Over the past few months I’ve been reading books about Bodhisattvas and the Six Perfections from Zen authors, books on the basics of Buddhism and introductions to the Lotus Sutra by authors outside Nichiren Shu. On my to-read pile are books on T’ien-Tai philosophy and the Establishment of the Japanese Tendai School, two volumes of dharma talks by the Most Venerable Nichidatsu Fujii and, for good measure, the Vimalakirti Sutra.
This is all part of my effort to follow Nichiren’s admonition: “Strive to carry out the two ways of practice and learning. Without practice and learning, Buddhism will cease to exist.” (Shohō Jissō Shō, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 4 p.79)
But I realize I need to circle back and ensure my foundation in Nichiren Buddhism is sound. I’m reading the Lotus Sutra daily but I haven’t re-read Nichiren’s letters recently.
Today, March 1, I’m starting a 100-day study of Nichiren’s writings that will continue daily through June 9.
I would like to think that I do this in the spirit of “The Best Way for Recompensing Indebtedness,” which comes from Nichiren’s essay on gratitude:
“What is the best way for Buddhists to express their gratitude for the unfathomable kindness that they have received? Mastering Buddhism completely and to be sagacious is the way. How can anyone guide blind persons across a bridge, if he himself is blind? How can a captain, who does not know the direction of the wind, sail his ship to transport many merchants to a mountain of treasure?”
At this point I need to confess that I actually started this on Feb. 26. I’m sort of rounding up so I can start at the beginning of the month. Who starts stuff at the end of the month?
The need for my study was actually underlined for me when I was reading Jisshō-shō — A Treatise on the Ten Chapters of the Great Concentration and Insight — written in Kamakura in 1271.
Nichiren writes:
“Non-Buddhist religions in India claimed that this world was eternal, joyful, free and pure. On the contrary, the Buddha insisted that this world was impermanent, painful, empty and egoless in order to destroy their superficial views. The Two Vehicles (two kinds of Buddhist known as śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha) were stuck to the principle of emptiness preached by the Buddha and could not grasp the idea of eternity in Mahayana Buddhism. The Buddha, therefore, reproached them saying that even the five rebellious sins and evil passions could be a cause of enlightenment, but their inflexible belief in emptiness will never lead them to Buddhahood.” (Writings of Nichiren Shonin, Doctrine 2, Page 5.)
Having just finished two Zen-focused books explaining emptiness, I’m intrigued by Nichiren’s “idea of eternity in Mahayana Buddhism.” What is that? Is there something more than Chapter 16’s assurance that Śākyamuni’s lifespan is immeasurable – not eternal but immeasurable?
Below are the table of contents for the seven volumes of the Writings of Nichiren Shōnin and Nyonin Gosho. The Nyonin Gosho listing identifies those letters not included in the seven volumes with “NOT IN WONS.”
Doctrine 1
Shugo Kokka-ron (ST doc. 15) (Treatise on Protecting the Nation) Page 1
Sainan Kōki Yurai (ST doc. 20) (The Cause of Misfortunes) Page 81
Sainan Taiji-shō (ST doc. 21) (Treatise on the Elimination of Calamities) Page 89
Risshō Ankoku-ron (ST doc. 24) (Treatise on Spreading Peace Throughout the Country by Establishing the True Dharma) Page 105
Ankoku-ron Soejō (ST doc. 48) (Covering Letter to the ” Risshō Ankoku-ron”)
Ankoku-ron Gokanyurai (ST doc. 49) (The Reason for Submitting the ” Risshō Ankoku-ron”) Page 146
Yadoya Nyūdō Sai-gojō (ST doc. 51) (Second Letter to Lay Priest Yadoya) Page 152
Ankoku-ron Okugaki (ST doc. 69) (Postscript to the “Risshö Ankoku-ron” ) Page 154
Ko Saimyōji Nyūdō Kenzan Gosho (ST doc. 71) (Meeting the Late Lay Priest Saimyöji Letter) Page 156
Kingo-dono Go-henji (ST doc. 73) (A Reply to Lord Ota Jōmyō) Page 157
Ankoku-ron Sōjō (ST doc. 108) (A Letter Requesting the “Risshō Ankoku-ron”) Page 160
Musō Gosho (ST doc. 111) (Record of a Dream) Page 161
Kassen Zai-Genzen Gosho (ST doc. 155) (A War Right Under Your Nose) Page 162
Ken Risshō-i Shō (ST doc. 156) (A Tract Revealing the Gist of the “Risshō Ankoku-ron”) Page 163
Jisshō-shō (ST doc. 81) (A Treatise on the Ten Chapters of the Great Concentration and Insight) Page 1
Teradomari Gosho (ST doc. 92) (A Letter from Teradomari) Page 8
Hasshū Imoku-shō (ST doc. 96) (A Treatise on the Differences of the Lotus Sect from Eight Other Sects) Page 15
Kaimoku-shō (ST doc. 98) (Open Your Eyes to the Lotus Teaching) Page 29
Toki-dono Go-henji (ST doc. 101) (A Response to Lord Toki) Page 118
Shingon Shoshū Imoku (ST doc. 106) (The Differences between the Lotus Sect and Other Sects such as the True Word Sect) Page 120
Kanjin Honzon-shō (ST doc. 118) (A Treatise Revealing the Spiritual Contemplation and the Most Venerable One) Page 126
Kanjin Honzon-shō Soejō (ST doc. 119) (The Covering Letter of the “Kanjin Honzon-shō”) Page 168
Kembutsu Mirai-ki (ST doc. 125) (A Testimony to the Prediction of the Buddha) Page 170
Toki-dono Go-henji (ST doc. 126) (A Response to Lord Toki) Page 180
Hakii Saburō-dono Go-henji (ST doc. 127) (A Response to Lord Hakii Saburō) Page 82
Shōjō Daijō Fumbetsu-shō (ST doc. 136) (The Differences between Hinayana and Mahayana Teachings) Page 190
Gochū Shujō Gosho (ST doc. 139) (“People in the World” Letter) Page 201
Hokke Shuyō-shō (ST doc. 145) (A Treatise on the Essence of the Lotus Sutra) Page 204
Risshō Kanjō (ST doc. 158) (A Treatise on Establishing the Right Way of Meditation) Page 218
Risshō Kanjō Sōjō (ST doc. 165) (The Covering Letter to “A Treatise on Establishing the Right Way of Meditation’) Page 234
Misawa-shō (ST doc. 275) (A Letter to Lord Misawa of Suruga) Page 238
Shimon Butsujō-gi (ST doc. 277) (Listening to the One Buddha Vehicle Teaching for the First Time) Page 245
Toki Nyüdō-dono Go-henji: Chibyō-shō (ST doc. 294) (A Response to Lay Priest Lord Toki: Treatise on Healing Sickness) Page 251
Honzon Mondō Shō (ST doc. 307) Questions and Answers on the Honzon Page 258
Toki Nyūdō-dono Go-henji: Hongon Shukkai-shō (ST doc. 310) (A Response to Lay Priest Lord Toki: Treatise on Overcoming Illusions of the Triple World by Provisional Teachings) Page 275
Shokyō to Hokekyō to Nan’i no Koto (ST doc. 367) (The Difficulty and Easiness in Understanding the Lotus Sutra and Other Sutras) Page 281
Sandai Hihō Honjō-ji (ST doc. 403) (The Transmission of the Three Great Secret Dharmas) Page 286
Doctrine 3
Hōon-jō (ST doc. 223) (Essay on Gratitude) Page 1
Hōon-jō Sōmon (ST doc. 224) (Covering Letter to the “Hōon-jō”) Page 64
Ichidai Shōgyō Tai-i (ST. doc. 10) (Outline of All the Holy Teachings of the Buddha) Page Page 66
Kyōki Jikoku-shō (ST. doc. 29) (Treatise on the Teaching, Capacity, Time and Country) Page 96
Ken Hōbō-shō (ST. doc. 31) (Clarification of Slandering the Time Dharma) Page 105
Nanjō Hyōe Shichirō-dono Gosho (ST. doc. 38) (A Letter to Lord Nanjō Hyōe Shichirō) Page 138
Soya Nyüdō-dono-gari Gosho (ST. doc. 170) (A Letter to Lay Priest Lord Soya) Page 147
Shoshü Mondō-shō (ST doc. 5) (Questions and Answers on Other Schools) Page 175
Hokke Jōdo Mondō-shō (ST doc. 94) (Questions and Answers on the Lotus and Pure Land Sects) Page 189
Soya Nyüdō-dono Gosho (ST doc. 154) (A Letter to Lay Priest Lord Soya) Page 195
Ōta-dono-gari Gosho (ST. doc. 159) (A Letter to Lord Ota) Page 197
San Sanzō Kiu no Koto (ST. doc. 183) (Concerning the Prayer Services for Rain by Three Tripitaka Masters) Page 203
Daigaku Saburō-dono Gosho (ST doc. 186) (A Letter to Lord Daigaku Saburō) Page 210
Jikaku Daishi no Koto (ST doc. 361) (Concerning Grand Master Jikaku) Page 215
Nizen Nijō Bosatsu Fusabutsu Ji (ST doc. 17) (Never-Attaining Buddhahood by the “livo Vehicles and Bodhisattvas in the Pre-Lotus Sutras) Page 218
Nijō SabutsuJi (ST doc. 19) (Obtaining Buddhahood by the Two Vehicles) Page 224
Ichidai Goji Keizu (ST doc. zu 20) (Genealogical Chart of the Buddha’s Lifetime Teachings) 237
Volume 4, Faith and Practice
Shō Hokke Daimoku-shō (ST. doc. 23) (Treatise on Chanting the Daimoku of the Lotus Sutra) Page 1
Yakuō-bon Tokui-shō (ST. doc. 41) (The Essence of the “Medicine King Bodhisattva” Chapter) Page 27
Hokke Daimoku-shō (ST. doc. 44) (Treatise on the Daimoku of the Lotus Sutra) Page 35
Zemmui-shō (ST. doc. 46) (Treatise on Subhākarasimha) Page 49
Kitō-shō (ST. doc. 1 13) (Treatise on Prayers) Page 57
Shohō Jissō-shō (ST. doc. 122) (Treatise on All Phenomena as the Ultimate Reality) Page 74
Nyosetsu Shugyō-shō (ST. doc. 124) (The Way of Practicing the Teaching of the Buddha) Page 81
Mokue Nizō Kaigen no Koto (ST. doc. 138) (Opening the Eyes of Buddhist Images, Wooden Statues or Portraits) Page 89
Hōkyō Hōjū Ji (ST. doc. 217) (Dharma Is More Precious Than Treasure) Page 94
Ōta Nyūdō-dono Gohenji (ST. doc. 197) (A Reply to Lay Priest Lord Ota) Page 32
Jobyō Gosho (ST. doc. 201) (Reporting the Recovery from Sickness) Page 38
Jōmyō Shōnin Gohenji (ST. doc. 243) (A Reply to Holy Priest Ota Jōmyō) Page 39
Jōmyō Shōnin Gohenji (ST. doc. 337) (A Reply to Venerable Jōmyō) Page 41
Hōren-shō (ST. doc. 175) (Letter to Hōren) Page 42
Soya Jirō Nyūdō-dono Gohō (ST. doc. 408) (Response to Lay Priest Lord Soya Jirō) Page 64
Kyōdai-shō (ST. doc. 174) (A Letter to the Ikegami Brothers) Page 71
Hyōesakan-dono Gohenji (ST. doc. 248) (Answer to Lord Ikegami Munenaga) Page 85
Hyōesakan-dono Gohenji (ST. doc. 254) (Answer to Lord Ikegami Munenaga) Page 86
Hyōesakan-dono Gosho (ST. doc. 260) (A Letter to Lord Ikegami Munenaga) Page 88
Hyōesakan-dono Gohenji (ST. doc. 266) (Answer to Lord Ikegami Munenaga) Page 91
Hyōesakan-dono Gohenji (ST. doc. 291) (Answer to Lord Ikegami Munenaga) Page 96
Hyōesakan-dono Gohenji (ST. doc. 296) (Reply to Lord Ikegami Munenaga) Page 99
Hyōesakan-dono Gohenji (ST. doc. 318) (Reply to Lord Ikegami Munenaga) Page 100
Kōshi Gosho (ST. doc. 328) (A Letter to the Filial Sons) Page 103
Tayūsakan-dono Gohenji (ST. doc. 396) (Reply to Lord Ikegami Munenaga) Page 105
Hachimangū Zōei no Koto (ST. doc. 405) (Concerning the Construction of the Hachiman Shrine) Page 109
Shijō Kingo-dono Gohenji (ST. doc. 112) (Response to Lord Shijō Kingo) Page 112
Zuisō Gosho (ST. doc. 166) (Writing on Omens) Page 120
Ōshajō-ji (ST. doc. 173) (Town of Rājagṛha) Page 126
Shijō Kingo Shakabutsu Kuyō-ji (ST. doc. 220) (Opening the Eyes Service of Shijō Kingo’s Statue of Śākyamuni Buddha) Page 130
Shijō Kingo-dono Gohenji (ST. doc. 245) (A Reply to Lord Shijō Kingo) Page 137
Shijō Kingo-dono Gohenji (ST. doc. 250) (A Reply to Lord Shijō Kingo) Page 141
Nakatsukasa Saemonnojō-dono Gohenji (ST. doc. 295) (A Reply to Lord Nakatsukasa Saemonnojō) Page 145
Fukō Gosho (ST. doc. 313) Intoku Yōhō Gosho (ST. doc. 331) (A Letter on Unfilial Children—A Letter on a Stealthy Benefaction and a Good Reward) Page 148
Shijō Kingo-dono Gohenji (ST. doc. 340) (A Reply to Lord Shijō Kingo) Page 150
Shijō Kingo-dono Gohenji (ST. doc. 424) (A Reply to Lord Shijō Kingo) Page 154
Daigaku Saburō Gosho (ST. doc. 322) (A Letter to Daigaku Saburō) Page 156
Kō Nyüdō-dono Gohenji (ST. doc. 172) (A Reply to Lord Lay Priest of Kō) Page 158
Ichinosawa Nyūdō Gosho (ST. doc. 178) (A Letter to Lay Priest of Ichinosawa) Page 160
Hitatare Gosho (ST. doc. 133) (A Letter on the Hitatare Kimono) Page 168
Daizen Daiaku Gosho (ST. doc. 167) (A Letter on the Great Virtue and Worst Vice) Page 169
Hakumai Wakame Gosho (ST. doc. 204) (A Letter of Polished Rice and Wakame Seaweed) Page 170
Butsugen Gosho (ST. doc. 259) (A Letter On the Buddha-eye) Page 171
Jügatsu-bun Tokiryō Gosho (ST. doc. 309) (A Letter of Food Expenses for the Tenth Month) Page 172
Daizu Gosho (ST. doc. 387) (A Letter on Soybeans) Page 173
Naiki Sakon Nyudō-dono Gohenji (ST. doc. 425) (A Reply to Lay Priest Lord Naiki Sakon) Page 174
Haru no Hajima Gosho (ST. doc. 427) (Greetings of the New Year) Page 176
Kawai-dono Gohenji (ST. doc. 441) (A Reply to Lord Kawai) Page 177
Hōe Sho (ST. doc. 398) (Writing on Vestments) Page 185
Mushiro Sammai Gosho (ST. doc. 430) (A Letter of Three Straw Mats) Page 187
On-Koromonuno Tamaisōrō Gohenji (ST. doc. 435) (A Reply for the Donation of Fabric for a Clerical Robe) Page 189
Gosho Gohenji (ST. doc. 443) (A Reply to Gosho) Page 190
Nyonin Gosho
NICHIREN AND WOMEN
LETTERS ADDRESSED TO FEMALE FOLLOWERS
A Letter on Menstruation (ST. doc. 34) Page 22 NOT IN WONS
A Response to the Nun, Widow of Lord Ueno (ST. doc. 39) Page 44 NOT IN WONS
A Letter to the Wife of Shijō Kingo (ST. doc. 78) Page 58 NOT IN WONS
A Letter to the Nichimyō Shōnin (ST. doc. 107) Page 64 (Volume 7, Followers II, Nichimyō Shōnin Gosho (ST. doc. 107) (A Letter to Nichimyō Shōnin) Page 136)
A Response to Lord Ueno (ST. doc. 147) Page 84 (Volume 7, Followers II, Ueno-dono Gohenji (ST. doc. 147) (Reply to Lord Ueno) Page 1)
A Reply to the Wife of Lord Shijō Kingo (ST. doc. 160) Page 88 (Volume 7, Followers II, Shijō Kingo-dono Nyōbō Gohenji (ST. doc. 160) (A Reply to the Wife of Lord ShijŌ Kingo) Page 120)
A Response to Lady Sajiki (ST. doc. 179) Page 96 (Volume 7, Followers II, Sajiki Nyōbō Gohenji (ST. doc. 179) (A Response to the Lady of Sajiki) Page 128)
A Letter to My Lady, the Nun of Kō (ST. doc. 182) Page 100 (Volume 7, Followers II, Kō no Ama Gozen Gosho (ST. doc. 182) (A Letter to My Lady, the Nun of KŌ) Page 165)
A Letter to Lady Oto (ST. doc. 190) Page 110 NOT IN WONS
A Response to My Lady Nichinyo (ST. doc. 293) Page 150 (Volume 4, Faith and Practice, Nichinyo Gozen Gohenji (ST. doc. 293) (A Response to My Lady Nichinyo) Page 132
A Response to the Wife of Lord Ōta (ST. doc. 256) Page 130 NOT IN WONS
A Response to My Lady Nichinyo (ST. doc. 265) Page 144 NOT IN WONS
A Reply to Nun Myōhō (ST. doc. 293) Page 150 (Volume 4, Faith and Practice, Nichinyo Gozen Gohenji (ST. doc. 293) (A Response to My Lady Nichinyo) Page 132)
A Reply to the Wife of Lord Matsuno (ST. doc. 305) Page 176 NOT IN WONS
A Response to the Wife of Lord Ikegami Munenaga (ST. doc. 336) Page 228 (Volume 7, Followers II, Matsuno-dono Nyōbō Gohenji (ST. doc. 336) (Reply to the Wife of Lord Matsuno) Page 72)
A Response to My Lady, the Nun Myorchi (ST. doc. 353) Page 234 (Volume 7, Followers II, Hyōesakan-dono Nyōbō Gohenji (ST. doc. 353) (A Response to Wife of Ikegami Munenaga) Page 127)
A Response to the Wife of Lord Matsuno (ST. doc. 378) Page 242 NOT IN WONS
A Letter to My Lady the Nun, Widow of Lord Ueno (ST. doc. 379) Page 246 (Volume 7, Followers II, Ueno-dono Goke-ama Gozen Gosho (ST. doc. 379) (A Letter to My Lady the Nun, Widow of Lord Ueno) Page 54)
A Response to My Lady the Nun, Mother of Lord (ST. doc. 388) Page 250 (Volume 4, Faith and Practice, Ueno-dono Haha-ama Gozen Gohenji (ST. doc. 388) (A Response to My Lady the Nun, Mother of Lord Ueno) Page 177)
A Response to My Lady, the Nun of Ueno (ST. doc. 400) Page 272 (Volume 7, Followers II, Ueno-ama Gozen Gohenji (ST. doc. 400) (Response to My Lady, the Nun of Ueno) Page 56)
A Response to My Lady, the Nun of Ueno (ST. doc. 415) Page 280 (Volume 7, Followers II, Ueno-ama Gozen Gohenji (ST. doc. 415) (Response to My Lady the Nun of Ueno) Page 58)
A Response to My Lady the Nun, Mother of Lord (ST. doc. 418) Page 294 (Volume 7, Followers II, Ueno-dono Haha-ama Gozen Gohenji (ST. doc. 418) (Response to My Lady, the Nun Mother of Lord Ueno) Page 62)
As an addendum to my 100 Days of Study I’m reproducing here the introductory essay by Professor Yutaka Takagi of Risshō University that appears in Nyonin Gosho, a volume of Nichiren’s letters addressed to women. This sampling of 22 of Nichiren’s letters contains 8 letters not included in the seven volumes of the Writings of Nichiren Shōnin. The letters in this volume were translated by Nichiren Shū priests in America, including two letters translated by Ven. Kenjo Igarashi.
Nichiren and Women
1. Women Followers of Nichiren
In pre-modern Japan, women in general were referred to as me, omina, onna, nyonin or nyōbō. Occasionally the term fujin was used but josei does not seem to have been in use. Another term menoko was used for women, but it also meant girls like me—no-warawa. The Chinese characters joshi or saishi were read as meko, and joshi (read as meko) seems to have meant girls. Of these, nyonin was by far the most commonly used.
In Nichiren’s writings, too, the term nyonin is found most often. Apart from these general terms for women, there are characteristic ways of addressing a woman in ancient and medieval Japan: upperclass women such as imperial princesses, women of upper aristocratic, and upper samurai families were referred to by individual names. For instance, the wife of Minamoto Yoritomo was referred to as Hōjō Masako. It should be remembered, however, that, as seen here, women retained their original names after marriage. In modern terms a man and his wife had separate family names.
Thus, individual names of those women belonging to the upper echelons of society are occasionally known to us, but those of lowerclass women are rarely known. However, as individual names should have been necessary for differentiating one from another in daily life, there must have been individual names. Nevertheless, it is a fact that it was extremely rare for such names to appear in historical documents.
How then were letters for women addressed in those days? Among the Kamakura Buddhist monks, Nichiren wrote the most letters to women, which was an outstanding characteristic in propagation and acceptance of his religion. Considering this, let me enumerate some examples showing the way Nichiren addressed the women to whom he wrote or who were mentioned in his letters:
My Lady Oto
Wife of Lord Shijō Kingo
Wife of Lord Ōta Wife of Lord Hyōe-sakan
Lord Nitta and His Wife
Wife of Lay Priest Lord Inagawa
My Lady, Mother of Lord Ueno
Mother of My Lady Oto
My Lady, Nun of Matsuno My Lady, Nun of Kubo
My Lady the Nun, Mother of Lord Ueno
My Lady, Nun Abutsubō
My Lady, Nun Myōichi
My Lady, Nun Myōshin
Nun Zenichi
As you can see in this list, no one was addressed by a proper noun, e.g. Hōjō Masako. That is to say, for one, none of those women, who received Nichiren’s letters, belonged to the upperclasses, because as we pointed out above only upperclass women were identified by personal names in those days.
Next “My Lady Oto” under (I), seemed to be an unmarried woman, as her mother was addressed “Mother of My Lady Oto” under (3). A woman addressed as ‘ ‘Lady Nichigen” by Nichiren may also have been unmarried. However, such unmarried women are small in number, with the greater number of married women called ‘ ‘wives”; (2) illustrates this. As in the case of “Wife of Lord Ōta,” the honorific suffix “lord” was fixed to the husband, not to the wife; an expression in which a wife seems to be regarded as an appendix to her husband. Under (3) are mothers, names of whose children—Lord Ueno (i.e., Lord Nanjō) and My Lady Oto—are used for identification.
Under (4) each is a nun; though they all lived as nuns, it does not necessarily mean that they resided in nunneries, renouncing families, as monks renounced their families. There seems no doubt that they lived the same as the laity. Nevertheless, they were called nuns. Why? For one, it was perhaps because of their peculiar hair style called amasogi, cutting the hair straight below the eyebrows. Cutting hair (including amasogi) or shaving the head was the proof of having entered the Buddhist order in those days. So it is possible that women with the amasogi hair-do were recognized as nuns even if they lived as laity. For another, these nuns probably observed the precept of refraining from sexual relations: abstention from sexual relations is one of the precepts required of Buddhist monks and nuns. Male counterparts of women, who were called nuns while living as laity, were those men who were called lay priests. An example of a lay priest and a nun living together as husband and wife is that of Lay Priest Toki, the greatest lay-supporter of Nichiren Shönin, and his wife, Nun Toki. However, many of those who were addressed as nuns seem to have been single. Probably they became nuns after their husbands passed away. Accordingly the motive for their becoming nuns might have been to pray in behalf of their late husbands, that is, to offer the merit of entering the priesthood in praying for the repose of their deceased husbands. Some wives probably became nuns for similar reasons: to pray for the recovery of their husbands from serious illnesses. The Jöei Code, the basic law of samurai society at the time of Nichiren, stipulated that it was the duty of widows to pray for their deceased husbands. Accordingly, this, together with not remarrying, was the chastity required of women in those days.
The names of these nuns are of two types: first, “My Lady, the Nun of Matsuno” and “My Lady, the Nun of Kubo,” were called by the names of places they resided; names of other nuns, such as “Nun Myōichi” and “Nun Myōhō” were Buddhist names taken probably from the Myōhō Renge-kyō. “Nun Zenichi” must have been a Buddhist name including “Nichi” taken from “Nichiren.” Notations on existing mandalas, hand written by Nichiren and given to his followers, show that he granted them Buddhist names including
the character nichi. By granting such names Nichiren hoped that a sense of belonging to one family would be strengthened among his followers. Putting it another way in modern terms, he hoped to promote cohesion of those with the same faith. At the same time, such Buddhist names were believed to be granted also to those who were identified by their residence. Nevertheless, it is not clearly known why they were identified by the names of the places they resided.
2. What Women Followers of Nichiren Expected
Why did Nichiren write to so many women? Even to women, who were married, and called “wives,” Nichiren wrote as individuals independent of their husbands. That is to say, he wrote to self-supporting, independent women, who had their own properties and were capable of acting on their own, based on their financial power. In concrete and simple terms, these women, independent of their husbands or on their own, were able to send offerings to Nichiren. They sent, on their own, indeed, such various offerings to Nichiren as rice, wheat, laver (non), seaweed (wakame), taro, devil’s-tongue (konnyaku), persimmons, citron, sake, candy, coins, hemp-garments, and robes. They could be divided into food-stuff (mostly rice and wheat), coins and clothes.
The food—stuff was harvested from their farms and gardens on their homesteads, which indicates that those women owned such farms and vegetable gardens, and perhaps many of them were engaged in agriculture. At any rate, they more or less owned properties or farmlands, apart from those of their husbands, products of which were offered to Nichiren. Thus, it was possible for those women to be initiators for making offerings to Nichiren or requesting him to conduct Buddhist services. Therefore Nichiren, who received the offerings and was requested to conduct services, wrote letters in order to express his gratitude to them directly and answer their questions. Women’s economic independence based on separate ownership of property between husband and wife helped women to be independent parishioners of Nichiren just like men.
Then what did these women expect of Nichiren and what did they ask him?
First of all they expected him to pray for the repose of the deceased. Nichiren recited the Lotus Sutra and chanted the daimoku for the bliss of the deceased and to ensure that they fared better in their next lives. The deceased for whom those women wanted to pray were their parents, husbands, and children. Though it seems very rare for siblings to pray for each other, there is an instance of an elder brother sending offerings to Nichiren to pray for his younger brother. At any rate, those women as children, wives and mothers prayed for the repose of their late parents, husbands and children, as well as being able to make offerings for having prayers said because of their own wealth. Being filial to parents, chaste to husbands, and compassionate to children, those women served them even after each of them had passed away.
Regardless whether they were girls, wives, widows, mothers, or nuns who continued family-lives of lay people, those women all hoped to attain Buddhahood. In Buddhism it had been regarded that women were creatures incapable of attaining Buddhahood. It was a matter of discrimination against women in Buddhist philosophy, which maintained that women are incapable of attaining Buddhahood because of their inherent five hindrances, including being unable to become a Buddha. A woman called Nun Sen’nichi of Sado wrote to Nichiren saying: “1 am concerned with the sins of women. In your sermon you have said that attainment of Buddhahood by women takes precedence in the Lotus Sutra. So I am totally depending on you.” It shows what was sought after not only by her but also all women, who were regarded inherently incapable of becoming Buddhas. They expected to find above all the solution to this problem in the person of Nichiren. Regarding the way of life for women in those days, the “three bonds” (the Confucian moral that they should obey fathers at home, husbands when married, and children when widowed) and “five hindrances” (which regarded them incapable of becoming Brahma Heavenly King, Indra, king of devils, Wheel-Turning Noble King, and Buddha) were stressed. Especially, ‘five hindrances” are mentioned in the “Devadatta” chapter of the Lotus Sutra. Therefore, as the sutra gained in popularity from the Heian Period, women became religiously aware of them. However, attainment of Buddhahood by women is also possible according to the “Devadatta” chapter, in which it is mentioned that a daughter of a Dragon King became a Buddha. The “Devadatta” chapter, which guarantees the attainment of Buddhahood by Devadatta, the Evil, as well as by women, has been revered by both men and women as the basis of attaining Buddhahood. Thus, central to the faith in the Lotus Sutra prevalent during the Heian Period was faith in the “Devadatta” chapter. Doubtless to say that Nichiren made use of it. For instance he wrote to Nun Kōnichi saying: “Three bonds that tied you have been cut in this life; the cloud of five hinderances has already been cleared. The moon in your heart has no cloud to cover it, and the dirt on your body has all been wiped off. You are a Buddha as you are. What a blessing!”
Buddhist orders in the Kamakura Period, both old and new, tried to save the people or lead them to Buddhahood, and people were dead serious about attaining it. Under such circumstances, women with independently disposable properties spent them to pray for the repose of the deceased. It also provided an economic foundation for supporting the monastic order of Nichiren and his disciples. In this sense, women capable of independently being engaged in religious activities were among a larger group of women who meekly submitted to parents or husbands. Nichiren’s letters addressed to his female followers point this out, and his letters reflect his sincerity with which he tried to solve these women’s problems and console them in their sadness. In writing a history of Japanese women, these letters of Nichiren for women are indispensable as historical documents.
Yutaka Takagi, Professor
Risshō University, Tokyo, Japan
There are two meanings of honesty: first, honesty in the worldly sense and in the second place, honesty in Buddhism. Speaking of honesty in the worldly sense, the Chinese character for king means running through the heaven, human world and earth. The three horizontal lines stand for heaven, human world and earth, which are run through by a vertical line. That is to say, the king is a person who treads the way of honesty throughout the heaven, human world and earth. The character king also stands for the color yellow. In ancient China, five colors stood for five directions, with the yellow color in the center. As the ruler in the center, the king is also called “yellow emperor.” The lord of the heaven, lord of the human world as well as that of the earth are all called the king. Ex-Emperor Gotoba, however, was the ruler in name only; he was a liar, wicked and dishonest. On the contrary, Shogunal Regent Hōjō Yoshitoki was a subject in name, but he was worthy of a great ruler without double-talk, in whom the Great Bodhisattva Hachiman vowed to reside.
Next, speaking of honesty in Buddhism, pre-Lotus sūtras and commentaries and interpretations of the seven schools of Buddhism in Japan based on those pre-Lotus sūtras are all dishonest, while the Lotus Sūtra and the teaching of the Tendai (T’ien-t’ai) School based on it are honest. The original substance of the Great Bodhisattva Hachiman is Śākyamuni Buddha, who preached the honest sūtras and manifested Himself in Japan as the honest Great Bodhisattva Hachiman. The eight petals of the lotus flower surrounding the central dais for Lord Preacher Śākyamuni Buddha are the Great Bodhisattva Hachiman. Śākyamuni Buddha, who was born on the eighth day of the fourth month, passed away on the fifteenth of the second month 80 years later. How can it not be that Lord Śākyamuni Buddha was reborn in Japan as the Great Bodhisattva Hachiman! To prove this, it is stated on the stone monument at the Shō Hachiman Shrine of Ōsumi Province, “Expounding the Lotus Sūtra on Mt. Sacred Eagle in the past, He now manifests Himself as a bodhisattva in the palace of the Shō Hachiman Shrine.” The Lotus Sūtra, chapter 2 on “Expedients” states, “Now this triple world all belongs to Me, and all the people therein are all My children;” and chapter 16 on “The Life Span of the Buddha” declares, “I always preach and enlighten the people on Mt. Sacred Eagle in the Sahā World.” Therefore, all sentient beings faraway in the entire universe are children of Śākyamuni Buddha, and the 4,900,094,828 people nearby in Japan are all children of the Great Bodhisattva Hachiman. All living beings in Japan today, nevertheless, worship the Great Bodhisattva Hachiman, who is a manifested trace of Śākyamuni, and ignore Śākyamuni Buddha, the original substance of Hachiman. This is like worshipping a shadow and slighting the substance or speaking ill of somebody to his children. The original substance of the Great Bodhisattva Hachiman is Śākyamuni Buddha, who was born in India, justly discarded the provisional sūtras and expounded the lone true teaching of the Lotus Sūtra. His manifested trace was born in Japan and resides in the head of an honest person.
Kangyō Hachiman-shō, Remonstration with Bodhisattva Hachiman, the Buddha’s Disciple, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1, Pages 270-272
The Sūtra of Transmission of the Buddhist Teaching, fascicle 1, speaks of the previous life of Venerable Kāśyapa:
Once upon a time there lived a Brahman named Nyagrodha in the Kingdom of Magadha. Because of the great merit of his good acts for a long time in a previous life… , he was immensely rich and piled up vast wealth in this life … , which was worth a thousand times more than that of the king of Magadha. ( … ) Although he was very wealthy, he was childless, so the Brahman said to himself, “My days are numbered, but I have nobody to inherit my treasures filled in the warehouse. I wish to have a child. ” Thus, the Brahman prayed to the forest god in the neighborhood for good luck of having a child. Having prayed for years without any luck, he became furious and said to the forest god: “I have prayed to you for the last several years to no avail. I am going to pray to you from the bottom of my heart for seven more days. If it does not do any good, I am going to burn down your shrine.” Hearing this, the forest god in agony relayed his problem to the Four Heavenly Kings, who in turn reported the matter to Indra.
Indra looked around all over the world but could not find anyone worthy of being Nyagrodha’s child, so he went to the King of the Brahma Heaven for help. With his divine eye, the King of the Brahma Heaven then closely observed the whole world, finding a heavenly being in the Brahma Heaven who was about to die. The King told him that if he was to be reborn in the human world, he should be born as a child of Nyagrodha Brahman in Jambudvīpa. The dying being answered that he did not want to be reborn in a family of a Brahman because Brahman dharma includes many evil and false views. The King of the Brahma Heaven told him again: “Nyagrodha Brahman is a powerful man of virtue that there is no one in the world worthy to be born as his child. If you are reborn to his family, I will protect you lest you should fall into ‘evil view.’ ” Thereupon the heavenly being in the Brahma Heaven answered, “I will respectfully follow your words.”
The King of the Brahma Heaven then reported the turn of events to Indra, who in turn informed the forest god. Elated by the good news, the forest god called upon the Brahman at home saying, “You should no longer have a grudge against me. Your wish will be fulfilled in seven days. As expected, the wife of the Brahman became pregnant in seven days and gave birth to a baby boy ten months later. (…) This is Venerable Kāśyapa today.
It is stated in this sūtra that Nyagrodha became furious when his prayers were not answered. Ordinarily, those who get furious at the community deity will destroy themselves in this life and fall into evil realms in the next life. Nevertheless, Millionaire Nyagrodha was able to achieve his great wish of having a child as wise as Kāśyapa by getting very angry at the community deity and speaking ill of him. You should know that anger may be both good and evil. My remonstration with the Great Bodhisattva Hachiman today is anger for a good cause.
For the past 28 years since the 28th of the fourth month in the fifth year of Kenchō (1253) till the 12th month in the third year of Kōan (1280), I have devoted myself to nothing but encouraging all the people in Japan to recite the daimoku, the five or seven character title of the Lotus Sūtra. This is exactly like the compassion of a mother trying to breast feed her baby. Now is the time for us to expound the teaching of the Lotus Sūtra as predicted by the Buddha to be spread in the fifth 500-year period, the beginning of the Latter Age of Degeneration after His death. The days of Grand Masters T’ien-t’ai and Dengyō were still in the Age of the Semblance Dharma prior to the time for the propagation of the Lotus Sūtra. Nevertheless, as there were some people whose capacity to understand and believe the Lotus Sūtra was ripe, the sūtra was spread a little. How much more it should be spread today, the Latter Age of Degeneration! How can we not spread the Lotus Sūtra even if very few people have the capacity for it while most people contradict it like water against fire? When we single-mindedly spread the Lotus Sūtra, there is no doubt that we will eventually succeed even if we should encounter such great difficulties as those that have befallen Never-Despising Bodhisattva.
Kangyō Hachiman-shō, Remonstration with Bodhisattva Hachiman, the Buddha’s Disciple, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1, Pages 270-272
This tale of how babies are conceived – a man and a woman and the cooperation of a suitable child – is one of my favorites. It is second only to the story of the calligrapher Wu-lung and his son, I-lung (here and here).
As for the point of this quote – When we single-mindedly spread the Lotus Sūtra, there is no doubt that we will eventually succeed – I have no doubt that the Lotus Sūtra will continue to spread for years to come.
A colt, one or two-years old, does not look sick even if its joints grow long, legs become round and thin, and upper legs are long. When it becomes seven or eight years old and is heavier, all kinds of trouble become apparent as the blood vessels become larger and the upper part of the body grows bigger while the lower part remains small. The horse is no longer useful to people, as it is weak in strength and short in longevity. It is like a small boat loaded with huge rocks or a tiny tree with huge fruits.
The same is true with heavenly beings. At the beginning of the Kalpa of Construction, when the world is being created, gods were born with excellent rewards of virtuous acts in previous lives, and men were not evil. Therefore, heavenly beings were shiny in body, pure in spirit, as bright as the sun and moon, and as brave as the lion and elephant. When the Kalpa of Construction was over and the world entered the Kalpa of Continuance, heavenly beings from the previous period grew old and declined like the waning moon, newly born gods were mostly equipped with inferior rewards of actions in their previous lives. As a result, the three calamities and seven disasters occurred all over the world and people everywhere began experiencing sufferings and joys.
Then the Buddha appeared in this world and prepared the panacea of life, that is Buddhism, for the gods and people. Like oil added to a lamp or a cane supporting an elderly person, heavenly beings regained the authority and power they possessed in the Kalpa of Construction.
Kangyō Hachiman-shō, Remonstration with Bodhisattva Hachiman, the Buddha’s Disciple, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1, Pages 257-258
As the descendant of Irish and European stock and the child of Christian parents in post-World War II America, one of my favorite aspects of Buddhism is this understanding that gods are just beings with really good karma and that they – just as we in the realm of humans – benefit from the appearance of the Buddha like oil added to a lamp or a cane supporting an elderly person.
QUESTION: How did the great earthquake of the Shōka Era and the great comet of the Bun’ei Era happen?
ANSWER: T’ien-t’ai has said, “Men of knowledge know the causes of phenomena, and only snakes know the way of snakes.”
QUESTION: What does that mean?
ANSWER: It means that when Bodhisattva Superior Practice emerged from the earth as described in the fifteenth chapter of the Lotus Sūtra, even such bodhisattvas as Maitreya, Mañjuśrī, Avalokiteśvara, and Medicine King, who had reached only one step below Buddhahood by conquering the forty-one steps of darkness of mind, did not know that he had been called upon to spread “Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō,” the essence of the “Life Span of the Buddha” (16th) chapter of the Lotus Sūtra, in the Latter Age of Degeneration. It was because they had not yet conquered the fundamental darkness of mind and therefore were still considered ignorant.
Senji-shō, Selecting the Right time: A Tract by Nichiren, the Buddha’s Disciple, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1,
Pages 195-197
This idea that Maitreya, Mañjuśrī, Avalokiteśvara, and Medicine King were lacking and therefore unsuitable for propagating the Lotus Sūtra is one measure of the importance of Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō.
Grand Master T’ien-t’ai states in his Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sūtra, “The wonderful way of the Lotus Sūtra will spread benefit far into the fifth 500-year period!” Grand Master Miao-lê explains it in his Annotations on the Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sūtra: “Not necessarily will there be no divine favor of the Lotus Sūtra at the beginning of the Latter Age.” Grand Master Dengyō declares in his Treatise on the Protection of the Nation: “The Age of the True Dharma and that of the Semblance Dharma are about to end, and the Latter Age of Degeneration is around the corner. This is the time for the One Vehicle teaching of the Lotus to spread. How can we say this? We know it because it is stated in the ‘Peaceful Practices’ (14th) chapter of the Lotus Sūtra that it should be spread at the time when the dharma is about to disappear in the latter world.” He also says in his Outstanding Principles of the Lotus Sūtra:
The time is toward the end of the Age of the Semblance Dharma and the beginning of the Latter Age of Degeneration; the place is east of T’ang China and west of Katsu; when people live in the world of defilement and corruption, full of disputes and quarrels. The Lotus Sūtra, chapter 10, states that much hatred and jealousy existed even during the lifetime of Śākyamuni Buddha, not to speak of after His death. This is a meaningful statement indeed!
According to Buddhist scriptures, the world goes through four kalpa (periods of construction, continuance, destruction, and emptiness), each of which consists of 20 small kalpa. In the period of continuance, the average human longevity increases by a year per century from 10 years until it reaches the maximum human longevity of 84,000 years. Thereafter the human life grows shorter by a year per century until it reaches the minimum average human life span of 10 years. Now, Śākyamuni Buddha was born to this world during the ninth small kalpa, within the kalpa of continuance, when the human life span was decreasing to 100 years. The fifty years of Śākyamuni’s appearance in this world, the 2,000-year period of Ages of the True Dharma and the Semblance Dharma, and the 10,000 years of the Latter Age of Degeneration are all included in this period, during which human longevity decreases from 100 years to the minimum of 10 years. It includes two periods in which the Lotus Sūtra flourishes: the last eight years of Śākyamuni Buddha and the first 500 years of the Latter Age of Degeneration after His extinction. Grand Masters T’ien-t’ai, Miao-lê and Dengyō missed the preaching of the Lotus Sūtra by the Buddha, nor were they able to be born in the Latter Age after His death. Regretting their misfortune for being born in between the two occasions, those grand masters made the statements cited above, wishing to have been born in the Latter Age.
This is like Hermit Asita’s lament. Seeing the birth of Prince Siddhartha, the Indian hermit deplored: “Being over ninety years old, I will not be able to live long enough to see the Prince attain Buddhahood in this world. Since I will be reborn in the realm of non-form, I will not be able to attend Śākyamuni’s preachings for fifty years in this world. Nor will I be able to be reborn after His death in the Age of the True Dharma, the Semblance Dharma, or the Latter Age of Degeneration.”
Those who have aspiration for enlightenment should be glad to see and hear these comments. Those who care for future lives should rather be born as common people today in the Latter Age than great kings during the 2,000-year period after the death of Śākyamuni Buddha, the Age of the True Dharma and that of the Semblance Dharma. How could they not believe in this? They should rather be suffering from leprosy in the Latter Age reciting “Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō (Homage to the Lotus Sūtra )” than to be the revered chief abbot of the Enryakuji Temple, grand temple of the Tendai School of Buddhism, during the Age of the Semblance Dharma. Emperor Wu of Liang in ancient China prayed: “I would rather be Devadatta, who sank to the worst Hell of Incessant Suffering but who eventually was able to attain Buddhahood through the Lotus Sūtra, than be Hermit Udraka-rāmaputra, who was able to be born in heaven but never succeeded in attaining Buddhahood.”
Senji-shō, Selecting the Right time: A Tract by Nichiren, the Buddha’s Disciple, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1,
Pages 195-197
I consider myself truly blessed to have been born a common person today in the Latter Age. Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō.
THE SPREAD OF BUDDHISM IN THE FIFTH 500-YEAR PERIOD
The fifth 500-year period, the period of destruction of the pure dharma referred to in the Sutra of the Great Assembly, is without doubt today. After the destruction of the pure dharma, however, the great pure dharma of “Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō,” the gist of the Lotus Sūtra, should spread widely among all the people and subjects of 80,000 kings of 80,000 lands in the world, just as today in Japan people all recite the name of the Buddha of Infinite Life. This has been decided by the Buddha, so we must make it a reality.
QUESTION: Do you have any proof for this?
ANSWER: It is said in the Lotus Sūtra, fascicle 7 (chapter 23), “It will spread throughout the world in the fifth 500-year period after the death of the Buddha lest it should be lost.” It means that the Lotus Sūtra will spread in the period after the destruction of the pure dharma predicted in the Sūtra of the Great Assembly. The Lotus Sūtra also makes such references as: “those who uphold it in the evil world during the Latter Age of Degeneration” (fascicle 6: chapter 17); “at the time when the dharma is about to disappear in the future latter age” (fascicle 5: chapter 14): “even during the time of the Buddha much hatred and jealousy is raised against this Sūtra; how much more after His death!” (fascicle 4: chapter 10); and “much hate exists toward this Sūtra in the world, making it difficult to uphold it” (fascicle 5: chapter 14). Speaking of the fifth 500-year period after the death of the Buddha, namely, the period of increasing disagreements and quarrels, the Lotus Sūtra in its seventh fascicle (chapter 23) declares: “Devils, devils’ subjects, dragons, yakṣa demons, and kumbhāṇḍa devils will be trying to take advantage.” It is stated in the Sūtra of the Great Assembly: “Disputes and quarrels will arise within Buddhism itself. ” And in the Lotus Sūtra, fascicle 5 (chapter 13): “Monks in the evil world will be cunning, flattering, and arrogant;” “some monks will live in monasteries and appear to be practicing the true ways;” and “devils will enter the bodies of those monks and cause them to abuse those who uphold the True Dharma.”
These citations meant to say that a large number of great monks will be haunted by a devil’s spirit all over the country in the fifth 500 year period. Suppose a wise man appears then. Those high priests haunted by a devil’s spirit would induce the king and his ministers and populace into speaking ill of him, abusing him, beating him with sticks or pieces of wood, throwing stones or tiles at him, and banishing or even executing him. Then Śākyamuni Buddha, the Buddha of Many Treasures and Buddhas in all the worlds in ten directions would order the great bodhisattvas appearing from underground, who in turn would order the King of the Brahma Heaven, Indra, the sun, the moon, and the Four Heavenly Kings to inflict strange phenomena in the sky and natural calamities on earth. If those kings do not heed the divine punishments, their neighboring countries would be ordered to chastise those evil kings and monks, resulting in the most terrible war the world has ever had.
Then all the people in the world living under the sun and moon, desirous of the welfare of their countries or of themselves, would pray in vain to all Buddhas and bodhisattvas. Finally, believing in the poor monk whom they have hated, an incalculable number of high priests, 80,000 great kings, and all the people would bow low with their heads touching the ground and holding their hands together in reverence, reciting “Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō (Homage to the Lotus Sūtra!) “It would be just as when the Buddha revealed the eighth of His ten supernatural powers in the “Divine Powers of the Buddha” of the (21st) chapter of the Lotus Sūtra that all the people without exception in all the worlds throughout the universe faced this Sahā World, resoundingly reciting in unison “Homage to Śākyamuni Buddha! Homage to Śākyamuni Buddha! Homage to the Lotus Sūtra! Homage to the Lotus Sūtra!
Senji-shō, Selecting the Right time: A Tract by Nichiren, the Buddha’s Disciple, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1,
Pages 188-189
Homage to Śākyamuni Buddha! Homage to the Lotus Sūtra!
To study Buddhism, first of all we must know the right time.
In the past, the Great Universal Wisdom Buddha appeared in the world, but he did not preach at all for as long as ten small kalpa. It is said in the Lotus Sūtra, chapter 7 on “The Parable of a Magic City”: “He sat in meditation for ten small kalpa;” and “Though begged to preach, the Buddha sat in silence because He knew the time was not yet ripe.” Our Lord Śākyamuni Buddha, did not expound the Lotus Sūtra for more than forty years. As said in the Sūtra, chapter 2 on “Expedients,” it was because “the time was not ripe.” Lao-tzu is said to have spent as long as eighty years in his mother’s womb before he was born. Bodhisattva Maitreya, future Lord Buddha of this Sahā World, is expected to stay in the inner chamber of the Tuṣita Heaven (Tōsotsu-ten) for as long as 5,670,000,000 years, waiting for the time to attain perfect enlightenment. As nightingales wait for summer to sing and roosters wait for dawn to crow, even beasts know the time. How much more should we choose the right time in practicing Buddhism?
When the Buddha preached the Flower Garland Sūtra at the Hall of Enlightenment, various Buddhas appeared from the worlds in ten directions, and all great bodhisattvas gathered together. Moreover, the Great King of the Brahma Heaven, Indra, and the Four Heavenly Kings danced for joy; eight kinds of gods and semi-gods such as dragon gods held their hands together in reverence; the wiser among ordinary men bent their ears to Him; and various bodhisattvas such as Moon of Emancipation (Vimuki-candra), who have attained enlightenment during the present life, begged Him to preach. However, Śākyamuni did not even reveal the names of His two most important teachings: “Obtaining Buddhahood by men of the Two Vehicles, śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha” (nijō-sabutsu) and “Śākyamuni’s attaining Enlightenment in the eternal past” (kuon-jitsujō). Nor did He expound the fundamental doctrines of the “becoming a Buddha with one’s present body” (sokushin-jōbutsu) and “3,000 existences contained in one thought” (ichinen-sanzen). It was not that He did not speak of those doctrines because no one had the capacity to understand them. It was solely because, as stated in the Lotus Sūtra, chapter 2 on “Expedients”, “the time was not ripe. ”
When the Lotus Sūtra was preached on Mt. Sacred Eagle, King Ajātaśatru, the most unfilial man in the world, attended the meeting; even Devadatta, who had abused the True Dharma throughout his life, was guaranteed to be Tennō (Heavenly King) Buddha in the future. Furthermore, a dragon girl, though females were considered incapable of becoming a King of the Brahma Heaven, an Indra, a King of Devils, a Wheel-turning Noble King, or a Buddha, became a Buddha without changing her dragon-body. Attainment of Buddhahood by men of the Two Vehicles, and those with fixed natures who had been considered definitely incapable of becoming Buddhas, was as wondrous as a toasted seed germinating, flowering and bearing fruit. When Śākyamuni Buddha’s “attaining Enlightenment in the eternal past” was revealed, the audience was so astonished as to wonder how a hundred-year old man could be the son of a twenty-five year old man. The “3,000 existences contained in one thought” doctrine explained that unenlightened beings in the Nine Realms and enlightened ones in the Realm of the Buddha are one and inseparable, opening the way for the unenlightened to attain Buddhahood. Therefore, each letter of this sūtra represents a wish-fulfilling gem that pours out 10,000 treasures; each phrase of it is the seed of Buddhahood. The preaching of these most profound teachings was not done because of the capacity of the audience, their intelligence to understand or faith to uphold them. It was because the time was ripe. The Lotus Sūtra, chapter 2 on “Expedients,” therefore says: “Now is the time to expound the Mahayana teaching definitely.”
Senji-shō, Selecting the Right time: A Tract by Nichiren, the Buddha’s Disciple, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1, Pages 188-189
Indeed, now is the time to expound the Mahayana teaching definitely.
In order to see our own faces we have to look at them reflected upon a spotless mirror. Likewise, in order to see the rise and fall of a country, there is no way better than to see them reflected upon the mirror of the Buddhist dharma. As we respectfully read such Mahayana sūtras as the Sūtra of the Benevolent King, Sūtra of the Golden Splendor, Guardian Sūtra, Nirvana Sūtra, and Lotus Sūtra, it is preached that the rise and fall of a country and the life span of people in it depend on the Dharma they believe, whether they believe in the True Dharma or a false dharma. It is like water that keeps a boat afloat but also destroys it, or staple grains which nourish human bodies but often damage them. Small winds and waves would not damage large ships, but small ships can easily be destroyed by gale winds and huge waves. Unjust government, like small winds and waves, would not cause the downfall of a great country and a great man; however, there is no doubt that a false dharma in Buddhism, like gale winds and huge waves destroying small boats, will destroy a country. …
Of the spotless mirrors of the holy teachings preached in His lifetime, the Lotus Sūtra is the special divine mirror. A copper mirror can show the figure of a man but not his mind. The divine mirror of the Lotus Sūtra shows not only a man’s figure but also his mind. Not only the current mind of a man but also his karma in the previous life and his reward and retribution in the future can clearly be spotlighted.
The Lotus Sūtra, fascicle 7, the 21st chapter on “The Divine Powers of the Buddha,” preaches: “Suppose that after the Buddha passed away, someone who knows the causes and conditions and proper sequence of the sūtras expounded by the Buddha will preach them truthfully according to the true meaning. As the light of the sun and moon can eliminate all darkness, so this person will wipe out the darkness of living beings as he walks about in the world.”
This scriptural passage means that he who expounds even a word or a phrase of the Lotus Sūtra should know well the comparative profundity of the holy teachings preached during His lifetime and the sequence of preaching them. For instance, speaking of the calendar consisting of more than 360 days a year, a mistake by one day will cause mistakes for 10,000 days. In a 31-syllable Japanese poem, a mistake in a syllable or a phrase makes the whole 31 syllables unpoetic. Likewise, in reading or reciting a sūtra, if one is confused about the sequence and comparative profundity of the holy teachings of the Buddha beginning with the Flower Garland Sūtra preached first at the Hall of Enlightenment to the Nirvana Sūtra expounded last in the śāla forest, one will inevitably fall into the Hell of Incessant Suffering without committing the five rebellious sins. Those who believe in him will also fall into the Hell of Incessant Suffering.
Therefore, when a wise man appears in the world to correctly declare the comparative profundity of the holy teachings preached during His lifetime, those priests who have transmitted false doctrines from the founders of their respective sects and are revered as the teachers of the state or aristocratic families will make a false charge against the wise man to the rulers of the country or incite a popular protest against him. Otherwise, the weakness of their sects would be revealed, causing them to be despised by the people. Then, it is preached, the protective deities of Buddhism will be so enraged that they will destroy this country just as gale winds tear up the leaves of banana plants or high waves overturn small boats.
Shinkoku-ō Gosho, Sovereigns of Our Divine Land, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1, Pages 141-142
Underscore “Of the spotless mirrors of the holy teachings preached in His lifetime, the Lotus Sūtra is the special divine mirror. A copper mirror can show the figure of a man but not his mind. The divine mirror of the Lotus Sūtra shows not only a man’s figure but also his mind. Not only the current mind of a man but also his karma in the previous life and his reward and retribution in the future can clearly be spotlighted.”