The title of the Lotus of the Good Law sums up all these principles and practice of the Buddhas of origin and trace, and, to Nichiren, is the only remedy to procure the reform of the depraved state of the ‘latter age,’ in spite of all counteractions from existing poisons. The fourfold watchword set forth by Nichiren was the renowned object of hatred by all the rest of the Buddhist schools of Japan, for it was against the Amita-pietism of Jodo, the meditative intuitionism of Zen, the ritual mysticism of Shingon and the formalistic discipline of Ritsu. This was the wholesale denunciation of all existing Buddhist schools except the Tendai School of Dengyō Daishi, which he sought to reform and restore to its original form.

The difference of the tenets of Dengyō Daishi and Nichiren is seen in the treatment of the substance of the Lotus text. The Lotus doctrine assumes ten regions, ten thus-aspects and three realms. Dengyō Daishi lays importance on the principle of the realm of trace. The realm of trace treats only the nine regions, teaching the causal states of culture and therefore considering mind and thought as important factors of training, and finally attributing all the phenomenal worlds to the mere-ideation theory. The threefold view of one mind and the 3,000 worlds immanent in one thought-instant are taught minutely. According to the Nichiren School, the Tendai is too much inclined to the theoretical side of the Truth, thereby forgetting the practical side of it. Nichiren holds that the realm of origin teaches the effective state of enlightenment and the Buddha’s person is the center of Truth; the reality of the phenomenal worlds centers in the personality of the Buddha; and all aspirants should be guided to realize the Ideal-body of the Buddha.

The Lotus text reveals the original Buddha whose principle and practice are fully explained in the original portions of the text. What [Nichiren] holds important is the Buddha’s practice, not his principle. One who understands and practices the practical aspects of that Buddha is a devotee or realizer of the Lotus, just as the bodhisattva of supreme action (Viśiṣṭacāritra) is placed in the highest position in the text. The Buddhahood (perfect enlightenment) of such an adept will be immediate in this very body. The original Buddha was like the moon in the sky and all other Buddhas of the Wreath, of the Agama, of the Vaipulya (‘developed’), the Prajna (‘wisdom’), the Gold Light (Suvarnaprabhasa), the Sukhāvatī (Pure Land) and the Great Sun (Mahāvairocana) were all moons in various waters, and mere reflections of the one central moon. It is only a fool who would try to catch a reflected moon.

Just as the personality of Nichiren constitutes the Nichiren School, the essence of which is the Lotus formula ”Homage to the Lotus of Truth,” so it is the personality of the Buddha that constitutes the Lotus doctrine. The whole Lotus text may be a drama as Professor Kern imagined, but the Buddha is not only the hero in the play. The Buddha is also the organizer or proprietor of the drama. The Truth of the Lotus text is not an impersonal dead truth; it is the ideal, the Truth blooming, fragrant and bearing fruits as the lotus, the Truth active, the Truth embodied in the Buddha, the Truth-body, the Enlightenment itself, the Enlightened and Enlightenment and Enlightener all combined. So the real Buddha of the text is not that corporeal Buddha who got enlightened under the bodhi tree, preached for the first time at the Deer Park of Benares and entered Nirvana at the Sala grove of Kuśināgara at eighty-one years of age. He is the Buddha of immeasurable ages past, ever acting as the Enlightener. By enlightening all beings he exercises benevolence to all. Out of his mercy he teaches the doctrine of expediency. He is in reality the organizer of the drama, yet he himself acts as a hero in the play, leading all the dramatic personnel, even with some of the inferior characters who in time will be able to play a role. The three Vehicles, of course, as well as Devadatta the wicked and Naga the serpent maid, all come under the Buddha’s illumination. The world of illumination of the remote Buddha is called the ‘realm of origin’ and the world of illumination by the incarnate Buddha is called the ‘realm of trace.’ I used the word ‘realm’ but it does not mean a separate division or place. It simply indicates the ‘activity of the Buddha of original position’ or ‘that of the Buddha of trace-leaving manifestation. ‘Original position’ and ‘trace-manifestation’ are the problems long discussed in the Lotus schools and all center on the Buddha’s personality, a Buddhological question. When it is applied to the Lotus text, the question at the outset will be, “Which Buddha is revealing the Truth?”

[Nichiren’s] study of ten years (1243-1253) on [Mount Hiei] convinced him that a revival of Tendai philosophy alone was the nearest approach to the Truth.

By Tendai philosophy Nichiren meant not what he found there at hand but what was taught by Dengyō Daishi himself. The original T’ien-T’ai of Chih-i was chiefly theoretical, whereas the Japanese Tendai of Dengyō Daishi was practical as well as theoretical. But after the two great masters, Jikaku and Chishō, the practical sides of Tendai were either mystic rituals or Amita faith; that seemed to them most important. The fundamental truth of the Lotus doctrine seemed to be laid aside as if it were a philosophical amusement. Nichiren could not accept this attitude and so returned in 1253 to his old monastery at Kiyozumi where he proclaimed his new doctrine that the Lotus alone could save the people of the depraved age, the essential formula being “Homage to the Text of the Lotus of the True Ideal.” It is Dharma-smriti (thought on Dharma) and not Buddha-smriti as was the Amita formula. Dharma is the ideal realized by the original Buddha. All beings are saved through homage to the Lotus of Truth, and this alone, he declared, is the true final message of the Buddha.

Since the Lotus of the Good Law was translated and expounded by Kumarajiva, it has been one of the most popular subjects of Buddhist study along with the Prajna and Nirvana texts. When the philosophy of immanence or the phenomenological doctrine was promulgated on the basis of the Lotus by Chih-i, it was generally known as the T’ien-T’ai School. It was Saichō (Dengyō Daishi, 767-822 AD) who went to China and received the doctrine from this school and on his return in 804 AD founded the Tendai school in Japan. His theoretical elucidation of the Lotus doctrine may not be much different from the original Chinese school, but his practical application of the doctrine to the national cult and synthetic treatment of all other Buddhist schools subordinate to his school seem to be the new aspects added by virtue of his genius. Besides the Lotus doctrine, he professed to teach mystic Shingon, Amita-pietism, contemplative Zen, as well as Mahayanistic Vinaya discipline. To him these were subordinate doctrines to the Lotus or at any rate concurrent systems to complete the central doctrine. However, in the course of time, there appeared among his followers some ardent specialists in each of these systems and sometimes the result was separation. In the Heian period (781-1183) the mystic rituals and ceremonial performances promoted by this school in concert with the Shingon School carried the day to satisfy the aristocratic taste of the time. There arose in time a devotional school of Amita-pietism which also flourished in the bosom of the school. Through the influence of the two streams of religious activities a great Buddhist transformation took place in the national life and thoughts of Japan during the period.

Buddhism in the Nara period (710-794 AD) was a philosophy of investigation and speculation, while that of the Heian period (794-1185 AD) was externally an eclecticism or syncretism of Shintoistic and Buddhistic ideas and internally a unification of the theory of universal immanence (exoteric). Buddhism in this later period greatly influenced the social life and culture on all sides by its doctrine of enfolding power (esoteric). In the Kamakura period (1185-1335 AD) the specific character of Buddhism was pre-eminently practical, national and markedly enthusiastic in preaching, exclusive in doctrine, more simplified and specific than ever, but extensive in the application or the realization of the ideal, since all Buddhist schools in the period preached salvation—i.e., the way of enlightenment—for all, that is, pansophism.

The religious activity of this period was, in a way, a strong protest against the previous orthodox schools which seemed to end in an exhibition of either speculative achievement or ritualistic efficacy, betraying in their aristocratic pomp and ceremonial display the fast-degenerating tendency of philosophical-religious life in general. The importance of a reversion to the monistic and practical religion of Prince Shōtoku was strongly felt. The consensus of the leading ideas and the necessity of spiritual reform among the populace brought about the uniformity of the religious type of the time. Certainly the memory of Prince Shōtoku was greatly awakened and a considerable increase in his images, sanctuaries, memorial services and even guilds of artisans connected with him was conspicuous during the period. One of the Buddhist schools founded at the time [Jodo Shinshu] enshrined him as the patriarch of Japan.
Kamakura Buddhism, the Buddhism of ‘All-Enlightenment,’ may be summarized into seven schools:

1. The Zen School of meditative intuitionism
   a. Rinzai Sect founded by Eisai (1141-1215)
   b. Sōtō Sect founded by Dōgen (1200-1253)
2. The Fuke School of introspective asceticism, founded by Kakushin in 1255
3. The Jōdo School of Amita-pietism, founded by Hōnen
   (1133-1212)
4. The Shin School of Amita-pietism, founded by Shinran (1173-1262)
5. The Ji School of Amita-pietism, founded by Ippen (1239-1289)
6. The Nichiren School of Lotus-pietism, founded by Nichiren (1222-1282)
7. The Shin-Ritsu Sect, the reformed school of self-vow discipline, founded by Eison (1201-1290), the restorer of the disciplinary school

The Threefold Body (Trikaya) of the Buddha is mentioned as Buddhahood; its representative theory is held by the Tendai School.

Every Buddha of Perfect Enlightenment is supposed to possess three bodies. Although the original names of Dharma-kaya, Sambhoga-kaya, and Nirmana-kaya mean literally ‘Principle-body,’ ‘Enjoyment-body,’ and ‘Transformation-body,’ the term ‘body’ in the ordinary sense is rather misleading because it conveys the idea of a bodily existence.

The Principle-body or Truth-body is the Ideal or the Principle or Truth itself without any personal existence. It is identical with the Middle Path Truth.

The Enjoyment- or Reward-body is the person embodied with real insight, i.e., the body attained as the value of a long causal action. It is twofold: (a) The body for self-enjoyment, i.e., the person when he is enjoying his own enlightenment. (b) The body manifested for the enjoyment of others, i.e., bodhisattvas above the primary stage of saintly perfection.

The Transformation-body is a body variously appearing to save people. It is also twofold: (a) The body exclusively for bodhisattvas of the primary stage that is a superior body of Transformation. (b) The body for those who are prior to the primary stage.

Every Buddha has these three aspects. While a Buddha represents the Principle or Truth which he himself has realized, he is, on the one hand, the realizer of the ideal or the enjoyer of his Enlightenment and, on the other hand, is the giver of the ideal or the deliverer of all who are suffering or perplexed. Thus the Buddha is viewed as the ideal (Enlightenment) itself, the enjoyer of it (the Enlightened), the giver of it to others (the Enlightener). The Enjoyment-body is obtained by the Buddha as a reward for long effort, while the Transformation-body is freely assumed by him in order to meet the needs of others and the world.

The Three Bodies of the Buddha are further divided into four, five, six or ten, but the above stated Threefold Body of the Tendai School may be regarded as the fundamental theory of Buddhahood.

It is not Buddhistic to seek the original principle or to consider the absolute as separate or independent. Here the Tendai School at once comes back to the ideation theory but expresses it somewhat differently. It is set forth that a conscious-instant or a moment of thought has 3,000 worlds immanent in it. This is a theory special to this school and is called ‘three thousand originally immanent,’ or ‘three thousand immanent in principle,’ or ‘three thousand immanent in nature – or sometimes ‘three thousand perfectly immanent.’ The immanency, either original, theoretical, natural or perfect, conveys one and the same idea; namely, that the one moment of thought is itself 3000 worlds. Some consider this to be the nearest approach to the idea of the Absolute, but if you consider the Absolute to be the source of all creation it is not exactly the Absolute. Or, it may be considered to be a form of ideation theory, but if one thinks that ideation manifests the outer world by the process of dichotomy it is quite different, for it does not mean that one instant of thought produces the 3,000 worlds, because a production is the beginning of a lengthwise motion, i.e., timely production. Nor does it mean that the 3 000 worlds are included in one instant of thought because an inclusion is a crosswise existence, i.e., spacely coexistence.

Although here the 3,000-world doctrine is expounded on the basis of ideation, it is not mere ideation, for all the dharmas of the universe are immanent in one thought-instant but are not reduced to thought or ideation.

That the world is immanent in one moment of thought is the philosophy of immanence, phenomena being identical with conscious action. It may be called ‘phenomenology,’ each phenomenon, matter or mind, expressing its own principle or nature.

The principle each phenomenon expresses is the triple truth of harmony (as void, as temporary and as mean), i.e., noumenon originally immanent, perfectly immanent, immanency in principle and immanency in nature. This means simply that a thing or being itself is the true state. Hence the phrase: “Everything, even the color or fragrance, is identical with the Middle Path, the Truth.”

The whole universe is said to have the constituency of ‘three thousands,’ but the theory is quite different from other pluralistic systems. It is not an enumeration of all dharmas; nor is it the world system of three Chiliocosms. What is it then? We must explain these ‘three thousands.’ The expression ‘three thousands’ does not indicate a numerical or substantial immensity, but is intended to show the inter-permeation of all dharmas and the ultimate unity of the whole universe.

As the basis of ‘three thousands’ the Tendai school sets forth a world system of ten realms. That is to say, the world of living beings is divided into ten realms, of which the higher four are saintly and the lower six ordinary.

1. The realm of Buddhas. A Buddha is not inside the circle of ten, but as he advents among men to preach his doctrine he is now partially included in it.
2. A bodhisattva: a would-be-Buddha.
3. Pratyeka-buddha: a Buddha for himself, not teaching others.
4. Sravaka: a direct disciple of the Buddha. The above four are classed as the saintly stages.
5. Heavenly Beings: superhuman as they are, they cannot get perfectly enlightened without the teaching of the Buddha.
6. Asura: fighting spirits. Though partially heavenly, they are placed in the lower half of the realm.
7. Men: neutral in nature.
8. Preta: departed beings, otherwise called ‘hungry spirits.’
9. Beasts: innocent in nature, including the whole animal kingdom.
10. Depraved men: ‘hellish beings’ who are in the lowest stage.

These ten realms are mutually immanent and mutually inclusive, each one having in it the remaining nine realms. For example, the realm of men will include the other nine from Buddha to Hell, and so will any of the ten realms. Even the realm of Buddhas includes the nature of hell and all the rest, because a Buddha, though not hellish himself, intends to save the depraved or hellish beings, and therefore also has hell in his mind. In this sense, the realm of the Buddhas, too, includes the other nine realms.

This immanence of each of the ten worlds in all of them accounts for 100 worlds. Further, each of these realms has ten different features as we have seen above, i.e., form, nature, substance, force, action, cause, circumstance, effect, remuneration and the ultimate state. These are the ten features of Thusness. By discovering these ten features in the 100 worlds, this school arrives at the doctrine of 1,000 realms.

Moreover, each realm consists of three divisions: the species of living beings, the species of space-region or vessel to live in and the species of five aggregates (skandhas) taken separately from living beings—form (matter), perception, conception (idea), volition (will) and consciousness. Thus there are three thousand realms, constituting the whole of manifested reality.

In Buddhism, ‘three thousands’ usually refers to the great Chiliocosm consisting of 1,000 small, 1,000 middle, and 1,000 large worlds. With the Tendai School, however, it is not such a world system, but is the universe of all beings and things, i.e., the whole world of dynamic becoming.

The ultimate truth taught n the Tendai School is Thusness (Tathata), not thisness (tattva). Thusness means the true state of things in themselves, the phenomenal world being the state of things manifested before us. The true state of things cannot be seen directly or immediately. We must see it in the phenomena which are ever changing and becoming. Thus the true state is dynamic. The phenomena themselves are identical with the true state of things. The true state of things is Thusness, i.e., things as they are manifested, just as moving waves are not different from the still water. We generally contrast the still water with the moving waves, but moving or staying they are only the manifestation of one and the same water. What is being manifested or shown outwardly is nothing but the thing itself. There is no difference between the two.

This is the theory of the true state of all dharmas; that is, all elements manifested are the elements in their own state (sarva-dharma-svalaksana-ta). Or. to use another expression, the ‘worldly state (phenomenal) is permanent’ (lokalaksana-nityata).

According to the Tendai doctrine any dharma expresses itself in all three truths. All existences are thus mutually penetrating in all three truths.