the Priesthood to “ one person ” of the High Priest while attributed by the Soka Gakkai to ordinary people.
Another difference relates to the demand for “ Absolute faith and Strict Obedience ” to the High Priest, a demand which some within Nichiren Shoshu see as being implied by SGI members to Daisaku Ikeda.
For example Nichiren Shu school has the view that “ the title Buddha ” is reserved for Shakyamuni ”.
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