This is another in a series of daily articles concerning Kishio Satomi's book, "Japanese Civilization; Its Significance and Realization; Nichirenism and the Japanese National Principles," which details the foundations of Chigaku Tanaka's interpretation of Nichiren Buddhism and Japan's role in the early 20th century.
I first learned of Kishio Satomi’s book on Nichirenism from Bruno Petzold’s book, Buddhist Prophet Nichiren–A Lotus In The Sun. Petzold, a Tendai monk, disparaged Daimoku chanting, especially the idea that it can somehow hypnotize the chanter.
Petzold, Buddhist Prophet Nichiren , p 36[W]hile adherents of Hinayāna and ancient Mahāyāna Schools refute any association of hypnotism with their meditation, Nichiren scholars state openly that their meditation is impregnated with it.
Petzold based this comment in part on this portion of Satomi’s book:
Nichirenism and the Japanese National Principles, p70-71[Chanting the Daimoku] is one of the important practices comprising about five reasons (Satomi, “Nichiren’s Religion and its Practices,” Japanese, pp. 131—3):
- Self intuition or reflection.
- Expression of ecstasy.
- Stimulation of continuous impression.
- Autohypnotism for inspiration.
- Manifestation of one’s standard.
Uttering must probably be studied from the point of view of psychology of religion and philosophy of religion. Without doubt, it is static as far as the Sacred Title is concerned, with the mere idea or conception, but when it is uttered by the voice and is heard by the ear, then it will become a dynamic moment of religion. The Sacred Title is the promise between God and man. Buddha reveals all His things under the name of the Sacred Title, and beings can see Buddha in it; thus Nichiren thought. When our absolute devotion for the Sacred Title is completed, we can enter into Buddha’s wisdom, despite our ignorance. In other words, we can accept Buddha’s true wisdom by virtue of faith, that is the absolute dependence on Him. Nichiren explained this faith as the joyful loyal submission. He describes it in an ingenious allegory:
“Hearken! religious faith is simply just like the love of a wife for her husband or a husband’s devotion to his wife, or I should say a parent’s heart for his or her children or the yearning of a child after its mother” (Works, p. 736).
Thus, Nichiren understood the Sacred Title; therefore he says:
“Cause and effect of Buddha’s enlightenment are innate in the five words of Myōhōrengekyō. If we keep these five characters, Buddha transfers the fruits of that cause and effect to us in a natural way” (Works, p. 94).
In consequence thereof we must carefully note that the Sacred Title is a law which permits individuals to vow to exert themselves to attain Buddhahood. In other words, our allotted lives, at any rate, are imperfect lives, in which divine nature and hellish nature reside together. We must cultivate the divine nature throughout our lifetime.
Table of ContentsNext