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What is the Buddhism of Nichiren?
Nichiren Buddhism
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
Who Was Nichiren
Shakyamuni Buddha and the Lotus Sutra
In his priestly studies, Nichiren discovered that the highest teachings of
the Buddha Sakyamuni (563?-483?BC) were to be found in the Lotus Sutra. The
mantra he expounded, "Namu
Myoho Renge Kyo," expresses his devotion to that body of teachings, and
is chanted by his followers to this day.
In his life he stridently believed that the contemporary teachings of
Buddhism taught by other sects (like Zen) were mistaken in their interpretations
of the correct path to enlightenment and therefore refuted them publicly and
vociferously. In doing so, he provoked the ire of the ruling Japanese feudal
lords, and was subjected to exiles and persecutions for his propagation efforts.
His personal communications and writings to his followers (called
"Honorable Writings," or "Gosho") detail his view of the
correct form of practice for the "Latter Day of the Law" (mappo), and
many are preserved to this day.
In marked contrast to other Buddhist schools, Nichiren Buddhists believe that
personal enlightenment can be reached in a single lifetime. Central to their
practice of "Daimoku" is the repeated recitation of the phrase, "Namu
Myoho Renge Kyo", often transliterated as "Nam Myoho Renge Kyo."
(also transliterated Namu
Myoho Renge Kyo) is a mantra, which is recited as part of the practice of
Nichiren Buddhism.
The phrase is difficult to render into English, because each word or set of
words contains many alternative meanings. One translation, used by Nichiren
Shu, is "Adoration to the Scripture of the Lotus of the Perfect
Truth", but without an understanding of the symbology behind those words,
the meaning is lost.
On one level, this mantra is the title of the Lotus Sutra, held to be the
Buddha Shakyamuni's penultimate teaching. On a different level, it is a
distillation of the entire sutra, i.e., all the sutra's teachings are
summarized in the title. Third, this mantra is the Ultimate Law permeating the
universe.
It can also be translated as Namu (devotion), the act of practicing
Buddhism; Myoho (Mystic Law), the universe and all its manifestations; Renge
(the lotus flower, which blooms and seeds at the same time), representing the
simultaneity of cause-and-effect; Kyo (sutra), a teaching, specifically, the
teaching of the Buddha Shakyamuni. Thus, a loose translation of
Namu-Myoho-Renge-Kyo may be, "Devotion to the teaching of the mystic law
of the universe."
He was an extremely controversial figure in his own time, and his Buddhism
continues to be controversial today. During his lifetime, he sought reform of
Buddhism within Japan.
Nichiren believed that the teachings contained in the Lotus Sutra were given
by the Buddha Shakyamuni. Not all scholars today believe that the Lotus Sutra
was written by Shakyamuni. Many believe it was written by one of his later
followers.
One central theme in the Lotus Sutra, which was emphasized by Nichiren and is
emphasized in Nichiren Buddhism today, is that enlightenment may be attained in
a single lifetime.
He was born in Kominato, which today lies in the Japanese prefecture of
Chiba. He began his formal Buddhist study at the Seichoji Temple at eleven,
where he eventually became a priest. It was at the Seichoji Temple that he first
came to believe in the pre-eminence of the Lotus Sutra. On April 28, 1253, he
declared his intention to preach the Lotus Sutra and Namu-myoho-renge-kyo
as the true Buddhism. At the same time he changed his name from Rencho to
Nichi-ren. "Nichi" means "sun", and "ren" means
"Lotus".
He began in the city of Kamakura, where he petitioned rulers to have his form
of Buddhism instituted as the state religion and all other sects forbidden. He
wrote a religious treatise called the Rissho Ankoku Ron (On
Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land), in which he
attributed a series of natural disasters including tsunamis and earthquakes as
well as foreign invasion (i.e., the Mongols) to the improper practice of the
Buddhists.
When Nichiren presented his writing to the rulers, there was a violent
backlash against him, especially among the priests of the other Buddhist sects.
He was persecuted several times, and exiled at least twice (to the Izu
peninsula, and three years on Sado Island).
Nichiren continued to teach his belief in the Lotus Sutra and Namu-myoho-renge-kyo,
writing more treatises. Kaimoku Sho (The Opening of the Eyes),
Kanjin no Honzon Sho (The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind)
were written while in exile on Sado Island. Also on Sado Island, he composed the
Gohonzon, a mandala
which he intended as a graphic representation of the essence of the Lotus
Sutra--the Mystic Law of cause and effect, which underlies all phenomena in the
universe.
He entered a voluntary exile on Mount Minobu in 1274, where he was to spend
the rest of his life. He wrote two more major works there, and continued to
teach his disciples. The writings were the Senji Sho (Selection of
Time) and the Hoon Jo (Recompense of Indebtedness), which
was written in memory of his Buddhist teacher, Dozen.
He died in October 1282 at Ikegami, Tokyo, where he had travelled to take
medicinal baths for his failing health. He was accompanied by his six disciples
- Nissho, Nichiro, Nikko, Niko, Nichiji and Niccho - and other followers. With
the exception of Nikko, who dedicated his entire life to helping eternalize his
teachings, the other five disciples to a man turned their back on Nichiren's
philosophy.
Buddhists do not consider Siddhartha Gautama to have been the first or last
Buddha. Technically, a Buddha, one who rediscovers the Dharma (i.e., Truth; the
nature of reality, of the mind, of the affliction of the human condition and the
correct "path" to liberation) by Enlightenment, comes to be after
skillful or good karma (intention) is perfectly maintained and all negative
unskillful actions are abandoned. The attainment of Nirvana between the three
types of Buddhas is exactly the same, but the Samma-Sambuddha expresses more
qualities and capacities than the other two. These three types of Buddhahood
are:
- the Samma-Sambuddha who, without a teacher, gains full
Enlightenment by his own effort
- the Pacceka-Buddha or Pratyeka-Buddha who is like the
Samma-Sambuddha, but remains silent and keeps the discovered Dharma to
himself
- the Savaka-Buddha who is an Arahant
(enlightened disciple), but has attained Enlightenment by hearing of the
Dhamma.
Due to popular misconceptions, it must be emphasized that a Buddha is not a God.
Not only was this denied by Gautama Buddha himself, but also the clear
distinction is made in Buddhist cosmology that the position of Buddhahood is
attainable only by human beings (although not limited to this particular
Humanity), in whom reside the greatest potential for Enlightenment. Gautama
Buddha also stated that there is no intermediary between mankind and the divine;
distant gods and God
are subject to karma
themselves in decaying heavens. The Buddha is solely an exemplar, guide and
teacher for those sentient beings who must tread the path themselves, attain
spiritual Awakening, and see truth & reality as it is. The Buddhist system
of philosophy and meditation practice was not divinely-revealed, but rather, the
understanding of the true nature of the human mind which can be rediscovered by
anyone for themselves. Penetration of this reality accompanies the shocking
truth that ignorance can be eliminated.
According to Gautama
Buddha, the Awakening bliss of Nirvana
he attained under the fig
tree, is available to all beings once they achieve rebirth as a human.
Emphasizing this concept, the Mahayana
school of Buddhism in particular refers to many Buddhas and also bodhisattvas
(beings committed to Enlightenment but who vow to postpone their own Nirvana in
order to assist others on the path). In the holy Tipitaka
- the core sacred
text of Buddhism - the numerous past Buddhas and their lives are spoken of,
including the next Buddha-to-be, the Maitreya
Buddha.
Lotus Sutra, more fully Sutra of the Lotus of the
Wonderful Dharma
Chinese: Miaofa
lianhua jing (Skt. Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra);
7 fascicles, tr. by Kumārajīva in 406 CE. One of the most popular and
influential Mahāyāna sutras in East Asia; the basis on which the Tiantai
and Nichiren
sects were established. Its title is usually abbreviated to Fahua jing
法華經. This sutra is well-known for its extensive instruction
on the concept and usage of expedient means , mostly in the form of parables.
Translated into English by Leon Hurvitz, Burton
Watson, and others.
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