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死jin Honzon Sho ： the Buddha Whom He Looked up to and Who Was Observed in His Mind

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死jin Honzon Sho ： the Buddha Whom He Looked up to and Who Was Observed in His Mind The Japanese AssooiationAssociation of Indian工ndian and Buddhist Studies ノ∂urna ’（ゾlndian and Buddhist Studies〜b1．61，No ．3， March 2013 （203） − How Nichiren Understood the Buddha in His、Ka死jin honzon sho ： The Buddha Whom He Looked Up To and Who Was Observed in His Mind WATANABE H6y6 「 1．The foundation of Buddhism is samdahi （三 昧 ）．It is the process whereby we deepen our peace of mind and unite a scattered mind ． Zen 禅 （Skt． dhyana）and yoga 瑜 伽 are practices to pacify the mind by concentrating on one object to attain a stage of total clarity and fbcus． This is the BudChism of On the other hand Mah 蕊 Buddhism developed as practice． ， yfina − Buddhism of faith． H6nen 法然 （ll33 1212）read the Commentary ofAmitdyurdhy δna “ and was statement concentrate Sutra （観 無 量 壽経 疏 ）by Shandao 善導 inspiredby its ， ” to chant the name of AmitEbha Buddha． H6nen insisted on exclusive faith and devotion directed to Amitabha Buddha and spread Pure Land Buddhism （浄 土 宗）． r the contrary Nichiren 日 − insisted on to 五kyamuni Buddha On ， 蓮 （1222 1282） devotion S who is the Eternal Buddha described in the Lotus Sutra． He devoted himself to upholding the daim・ Namu my6h6 renge ky6 ． To uphold the dai〃1・ ku was 題 目 ， 南 無妙 法蓮 華 経 ’ ‘ ’ to advocate a type of BudChism of faith． He revealed his own understanding of kanjin 観 一 心 （spiritUa 且contemplation ）for the age of 〃mappo 末 法 （the Latter Age of Degeneration）， 一 after the Buddha， in his Nyorai metsugo gogohyakusai shi kanjin honzon sho 如 来 滅 後 ’ − 1） “ ” ‘ − 五 五 百 歳 始 観 心 本 尊 抄 （the Kanjin・honzon・sho ） The first time in the fifth 500 year ’ period after the death of S琶kyamuni Buddha means that the treatise is an inquiry into the r − possibility of salvation through Buddhist faith more than 2000 years after S巨kyamuni Bud ’ dha s passing away ． ’ ’ What Nichiren discusses in the first kanjin part of Kanjin hotzaon∫乃δ is the teaching of − − spiritUal contemplation ． The Grand Master Tiantai Zhiyi 天 台大 師 智顕 （538 598）identi 一 fied spiritUal contemplation with realization of the principal of ichinen sanzen 念 三 千 2） − worlds contained in one thought −moment in his Mohe zhiguan 止 How （3 ，000 ） 摩訶 観 ever Nichiren a different idea and revealed his intention to establish a new theory ， presented t of practice whereby salvation is attained through the Eterna且Buddha S巨kyamuni ． 一 1261 一 NII-ElectronicN 工 工 Eleotronio Library Service The JapaneseAssociationJapanese Association of Indian and Buddhist Studies (204)How Nichiren Understood the Buddha in His Kanjin honzon shj (H. WATANABE) Nichiren then explained in the part in the same treatise about the honzon ]Ii # (focus of devotion) the importance of devotion to the Eternal Sakyarnuni Buddha. What he said in relation to devotion to the Lotus Sutra was that entering the world of faith in the realm of the Eternal Buddha was the way sentient beings in malzpb were supposed to practice Bud- dhism. When we talk about Nichiren, everybody thinks of his activities and of his power to overcome persecutions. They don't give any thought to his spiritual practice. I will now discuss his philosophy with reference to past research on Nichiren's thought. The most important thing to keep in mind regarding how Nichiren approached Bud- chism is that it had to de with devotion to the Eternal Buddha. When we discuss this issue, we have to pay attention to two points. #1 How to express devotion to the Eternal Buddha. #2 How to confirm that there is the world ofthe Eternal Buddha in the minds of ordinary people in mappo-. In order to realize the meaning of acceptance, we should find out how to correctly believe and practice. The purpose ofthis essay is to show that the inner core ofNichiren Buddhism is fbund "how in both ofthese points. As you may know, we can find many answers fbr #1 he de- voted himself to the Eternal Sakyarnuni Buddha" in Nichiren's main works. We also find details regarding this in diagrams he inscribed. In regard to #2, many scholars have pointed out that it was based on his theory of bonshin gubutsu JL,LN ftV, (mind of ordinary person possesses the Buddha inside) in his Kinnjin honzon shO. This will show that both #1 and #2 are too close to be divided and to confirm the meaning of the Lotus Sutra as a book of prophecy. rlb 2. begin with, it is clear that Sfikyamuni Buddha is the essential teacher of Buddhism as Nichiren depicted in his diagrams. It came from gtv'i haooo- ifi1veAty (five periods and eight teachings) by Zhiyi. Zhiyi categorized all of the Buddha's teachings into five periods and eight teachings to classify all the sutras he had studied. It is clear that the starting point ofNichiren's view of Buddhism was to carry forward this yiew. Let me share three kinds ofevidence. #1 The Sho-wa 7laihon Nichinen ShOnin Ibun HBII[IkJzls H figg,-vMJStl3) ("Sho-vva 7leihon") -i,HIEfi1ee 4) has a section for Nichiren's diagrams. When looking at fohidai goji zu pa and, "'fll fohiclai goji keizu ifi1 ee ee pa,S) we notice that Nichiren inherited the views of Zhiyi - - 1262 NII-Electronic Library Service The JapaneseAssociationJapanese Association of Indian and Buddhist Studies How Nichiren Understood the Buddha in His Kanjin honzon sh6 (H. WATANABE)(205) and understood their profbund meaning. We also notice that Nichiren divided the Buddha's lifetime into five periods consisting ofthe Avatapasaka, Agama, Vaipulya, Prajfia, and Sad- dharma-Purpdarika/Parinirvarpa periods. All of the Buddha's teachings fa11 into those five categories. We are able to see that the Buddha preached ever profbunder teaching as he got older. "the #2 The Ibhidoi goji keizu6) explained that Sakyamuni Buddha possessed three vir- tues of master, teacher and parent." As the Buddha's teaching progressed, the spiritual im- plications of the three virtues deepened. Finally, we can understand that true possession of the three virtues can be fbund only when the Buddha revealed his eternity. The ltrhiclai goji keizu diagram depicts this. Nichiren talked about the revealing of the Buddha's eternity in ') Kdimoku sho"- oo fi W, Kbnjin honzon shO, and other major works. Once he understood the general meaning of all the sutras in these terms, Nichiren realized their true import. "easy #3 With the true import understood, Nichiren knew that an practice" could be found within the Lotus Sutra. That view underlies Nichiren's understanding of Buddhism. For example, in connection with Nichiren's critique of Pure Land Buddhism, in his Shugo 8) kokka ron !li!ft asath he recommends that one accept Buddliism with ichinen zuiki - single moment ofrejoicing upon hearing a of the Lotus Sutra) ten- kwag (a phrase , goju- den Efir-IJRtz ( [great merit received by the] 50th person in succession [who rejoices upon hearing the sutra] ). That recornmendation was derived from chapter XVII of the Lotus Sutra. I don't know why, however, he did not talk about it in his other major works until 9) he described it clearly in his S7iishin gohon shO pmEE n"n tg). was as a of Nichirenemphasized that the Lotus Sutra bestowed book prophecy fbrthe multitudes in mappo- in his Kaimoku sho-. In addition to that, he tried to transform the ichinen sanzen doctrine andJ'ikkai gogu +S![lilR (mutual possession ofthe ten worlds) doctrine ofTiantai into a doctrine ofsalvation fbr beings of poor capacity in mampO in his "easy ]denjin honzon sho-. This was the practice" ofthe Lotus Sutra with shishin gohon (the fbur stage of faith and five stages ofpractice) as the theoretical basis for it. Secondly, devotion to Sakyamuni Buddha is not a one-sided relationship of beings re- specting the Bud(lha. The mutual relationship between Sikyamuni Buddha and the beings of poor capacity in mappo- is developed because the Buddha takes the initiative in offering to save them. "For As is generally known, Nichiren said in his Kbnjin honzon sho', those who are inca- -1263- NII-Electronic Library Service The JapaneseAssociationJapanese Association of Indian and Buddhist Studies (206)How Nichiren Understood the Buddha in His Kanjin honzon sho- (H, WATA]sJABE) `3,OOO pable of understanding the truth of the worlds contained in one thought-moment' Lord S5kyamuni Buddha, with his great compassion, wraps thisjewel with the five charac- ･ ･ ･ ters of my6, h6, ren, ge, and ky6 (nj tk ff ee & #) and hang it around the neck of iO) the ignorant in mamp6." At that point, it is clear that what he said was according to the doctrine of bonshin gubutsu. "concentration While Zhiyi pursued and insight" as a theory of practice, Nichiren was concerned with how sentient beings in tn(rppo' could enter into the world of the Eternal Sakyamuni Buddha. Zhiyi considered ichinen sanzen as the doctrine equivalent to the the- ory of having Buddha-nature, as he wanted to show that sentient beings in the nine worlds are involved in the world of the Sakyamuni Buddha and to realize it they should practice the path of Mbhe zhiguan. On the other hand, Nichiren sought to establish a Buddhist way of salvation so that ordinary people in mappo' could be involved jn the world of the Sakya- muni Buddha. We can say that it was very important for Buddhists to establish a universal soteriology for their time. In Kanjin honzon shO, Nichiren broached the possibility that sentient beings in mappO haye the Buddha world in their ordinary minds when he wrote about the origin of the ichinen sanzen doctrine in the Mbhe 2higuan.
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