When it comes to Nikkyō Niwano and Rissho Kosei-kai, the organization he founded in 1938 with Mrs. Myoko Naganuma and some 30 members, I am ambivalence defined.
I am not a member of Rissho Kosei-kai. I consider myself a member of the Sacramento Nichiren Buddhist Church and, by extension, a member of Nichiren Shu. There may be some members of Nichiren Shu who are unhappy with my unorthodox practice and my willingness to explore sources outside those published by the Nichiren Buddhist International Center, but all of the Nichiren Shu priests I’ve met and with whom I have practiced have been encouraging and supportive. That was certainly not my experience when I was a member of Soka Gakkai, and I don’t expect questioning the teachings of Nikkyō Niwano would be welcomed in Rissho Kosei-kai.
Since starting this website in 2015 I’ve immersed myself in books about the Lotus Sutra, Nichiren and Buddhism in general. I have 46 books listed on my Books page here and more on the bookcase in my study waiting to be read.
The wealth of material I’ve read published by Rissho Kosei-kai has proved embarrassing. In 2019, while introducing Nikkyō Niwano’s Buddhism for Today I felt compelled to rationalize why I was publishing daily quotes taken from A Buddhist Kaleidoscope: Essays On The Lotus Sutra, a Rissho Kosei-kai anthology edited by Gene Reeves, while I was using the Rissho Kosei-kai’s new translation of the Threefold Lotus Sutra in my 32 Days of the Lotus Sutra practice.
This ambivalence has been even more pronounced since attending a 34-week Rissho Kosei-kai in North America (RKINA) advanced course on the Threefold Lotus Sutra.
On several occasions during the course of the class I’ve railed at what I considered Nikkyō Niwano’s questionable interpretation of the Lotus Sutra, only to find myself at other times thankful for his insight.
Take for example this promise in Chapter 23, The Previous Life of Medicine-King Bodhisattva:
“Anyone who rejoices at hearing this chapter of the Previous Life of Medicine-King Bodhisattva and praises [this chapter], saying, ‘Excellent,’ will be able to emit the fragrance of the blue lotus flower from his mouth and the fragrance of the candana of Mt. Ox-Head from his pores, and obtain these merits in his present life.”
Back in 2016, during my sixth time through my cycle of 32 Days of the Lotus Sutra, I was exploring “What if…” while reviewing the promises of the Lotus Sutra. Emitting the fragrance of blue lotus flowers and candana of Mt. Ox-Head was a distinct blow to my literalist fantasy.
By the time I first read Buddhism for Today I had read the promise of Chapter 27 more than 45 times and still hadn’t figured out why anyone would want to “emit the fragrance of the blue lotus flower from his mouth and the fragrance of the candana of Mt. Ox-Head from his pores.” I completely missed Nikkyō Niwano’s explanation in my first reading of Buddhism for Today. It was only after reading it as part of the RKINA-201 class that I finally noticed the answer:
Buddhism for Today, p364-365These words mean that a person who hears the chapter of the former deeds of Medicine King Bodhisattva and joyfully receives and applauds it will exert a good influence upon those around him. His fragrance not only will remain on his clothes but will be transmitted to those who touch his garments. The phrase “breathe out the fragrance of the blue lotus flower” means that the words spoken by one who joyfully receives and applauds the Lotus Sutra will spontaneously make the minds of those around him beautiful. The phrase “emit the fragrance of ox-head sandalwood from the pores of his body” indicates that those around him will naturally be influenced by his good acts. This is an ideal state of mind, which those practicing the Buddha’s teachings must attain for themselves.
Back in April I wrote about “The Difficulty of Studying the Lotus Sutra” in response to Nikkyō Niwano’s interpretation of Chapter 11, Beholding the Stūpa of Treasures.
Now I want to celebrate his interpretation of Chapter 23, The Previous Life of Medicine-King Bodhisattva.
Ambivalence, plain and simple.