2 Groups Have Officially Joined Nichiren
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Published by the Nichiren Shu Headquarters & Kaigai Fukyo Koenkai No. 149 August 1, 2005 (1) 2Groups Have Officially Joined Nichiren Shu By Rev. Shokai Kanai, Rev. Shinkyo Warner received the Bishop of North America letter of appointment as the minister of the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Two Odaimoku groups in the Community, which is now a recog- United States have formally joined nized member of NONA, at the dedi- NONA (Nichiren-shu Order of North cation ceremony of the Community America) at the dedication cere- held on June 12. monies held recently: Nichiren Bud- Preceding the ceremony, the annu- dhist Samgha of Texas, Houston, al Dharma Conference was held at the Texas, and the Lexington Nichiren Marriot Hotel for two days. Usually Buddhist Community, in Lexington, the activities of the Community are Kentucky. Members of these groups held in a room of an office building in had been engaged in their own activi- the city. ties for more than 10 years until they At the Dharma Conference, which finally obtained the official sanction was attended by 20 Americans and to join the Nichiren-shu Order in their one Japanese student, Bishop Kanai dedication ceremonies with Bishop delivered a lecture, “The Lotus Shokai Kanai officiating. Sutra–We are Children of the Bud- The Houston Samgha is accom- dha.” Rev. Ryuken Akahoshi talked modated in the house of Shami about “The Teaching of the Nichiren- Ancient Lotus in Bloom Myokei, who is taking the initiative shu Order–Rissho-ankoku and Sow- Ms. Tokiko Nagashima, Honorary Professor of Keisen Jogakuen Uni- of the group, under the guidance of ing the Seed of the Odaimoku.” Rev. versity, Kawauchi-machi, Tochigi Prefecture has succeeded in making the Rev. Ryuo Faulconer, resident minis- Warner Shinkyo gave an introduction 800-year-old lotus seed germinate and bloom. It was excavated at the ter of the Portland Nichiren Buddhist to the Nichiren-shu Order. Rev. ancient site of the Chusonji, a Tendai-shu temple, Hiraizumi, Iwate Pre- Temple. Rev. Faulconer, who visits Faulconer dealt with “Questions and fecture (above). The seed was found in the site of an old pond of the tem- the samgha several times a year, has Answers” and Shami Myokei spoke been designated “acting” minister of on “Women in Buddhism.” ple, constructed in the 12th Century. The excavated seed measures 1.5 the samgha while serving as the resi- The opening ceremony was con- cm long and 1 cm wide. The seed is presumed to have been dormant dent minister of the Portland temple. ducted in English. Some two-thirds of covered by a hard shell buried one meter deep in the earth (by courtesy Some 20 Americans of the district the participants were those from other of The Mainichi Newspapers). The photo below shows the ancient Chi- attended the ceremony held on June states. Since they are not able to regu- nese lotus which has bloomed in the compound of the Ryuhonji Temple, 9. They chanted the “Hobempon” and larly attend the Sunday service, some Kyoto. Many ancient lotus flowers, the “Juryohon,” using the Romanized expressed their hope for receiving including the 2,000-year-old Ogha texts, and chanted the Odaimoku to correspondence courses. Lotus are grown in the temple in the accompaniment of the taiko. (related photos on page 4) 60 pots. The photo is taken by Rev. Tendo Miki, head priest of Kyobo-in Temple. The lotus of the Saddhamapundarika Sutra is a white lotus, and the lotus, to which the bodhisattvas emerging from the underground are likened, is a red one. These ancient seeds seem to suggest the eternity of the Buddha Sakyamuni and His activities of saving us. Attendees at the dedication ceremony of the Nichiren Buddhist Samgha of Texas. In the front row (from left to right) are: Rev. Ryuo Faulconer, Bishop Kanai and Shami Myokei Attendees at the dedication ceremony of the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community on A scene of the dedication ceremony at Nichiren Buddhist June 12. In the Second row are (from left to right) Shami Myokei, Rev. Shinkyo Warner, Samgha of Texas, June 9 Bishop Kanai, Rev. Akahoshi and Rev. Ryuo Faulconer (2) Nichiren Shu News have the appearance of being preached by Nichiren Shonin, which The Doctrine of Ichinen Sanzen (9) were written down by Nikko Shonin. ◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆ Nevertheless, the diction in them is totally different from that in the origi- Ichinen Sanzen and Lord Preacher Sakyamuni Buddha of the Essential Section nal manuscripts. Moreover, their con- ◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆ tents are quite different from those of the original manuscripts of Nichiren By Rev. Kanji Tamura The Genuine Writings of nals when discerning his true writ- ings from the counterfeits. as well as Nikko. (See the Nikko Ichinen Sanzen is the doctrine of Nichiren Shonin When we go through the original Shonin Zenshu). attaining Buddhahood as well as Today more than 900 writings writings of Nichiren Shonin, he clear- In these secret writings of the Fuji relieving all sentient beings from suf- including treatises, essays, letters, ly states again and again that the group, the core of the idea of wor- fering. The Buddha we try to become drawings or pieces of writing have object of devotion for us in the Latter shipping Nichiren Shonin as the Orig- as our goal or the Buddha who saves been affiliated to Nichiren Shonin. Age of Degeneration is Lord Preacher inal Buddha is described. According all sentient beings is the Lord Among these writings about Sakyamuni Buddha. There is no sen- to them, Sakyamuni Buddha and Preacher Sakyamuni Buddha 660 have their original manu- tence in his originals, in which he Nichiren Shonin are like two sides of described in the essential sec- scripts found wholly or partly. maintains that he himself is the Origi- a coin, but Nichiren Shonin is the tion of the Lotus Sutra. We should, first of all, take nal Buddha, or that Sakyamuni is His superior Original Buddha. However, Nichiren Shonin looked up to these original writings as the cast-off skin. We have to follow the as stated above, the idea of Nichiren the Lord Preacher Sakyamu- standard for studying his righteous faith based on the correct as the Original Buddha cannot be ni Buddha of the essential works. (See the Showa Teihon works of Nichiren Shonin. found anywhere in the original manu- section not only as the funda- Nichiren Shonin Ibun, etc.) scripts of Nichiren Shonin. On the mental Buddha eternally liv- This is because after Why Were Counterfeits Made? contrary, in the original manuscript of “Hoon-jo (Essay of Gratitude)” it is ing in this Saha World to Rev. Kanji Tamura Nichiren Shonin passed Incidentally, why were so many guide sentient beings but also away, many counterfeit writ- counterfeit writings made by Nichiren clearly stated that we should regard as the supreme Buddha who unifies ings were made in the name of Buddhists? One of the several possi- Lord Preacher Sakyamuni Buddha of all the existing Buddhas. That is why Nichiren. During the Medieval Age ble reasons is that a certain group of the essential section as the Most Ven- he dedicated his absolute devotion to and pre-Modern era in Japan, forged Nichiren Buddhists created them in erable One. “Kanjin Honzon-sho Sakyamuni Buddha. or counterfeit writings ascribed to order to emphasize its superiority. (Spiritual Contemplation and the Some Nichiren Buddhists, howev- great persons appeared in great quan- Believing that theirs was the legiti- Most Venerable One)” also preaches er, misunderstand that Lord Preacher tity. In the meantime, many original mate and righteous group among that both the merit of practicing the Sakyamuni Buddha of the essential manuscripts have been lost in the Nichiren Buddhists, they made fake Bodhisattva Way performed by the section is inferior to Nichiren Shonin. course of time. In case of some his- documents, claiming that those coun- Eternal Buddha and the virtue of According to them, Nichiren Shonin torical figures, when all of their origi- terfeits are the secret writings that Sakyamuni as the Eternal Original is the most supreme and original Bud- nals had been lost, it is very difficult descended from Nichiren Shonin only Buddha are included in the Daimoku dha, and Sakyamuni is nothing but even for the specialists to discern to their group. Needless to say that of the Five Characters of the Wonder- His cast-off skin. Nowadays that kind between true writings and fake ones. Nichiren Shonin did not have such ful Dharma, and that Sakyamuni Bud- of incorrect view is internationally Fortunately, as far as Nichiren Shon- intentions. That was why he appoint- dha transmitted this Daimoku to his spread although Nichiren Shonin nev- in’s writings, more than 660 originals ed the Six Senior Disciples in order to disciple called Superior Practice Bod- er stated that. He simply asserted the out of 900 or so have surprisingly leave his teaching equally and impar- hisattva, who will spread it in the Lat- complete devotion to the Eternal and been found existing over 700 long tially among his followers. ter Age of Degeneration. Being aware Original Buddha. In this article, we years. Since more than half of his Those counterfeits include the of himself in his bosom as Superior will learn what the correct view of writings have their original manu- secret writings of the Fuji group such Practice Bodhisattva, the messenger Nichiren Shonin about Lord Preacher scripts, it is very effective to careful- as “Hon’inmyo-sho (Treatise about of Sakyamuni Buddha, Nichiren Sakyamuni Buddha of the essential ly compare the contents of the dubi- the Wonderfulness of the Original strived to propagate the Daimoku. section is. ous writings with the words, sen- Causation),” and “Hyaku-rokka Sojo (translated by Rev.