Nichiren biography

He advocated the repeated recitation of the Sutra's title, Nam u -myoho-renge-kyo. In addition, he held that the historical Shakyamuni Buddha was the manifestation of a Buddha-nature that is equally accessible to all. From Encyclopedia of Buddhism. The Lotus sutra : a contemporary translation of a Buddhist classic. Nichiren was pardoned on February 14, and returned to Kamakura one month later on March Scholars have suggested that some of his well-connected followers might have had influence on the government's decision to release him.

On April 8 he was summoned by Hei no Saemonwho inquired about the timing of the next Mongol invasion. Nichiren predicted that it would occur within the year:. Deeply disappointed by the government's refusal to heed his advice, Nichiren left Kamakura one month later, on May 12, determined to become a solitary wayfarer. Minobuhe learned that followers in nearby regions had held steadfast during his exile.

Despite severe weather and deprivation, Nichiren remained in Minobu for the rest of his career. During his self-imposed exile at Mount Minobua location miles west of KamakuraNichiren led a widespread movement of followers in Kanto and Sado mainly through his prolific letter-writing. During the so-called " Atsuhara affair " of when governmental attacks were aimed at Nichiren 's followers rather than himself.

Nichiren 's letters reveal an assertive and well-informed leader who provided detailed instructions through a sophisticated network of disciples serving as liaisons between Minobu and other affected areas in Japan. He also showed the nichiren biography to provide a compelling narrative of events that gave his followers a broad perspective of what was unfolding.

More than half of the extant letters of Nichiren were written during his years at Minobu :. Some consisted of moving letters to followers expressing appreciation for their assistance, counselling on personal matters, and explaining his teachings in more understandable terms. It becomes clear at this point that he understood that he was creating his own form of Lotus Buddhism.

Nichiren and his disciples completed the Kuon-ji Temple in In the 19 th century this structure burned down to be replaced by a new structure completed in the second half of the Meiji era. While at Minobu Nichiren also inscribed numerous Dai Gohonzons for bestowal upon specific disciples and lay believers.

Nichiren biography: Nichiren was born in a fishing

It is apparent that Nichiren took great care in deciding which of his disciples were eligible to receive a Gohonzon inscribed by him:. In the case of a letter written to Lady Niiama he took great care to explain why he would not inscribe a Gohonzon despite a deep personal bond. Among the Gohonzons he inscribed were several that were quite large in size and perhaps intended for congregational use in chapels maintained by some lay followers.

Inafter years of privation, Nichiren fell ill. His followers encouraged him to travel to the hot springs for their medicinal benefits:. En route, unable to travel further, he stopped at the home of a disciple in Ikegamioutside of present-day Tokyoand died on 13 October His funeral and cremation took place the following day. His disciples left Ikegami with Nichiren 's ashes on October 21, reaching back to Minobu on October Skip to main content.

Buddhism Red Zambala. From that time on, Nichiren was subjected to constant harassment and persecution. The call for public debate—which Nichiren would repeat throughout his life—was ignored, and, the following year, he was banished to the Izu Peninsula. These included armed nichiren biographies, ambushes and ultimately an attempt to kill him on the beach at Tatsunokuchi near Kamakura.

By his account, moments before he was to be beheaded, a luminous object traversed the sky with such brilliance that the terrified officials called off the nichiren biography. Nichiren was banished to Sado Island where, amidst extreme deprivation, he continued to share his teachings, writing treatises and letters of encouragement to his followers.

It confirmed that, while he remained an ordinary being, his true and original identity was that of a Buddha devoted to spreading the teaching of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, providing the means for people to free themselves from suffering at the most fundamental level. It was after this that he began to inscribe the Gohonzon for his followers—a scroll inscribed with Chinese and Sanskrit characters that embodies the Mystic Law to which he was enlightened.

InNichiren was exonerated and returned to Kamakura, the political center of Japan. He once again urged the government authorities to discontinue their reliance on erroneous teachings, but, for a third time, they declined to heed his advice. He decided then to leave Kamakura and took up residence in the foothills of Mount Minobu, where he devoted himself to fostering disciples who would carry out the work of spreading his teachings after his passing.

The Soka Gakkai regards Nichiren as the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law the current tumultuous age predicted in the Buddhist sutras because his teachings are capable of providing hope in this challenging time and leading all people to enlightenment. Digital flyer introducing our official online platforms. Between the years and Nichiren engaged in an intensive study of all of the ten schools of Buddhism prevalent in Japan at that time as well as the Chinese classics and secular literature.

During these years, he became convinced of the preeminence of the Lotus Sutra and in returned to the temple where he first studied to present his findings. However, I began doubting this practice, making a vow to study all the Buddhist sutras, commentaries on them by disciples, and explanatory notes by others[. He next traveled to Mount Hieithe center of Japanese Tendai Buddhism, where he scrutinized the school's original doctrines and its subsequent incorporation of the theories and practices of Pure Land and Esoteric Buddhism.

According to one of his letters, Nichiren returned to Seicho-ji Temple on 28 April to lecture on his twenty years of scholarship. This marked the start of his campaign to return Tendai to the exclusive reliance of the Lotus Sutra and his efforts to convert the entire Japanese nation to this belief. Ren signifies the Lotus Sutra. Nichiren envisioned Japan as the country where the true teaching of Buddhism would be revived and the starting point for its worldwide spread.

At his lecture, it is construed, Nichiren vehemently attacked Honenthe founder of Pure Land Buddhismand its practice of chanting the NembutsuNam u Amida Butsu. It is likely he also denounced the core teachings of Seicho-ji which had incorporated non-exclusive Lotus Sutra nichiren biographies and practices. In so doing he earned the animosity of the local steward, Tojo Kagenobu, who attempted to have Nichiren killed.

Modern scholarship suggests that events unfolded not in a single day but over a longer period of time and had social, and political dimensions. Nichiren then developed a base of operation in Kamakura where he converted several Tendai priests, directly ordained others, and attracted lay disciples who were drawn mainly from the strata of the lower and middle samurai class.

Their households provided Nichiren with economic support and became the core of Nichiren communities in several locations in the Kanto region of Japan. Nichiren arrived in Kamakura in Between and half of the population had perished due to a tragic succession of calamities that included drought, earthquakes, epidemics, famine, fires, and storms.

The root cause of this, he argued, was the widespread decline of the Dharma due to the mass adoption of the Pure Land teachings. In it he argued the necessity for "the Sovereign to recognize and accept the singly true and correct form of Buddhism i. Using a dialectic form well-established in China and Japan, the treatise is a segment fictional dialogue between a Buddhist wise man, presumably Nichiren, and a visitor who together lament the tragedies that have beleaguered the nation.

The wise man answers the guest's questions and, after a heated exchange, gradually leads him to enthusiastically embrace the vision of a country grounded firmly on the ideals of the Lotus Sutra. In this writing Nichiren displays a skill in using analogy, anecdote, and detail to persuasively appeal to an individual's unique psychology, experiences, and level of understanding.

The teacher builds his argument by quoting extensively from a set of Buddhist sutras and commentaries. In his future writings Nichiren continued to draw from the same sutras and commentaries, effectively forming Nichiren's canon of sources out of the Buddhist library which he deemed supportive of the Lotus Sutra including the KonkomyoDaijukuNinnoYakushiand Nirvana sutras.

They share in common apocalyptic or nation-protecting teachings and prophecies. Nichiren submitted his treatise on 16 July but it drew no official response. It did, however, prompt a severe backlash from the Buddhist priests of other schools. Nichiren was challenged to a religious debate with leading Kamakura prelates in which, by his account, they were swiftly dispatched.

Their lay followers, however, attempted to kill him at his dwelling which forced him to flee Kamakura. His critics had influence with key governmental figures and spread slanderous rumors about him. One year after he submitted the Rissho Ankoku Ron the authorities had him arrested and exiled to the Izu peninsula. Nichiren's Izu exile lasted two years.

Nichiren began to emphasize the purpose of human existence as being the practice of the bodhisattva ideal in the real world which entails undertaking struggle and manifesting endurance. Upon being pardoned in Nichiren returned to Kamakura. For the next few years he preached in provinces outside of Kamakura but returned in At this point the Mongols sent envoys to Japan demanding tribute and threatening invasion.

Nichiren sent 11 letters to influential leaders reminding them about his predictions in the Rissho Ankoku Ron. The threat and execution of Mongol invasion was the worst crisis in pre-modern Japanese history. In Mongol envoys again arrived to demand Japanese submission to their hegemony and the bakufu responded by mobilizing military defenses.

The role of Buddhism in "nation-protection" chingo kokka was long established in Japan at this time and the government galvanized prayers from Buddhist schools for this purpose. Nichiren and his followers, however, felt emboldened that the predictions he had made in of foreign invasion seemingly were being fulfilled and more people joined their movement.

Daring a rash response from the bakufuNichiren vowed in letters to his followers that he was giving his life to actualize the Lotus Sutra. He accelerated his polemics against the non-Lotus teachings the government had been patronizing at the very time it was attempting to solidify national unity and resolve. Nichiren considered this as his second remonstration to the government.

According to Nichiren's own account, he was sentenced to exile but was brought to Tatsunukuchi beach in Shichirigahama for execution. At the final moment an astronomical phenomenon, "a brilliant orb as bright as the moon," arced over the execution grounds, terrifying Nichiren's executioners into inaction. Regardless of the account, Nichiren's life was spared and he was exiled to Sado Island.

The incident has become known as the "Tatsunokuchi Persecution" and was regarded by Nichiren as a death-and-resurrection turning point. After the failed execution authorities carried out Nichiren's original sentence of exile to Sado Island in the Sea of Japan. Upon arriving, he was dispatched to a small dilapidated temple located in a graveyard.

Nichiren was accompanied by a few disciples and in the first winter they endured terrible cold, food deprivation, and threats from local inhabitants. Nichiren scholars describe a clear shift in both tone and message in letters written before his Sado exile and those written during and after. The tactics of the bakufu suppression of the Nichiren community included exile, imprisonment, land confiscation, or ousting from clan membership.

Apparently a majority of his disciples abandoned their faith and others questioned why they and Nichiren were facing such adversity in light of the Lotus Sutra's promise of "peace and security in the present life. Such hardship, Nichiren argued, fulfilled and validated the Lotus Sutra. He also identified himself with the bodhisattva Visistacaritra to whom Shakyamuni entrusted the future propagation of the Lotus Sutra, seeing himself in the role of leading a vast outpouring of Bodhisattvas of the Earth who pledged to liberate the oppressed.

Let ordeals confront me. I will not begrudge bodily life No matter what trials we may encounter, so long as we do not have a mind of doubt, I and my disciples will naturally achieve the Buddha realm. At the end of the — winter Nichiren's conditions had improved. He had attracted a small band of followers in Sado who provided him with support and disciples from the mainland began visiting him and providing supplies.

In there was an attempted coup in Kamakura and Kyoto, seemingly fulfilling the prediction he had made in the Rissho Ankoku Ron of rebellion in the domain. At this point Nichiren was transferred to much better accommodations. Although there is evidence of a Gohonzon in embryonic form as far back as the days right before his exile, the first in full form is dated to 8 July and includes the inscription of "Nichiren inscribes this for the first time.

His writings on Sado provide his rationale for a calligraphic mandala depicting the assembly at Eagle Peak which was to be used as an object of devotion or worship.

Nichiren biography: Nichiren (born February 16, ,

By increasingly associating himself with Visistacaritra he implied a direct link to the original and universal Buddha. He read in the 16th Life span chapter of the Lotus Sutra a three-fold "secret Dharma" of the daimokuthe object of worship honzonand the ordination platform kaidan. These became the means for people to directly access the Buddha's enlightenment.

At the bottom of each mandala he wrote: "This is the great mandala never before revealed in Jambudvipa during the more than 2, years since the Buddha's nirvana. More than a hundred Mandala Gohonzon preserved today are attributed to Nichiren's own hand. Nichiren was pardoned on 14 February and returned to Kamakura one month later on 26 March. Scholars have suggested that some of his well-connected followers might have had influence on the government's decision to release him.

On 8 April he was summoned by Hei no Saemon, who inquired about the timing of the next Mongol invasion. Nichiren predicted that it would occur within the year. He used the audience as yet another opportunity to remonstrate with the government. Claiming that reliance on prayers based on esoteric rituals would invite further calamity, he urged the bakufu to ground itself exclusively on the Lotus Sutra.

Deeply disappointed by the government's refusal to heed his advice, Nichiren left Kamakura one month later, on 12 May, determined to become a solitary wayfarer. Five days later, however, on a visit to the residence of Lord Hakii Sanenaga of Mt. Minobu, he learned that followers in nearby regions had held steadfast during his exile. Despite severe weather and deprivation, Nichiren remained in Minobu for the rest of his career.

During his self-imposed exile at Mount Minobu, a location miles west of Kamakura[ 77 ] [ 78 ] [ 79 ] Nichiren led a widespread movement of followers in Kanto and Sado mainly through his prolific letter-writing. During the so-called "Atsuhara affair" of when governmental attacks were aimed at Nichiren's followers rather than himself, Nichiren's letters reveal an assertive and well-informed leader who provided detailed instructions through a sophisticated network of disciples serving as liaisons between Minobu and other affected areas in Japan.

He also showed the ability to provide a compelling narrative of events that gave his followers a broad perspective of what was unfolding. More than half of the extant nichiren biographies of Nichiren were written during his years at Minobu. Some consisted of moving letters to followers expressing appreciation for their assistance, counseling on personal matters, and explaining his teachings in more understandable terms.

It becomes clear at this point that he understood that he was creating his own form of Lotus Buddhism. In the 19th century this structure burned down to be replaced by a new structure completed in the second half of the Meiji nichiren biography. While at Minobu Nichiren also inscribed numerous Mandala Gohonzon for bestowal upon specific disciples and lay believers.

Nichiren Shoshu believers claim that after the execution of the three Atsuhara farmers he inscribed the Dai Gohonzon on 12 Octobera Gohonzon specifically addressed to all humanity.

Nichiren biography: Nichiren (16 February – 13 October

This assertion has been disputed by other schools as historically and textually incorrect. It is apparent that Nichiren took great care in deciding which of his disciples were eligible to receive a Gohonzon inscribed by him. In the case of a letter written to Lady Niiama he took great care to explain why he would not inscribe a Gohonzon despite a deep personal bond.

Inafter years of seclusion, Nichiren fell ill. His followers encouraged him to travel to the hot springs in Hitachi for their medicinal benefits. He was also encouraged by his disciples to travel there for the warmer weather, and to use the land offered by Hagiri Sanenaga for recuperation. En route, unable to travel further, he stopped at the home of a disciple in Ikegamioutside of present-day Tokyo, and died on 13 October According to legend, he died in the presence of fellow disciples after having spent several days lecturing from his sickbed on the Lotus Sutra, writing a final letter, and leaving instructions for the future of his movement after his death, namely the designation of the six senior disciples.

His funeral and cremation took place the following day. His disciples left Ikegami with Nichiren's ashes on 21 October, reaching back to Minobu on 25 October. According to Anesaki, Nichiren, upon his arrival at Minobu, quickly turned his attention to consolidating his teachings toward their perpetuation. Anesaki also claims that later during his Minobu years, in lectures he is said to have transmitted to his disciplesNichiren summarized the key ideas of his teachings in one paragraph: Buddhahood is eternal, all people can and should manifest it in their lives; Nichiren is the personage in the Lotus Sutra whose mission it is to enable people to realize their enlightenment; his followers who share his vow are the Bodhisattvas of the Earth.

This requires a spiritual and moral unity among followers based on their inherent Buddhahood; Nichiren established the seeds of this community and his followers to come must extend it globally. Thus the enlightened individual, country, and world are different expressions of the ideal of the Buddha land; and the enlightened heart of the individual plays out its role with the world and cosmos as its stage.

Nichiren set a precedent for Buddhist social activism centuries before its emergence in other Buddhist schools. The uniqueness of his teachings was his attempt to nichiren biography Buddhism from the theoretical to the actualizable. He held adamantly that his teachings would permit a nation to right itself and ultimately lead to world peace. Some of his religious thinking was derived from the Tendai understanding of the Lotus Sutra, syncretic beliefs that were deeply rooted in the culture of his times, and new perspectives that were products of Kamakura Buddhism.

Nichiren was a product of his times and some of his teachings were drawn from existing schools of thought or from emerging ideas in Kamakura Buddhism. Nichiren appropriated and expanded on these ideas. Nichiren advanced these concepts by declaring that they were actualizable rather than theoretical. Cause and effect were simultaneous instead of linear.

Contemplation of one's mind kanjin took place within the singular belief in and commitment to the Lotus Sutra. According to Nichiren these phenomena manifest when a person chants the title of the Lotus Sutra date and shares its validity with others, even at the cost of one's life if need be. Nichiren constructed a triad relationship between faith, practice, and study.

Faith meant embracing his new paradigm of the Lotus Sutra. It was something that needed to be continually deepened. But the realization of Buddhahood lies in upholding [faith]. Consequently, Nichiren consistently and vehemently objected to the perspective of the Pure Land school that stressed an other-worldly aspiration to some pure land.

Behind his assertion is the concept of the nonduality of the subjective realm the individual and the objective realm the land that the individual inhabits which indicates that when the individual taps buddhahood, his or her present world becomes peaceful and harmonious. For Nichiren the widespread propagation of the Lotus Sutra and consequent world peace " kosen-rufu " was achievable and inevitable and tasked his future followers with a mandate to accomplish it.

The Kamakura period of 13th century Japan was characterized by a sense of foreboding. Indeed, Japan had entered an era of extreme natural disasters, internal strife and political conflict. Although Nichiren attributed the "nichiren biographies" and disasters in society to the widespread practice of what he deemed inferior Buddhist teachings that were under government sponsorship, he was enthusiastically upbeat about the portent of the age.

He asserted, in contrast to other Mahayana schools, this was the best possible moment to be alive, the era in which the Lotus Sutra was to spread, and the time in which the Bodhisattvas of the Earth would appear to propagate it. The tradition of conducting open and sustained debate to clarify matters of fundamental Buddhist principles has deep-seated roots in Tibet, China, and Korea.

In addition to formalized religious debates, the Kamakura period was marked by flourishing and competitive oral religious discourse. In order to teach principles of faith preachers incorporated colorful storytelling, music, vaudeville, and drama—which later evolved into Noh. A predominant topic of debate in Kamakura Buddhism was the concept of rebuking "slander of the Dharma.

His ideas were vociferously attacked by many including Nichiren. Nichiren, however, elevated countering slander of the Dharma into a pillar of Buddhist practice. In fact, far more of his extant writings deal with the clarification of what constitutes the essence of Buddhist teachings than expositions of how to meditate. Although his times were harsh and permeated by bakufu culture, Nichiren always chose the power of language over bearing arms or resorting to violence.

He didn't mince his words and was relentless to pursue dialogue whether in the form of debate, conversations, or correspondence. His spirit of engaging in discourse is captured in his statement, "Whatever obstacles I may encounter, as long as men [persons] of wisdom do not prove my teachings to be false, I will never yield. Basing himself on the writings of the Chinese Buddhist Shandaohe advocated the singular practice of Nianfothe recitation of the Buddha Amida's name.

This practice was revolutionary because it was accessible to all and minimalized the monopolistic role of the entire monastic establishment. This constituted renouncing the principle of aspiring to a Pure Land after death and asserting instead the Lotus perspective of attaining Buddhahood in one's present form in this lifetime. Japan had a long-established system of folk beliefs that existed outside of and parallel to the schools of the Buddhist establishment.

Many of these beliefs had an influence on the various religious schools which, in turn, influenced each other, a phenomenon known as syncretism. Among these beliefs were the nichiren biography of kamiindigenous gods and goddesses or protective forces, that influenced human and natural occurrences in a holistic universe. Some beliefs ascribed kami to traces of the Buddha.

The belief in kami was deeply embedded in the episteme of the time. Human agency through prayers and rituals could summon forth kami who would engage in nation-protection chingo kokka. According to some of his accounts, Nichiren undertook his study of Buddhism to largely understand why the kami had seemingly abandoned Japan, as witnessed by the decline of the imperial court.

Because the court and the people had turned to teachings that had weakened their minds and resolve, he came to conclude, both people of wisdom and the protective forces had abandoned the nation. By extension, he argued, through proper prayer and action his troubled society would transform into an ideal world in which peace and wisdom prevail and "the wind will not thrash the branches nor the rain fall hard enough to break clods.

Developed during his Izu exile, the Five Guides gogi are five criteria through which Buddhist teachings can be evaluated and ranked. From these five interrelated perspectives Nichiren declared his interpretation of the Lotus Sutra as the supreme teaching.