The JapaneseAssociationJapanese Association of Indian and

Jburnal of]indian andBudtthist Studies Vbl. 63, No. 3, March 2015 (17)

Features ofNichiren's Understanding of the Lotus :

Ichinen sanzen and MyOhO goji

Wp(rANABE HOy6

What are the characteristic points ofNichiren's H g ( 1222-1282) understanding of the

Lotus Sutra? First, we have to confirm that thought the theoretical foundation of

=f- the is centained in the concept of Ichinen sanzen " {il =' (three thousand

realms in a single thought) first conceived by ig ac (538-598), the founder of the

Tiantai School, in his work Mbhe zhiguan gEojIEee (The Great Calming and Contempla-

`CThree that nobody could understand the teaching of tion) . Secondly, Nichiren believed

thousand realms in a single thought" in the age ofmqppo- *tik (latter age ofthe ).

"Myd- Because of this, he upheld and practiced the Lotus Sutra only by chanting its title,

h6-ren-ge-kyO." Everybody knows that this was Nichiren's way of accepting the Lotzts Sti-

tra in order to spread it not only in Japan but also throughout the world even into the mod-

ern age.

Before I go into the details, I would like to refer to a few items of background knowl-

edge ofBuddhism. As is well known, was founded in India, was spread north

and south to become Mahay5na Buddhism and Theravdda Buddhism respectively. In

Japan, Saich6 Rki (767-822) introduced Buddhisrn from China and spread the

Lotus Sutra, and insisted on fusing the fbur teachings ofperfection, esoteric, precepts and meditation. However, the Buddhism became popular. Genshin taE (942- "ftetrk, 1O17) wrote the ojdyo-shfi al!keesc and Ibhijo-yo-ketsu and H6nen tiEirk (1133- 1212) wrote the Sk3njaku hongan nenbutsushti ueV

influence over the entire Japan and caused the to spread. Many Bud-

dhist denominations in Japan accepted Pure Land Buddhisrn even today.

When Nichiren started his career as a Buddhist monk, he confronted the Pure Land Bud-

dhism that spread throughout Japan by H6nen and his disciples. Nichiren wrote the Shugo i) kokkaron tiiffNawh, a year before the Rissho ankokuron [iZIEfftNwh when he was

thirty-seven years old. In this work he criticized H6nen and his Pure Land Buddhism.

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(18) Features ofNichiren's Understanding ofthe Lotus Sutra (H, wn'iANABE)

Nichiren said in his Shugo kokkaron that Genshin did not describe his true ideas suMciently

in his Qioj,6shti, but they were well described in his Ibhij'O ybketsu, written ten years later;

Nichiren explained the eight most dreadfu1 hells in the beginning ofhis Kbn ho-b6sho- eeff tlkte ).2) His explanation here was in fact a summary of Clidyoshfi.3) Many parts ofNichi-

ren's teachings were related somehow to Hbnen and his Pure Land Buddhism.

With this point ofview, let me discuss how Nichiren devoted himself to the propagation

of the Lotus Suira by examining his Shugo kokharon. He wrote tbe book when he was

thirty-eight years old at Matsubagayatsu in Kamakura. He built a smal1 hut there after he

proclaimed his new faith and was ejected from Kiyosumi [[emple at the age ofthirty-two.

It is generally thought that Nichiren's religious thought had a political aspect in light of the fact that he presented his Rissho- ankokziron to Hojo- [Ibkiyori atze eeme, a man in power

aMliated with the Karnakura Shogunate. Nichiren was attacked at Matsubagayatsu in Au-

gust, I260, a month after his presentation ofthe Rissho- ankokuron. He was exiled to Izu in

1261 and attacked again at Komatsubara in 1264. Nichiren was almost executed at [latsu-

noknchi in 1271 and exiled to Sado. Through these persecutions he identified himself as a practitioner of the Lotus Sutra. However, he said in his Kbimohasho" ma e }19 that he con- vinced himselfofbeing the Great ofSuperior Practice (JOgyd Bosatsu nlttig me ) from the underground after he experienced the Four Major Persecutions. Meanwhile in

1262 in the 1

future book ofthe Buddha, should have been based on the Five Categories ofteaching, ca-

"order" pacity, time, country and order. Later, in the Kdimokusho", he said that was re-

"teacher" placed by because ofhis identification as the Great Bodhisattva of Superior Prac-

tice. After writing the Kbimokusho", he wrote ACyoraimetsuge gogohyakusaishi kanjin

honzonshO anJIItapaEEillilEueaGenJ"7Nijt4p at Sado Island and explained the impor-

"the tance ofupholding the title of the Lotus SZitra (Odaimoku S3sc E), and described

Honzon ofmapp6" (JRUiCDJ4scpt) and elucidated why he had to carry out his duty as the

Great Bodhisattva of Superior Practice. Also after he entered into Minobusan, he wrote the

Slenjisho- ncHlitg) and Hjonjo- W,eell) to describe the details ofhis teaching.

According to his five major works, his faith in the absolute necessity ofpropagating the

Lotus Shrtra became more purified tlllrough his many persecutions. That is the general un-

derstanding ofNichiren's teaching.

On the other hand, the theme of the Shz{go kokkaron was salvation by upholding the Lo-

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Features ofNichiren's Understanding ofthe Lotus Sutra (H. WAmNABE) (19)

tus Satra in turbulent times as stated in the Rissh6 ankokuron. It criticized H6nen and his

Pure Land Buddhism. He thought that Genshin understood that the Pure Land Buddhism

was expedient, and that the Lotus Sutra and the Sittra were the essential teachings

of Buddhism.

I think that it is important to discuss his initial understanding of Buddhism and why he

praised the Lotus Stitra with his S;ijugo kokkaron in order to see how he developed his Bud-

dhist philosophy. [lhis is the main theme ofthis essay.

The Shugo kokkaron consists of a prologue and seven chapters. I want to discuss several

important points ofeach chapter from the beginning.

1. DiMculty ofBeing Born as a Human being

In the beginning of the Shugo kokkanron, Nichiren described how difficult it was to be

bom as a human being.

Upon refleetion, I consider myself fortunate to have been bom in the Sah5 Wbrld in Japan and to have unexpectedly escaped the three evil realms, fbr our chances of being bern in the evil realrns are as numerous as the number ofdust particles in all the worlds ofthe universe while our chances 4) ofbeing born in the human realm are as small as the amount ofsoil on a fingemail.

In this way he emphasized how fortunate he was to be born in Japan, and how important

it was fbr him to encourage himself to live with true Buddhism and seek enlightenrnent.

The Shugo kokharon has generally been treated in close connection with Nichiren's criti-

cism ofH6nen and his Pure Land teaching in the RisshO ankokuron. There may be a goed

reason fbr this treatment, as it is true that in the Shugo kokkaron Nichiren fbund profbund

meaning in the five periods of the Buddha's life, criticized H6nen and his Pure Land Bud-

dhism, and expressed that the true intention of the Buddha was fbund in the Lotus Shrtra

and Nirvana Sutra. However, it seems more important to note that these aspects found in

the Shtrgo kokkaron should have sprung from Nichiren's basic awareness ofthe meaning

of his own birth as a human being and his deep sense that he had a mission to try and real-

ize the ultimate teaching of Buddha and propagate it in Japan, the land in which he ob-

tained his own birth as a human being.

He talked about the diMculty of being born as a human again in his Sleishun tenno' gosho

MueiEgas# later written at Minobusan. In it, it is written:

It is not easy to be bom as a human being in this world. The chance ofth{s happening, as stated in

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(20) Features ofNichiren's Understanding ofthe Lotus Sleitra (H. wrr/kNABE)

the IVirvana Sutra, is as small as the amount of dirt on a fingernail though there may be an immea- 5) surable amount of soil on the earth.

We know that those praises are a starting point ofhis understanding ofBuddhism.

2. The Five Periods of the Buddha's Life

2.1. Ibhidai gojizu

As is well known, Zhiyi divided the Buddha's life into the five periods. They were the

period ofthe (etwM), A'gama (Fnjftff), Vaipulya Sutr[zs (JE

gatsuE"), Pncv'n"opin'amitd Ssitras (rentM) and the Lotus-AJIrvana Sbetra (2ikfffi '

zeasff) . This is the traditional understanding of Buddha's teachings in the Tiantai school. 6) Nichiren also accepted this idea.

Nichiren explained this idea not only in his Shugo kokkaron but also in other writings. di When he taught it to his disciples and fbllowers, he depicted it in the two Ilrhidui gojizu -,flitEliHIsee t{:Elileepa in 1260 and 1268. He also drew the lbhicini gojikeizu pa fbur times

in 1275, 1276, 1279 and 1280, and others.

r 22.1. S5kyamuni Buddha, the Buddha of Many IYeasures, and the Buddhas in Tbn Directions

In the second section of the Shugo kokkaron, to determine whether the Lotus-IVirvana SzitrcLs or the triple Pure Land sutras will continue to lead people to salvation fbrever,7) "Sakyamuni Nichiren said, declared that the Lotus Sutra was supreme of all the sutras that

he had preached, was preaching, and would be preaching. The Many Treasures Buddha at-

tested the truth of the Lotus Shrtra. Buddhas manifested in various worlds all over the uni-

verse also verified the truth of the Lotus Sutra by touching the Brahma-Heaven with their

own tongues. The sole purpose ofthese three events was to have the Lotus Sutra last fbrever in this world."8)

Sakyamuni Buddha's three times preaching means that he had preached in the past, was

preaching in the present, and would be preaching in the future. It means that the Lotus Su-

tra was supreme above all the sutras he had preached, was preaching, and weuld be

preaching fbr the reason that the Lotus Sutra transcends the impermanent world and exists

in the absolute.

2.2.2. Re-recognition ef a Moment of Faith

Thus, it should be noted that the tme purpose of Genshin in writing the qdyo-shfi was to convert

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Features ofNichiren's Understanding ofthe Lotus Sittra (H, WAiANABE) (21)

people to have faith in the Lotus Sutra by comparing the merits ofthe nenbutsu, supreme ofall pre- 9) Lotas sutras, to the merits ofthe Lotus Stitra showing the superiority efthe latter.

This statement is fbllowed by:

"Questions In the seventh item of the tenth chapter on the and Answers" in his Clidyjsha, Genshin discussed the comparative superiority ofthe ofvarious practices and considered the nenbutsu the most reliable fbr in the Pure Land. Immediately after this, he compared the nenbutsu, the supreme practice in sutras preached befbre the Lotbls Sutra, to the merit ofhaving a moment of faith preached in the Lotus Siitra, decisively stating that the merit ofhaving a moment oftrue faith is hundreds, thousands, ten thousands times greater than that of concentrated practice ef the nen- 10) butsu.

2.3. Slander

"A "Ifa It is stated in the Lotus Sutra, fascicle 2, chapter 3 Parable," person does not be-

lieve in but instead slanders this sutra, he will immediately destroy all the seeds fbr attain-

ing in this world." It is because one aspect of having no faith in this sutra ii) causes others to abandon the Lotus stitra.

3. Reasons Why the Senjaku hougan nenbutsushuH SIanders the True Dharma

i2) Nichiren criticized H6nen's Slenjaku hongan nenbutsushti at many places in his works.

The purpose of this essay is to discuss Nichiren's faith in his S7ingo kokkaron. It is not nec-

essary to discuss this chapter in details here.

4. Seriptural Statement to Show Why Slanderers of the True Dharma should

be Punished

i3) I will also leave this chapter out ofconsideration in this paper fbr the same reason.

"Good 5. Difliculty of Meeting Friends" and the True Dharma

( 1 ) Nichiren explains how diMcult it is to be born a human being and to encounter Bud- 14) dhism.

(2) Nichiren illustrates that even if one was born a human being and encountered Bud-

"evil dhism, dirncult as it was, he might fa11 into the three evil realms ifhe associated with i5) friends.',

"good (3) Nichiren discusses what was a friend" fbr the unenlightened in the Latter Age i6) ofthe Dharma.

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(22) Features ofNichiren's Understanding ofthe Lotus Sutra (H. WATANABE)

6. Precautions that the Practitioners of the Lotus-AJirvana Sutras should Keep

in Mind

Answering a question of believing in the Odaimoku without understanding its meaning,

he said that it was due to the meritorious acts ofpast lives that anyone happened to be born i7) in a land where the Lotus Sleitra is known. As the result, anyone vvould not fa11 into the '8) evil realms. He said that we should try to gain peace of mind by practicing the Lotus Su-

"the tra in reply to what Genshin said in his Ichij'o' yo-ketsu, entire land of Japan seems

ready to believe solely in the perfect teaching.i' He also said that the Eternal True Buddha,

the origin of all Buddhas in manifestation, is always in this Saha world according to state-

ments in chapter XVI ofthe Lotus Shrtra.

In addition, he emphasized that the Lotus SZitra is the best and tme teaching among all

sutras, and is very difficult to believe and understand. Therefbre, to Nichiren the teaching

of the Lotus Sutra is better than pre-Lotus sutras, the Sutra ofJnj7nite Meaning (Ch. Pht-

"Superior liangyiJ'ing, Jp. MuryOgi kyO f,fiiE,..gtsM) and the Arlrvana Slattra. This is called,

to three teachings." Secondly, the Buddha of Many Treasures comes and certifies the truth-

fulness oftheLotus SutTa when it is preached. According to Nichiren, the Buddha ofMany

Treasures does so in order to realize his wish. Thirdly, all Buddhas in ten directions whe

were taught from the remetest past come together and praise the Lotus Shatra when it is preached. The Lotus Sutra was brought to Japan from India, through the silk road, China, and the

Korean Peninsula. It was highly respected. While nobles in the Heian Period respected

sutras themselves, not teachings, D6gen gJli (1200-1253) in the Kamakura Period un- derstood the Lotus Sutra through his experience and wrote S;h6bo- geizaO IE2il NRwt for 20 years. On the other hand, Nichiren accepted the Lotus Sutra as a future book for salva- tion for the people in the mappO. That is why Nichiren did not take the Mohe zhiguan by

"Ichinen Grand Master Tiantai as a method ofmeditation. Rather, he took sanzen" (Three

thousand realms in a single thought) preached in the fascicle 5 ofthe Mohe zhigblan as the

most important teaching as sublime act of chanting the Daimoku fbr the salvation ofpeople

rlliat in the age ofmampo-. is where Nichiren's understanding of the Lotus Sutra is quite dif

ferent from others. His profbund doctrine was revealed in his Aeyoraimetsugo gagohyaku-

saishi hanjin honzonsho- written in the conviction that he was the heir of the Bodhisattva of

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’ Features ofNichiren s Understanding of the Lotus Sutra （H ． WATANABE ） （23）

Superior Practice． As a concluding remark I would like to emphasize that his unique un − ， ，

derstanding of the Lotus Sutra was found in his Shugo kokkaron written at the age of thirty−

eight ， whereas it may safely be said that he must have had such understanding when he − proclaimed his new faith at the age of thirtytwo ．

’ 1 The ShoJwa teihon Nichiren Shonin ibun hereafter Sh6wa teihon ） 昭和 定本 日蓮 聖 人遺 文 （ ）， p． 209．

2 ） 翫 δw α teihon， P．247． 一 − 3 ）Watanabe H6y6 Va辺宝 陽， IVichiren Bukkyδ ron ’ Sono kicho o nasu 〃mono 日 蓮 仏 教論 ：そ の 基

調 を な す も の （） ： ． ． （T kyo Shunjttsha， 2003 ）， P 59 456789101112131415161718）5んδw α teihon ， P．89．

翫 δw α teihon ） ， p．1395．

ε海δM ／ateihon ． ． ） ， p 50

乃δwo teihon ． ． ）5 ， p 101

乃δw σ ）3 teihon， p．102．

乃δw α teihon ）3 ， p．104．

δwa teihon ）Sh ， p．104．

翫 δ｝vα teihon ） ， p．105，

5力δw α teihon ） ， p．108，

δwa teihon ）Sh ， P．114．

んδwo teihon ）5 ， P．ll9．

島 δw α teihon ．119． ） ， P

）肋 δwo teihon， P．119．

）ShδM 〜o teihon， p．125．

ShOn ・a teihon ） ， P．129．

〈Key words ＞ Nichiren， Lo ’〃3 翫 ’砌

（Professor Emeritus Rissho ， University）

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