Honor Be To Our Founder, Representing Jogyo, Nichiren, the Great Bodhisattva

Let me explain this “Sangha Treasure”:

The Eternal, Original Buddha Shakyamuni instructed us through the Lotus Sutra on becoming Buddhas and the attainment of world peace. Nichiren Daishonin appeared in Japan more than seven hundred years ago, vowing to propagate the Odaimoku (Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō) which is the soul of the Lotus Sutra.

Honnge means “originating from.” Honnge Jogyo is a disciple of the Eternal and Original Buddha Shakyamuni, a disciple who received the teaching that was fostered by this Buddha since time without beginning. There are four great Bodhisattvas that are disciples: First is Bodhisattva Jogyo, second is Bodhisattva Muhengyo, third is Bodhisattva Jyogyo, and fourth is Anryugyo. Each of the Four Great Bodhisattvas has many tens of thousands of disciples.

The Lotus Sutra states there are Jiyu Rokuman Gogasha No Bosatsu (Bodhisattvas sixty thousand times as many as the sands of the River Ganges from the underground) which include the four great Bodhisattvas. These Four Great Bodhisattvas are known as Joshu Shodo No Shi (Masters of the Highest Leaders).

Shakyamuni Buddha preached the Lotus Sutra at Eagle Peak, directing these (Bodhisattvas from the Underground led by the Four Great Bodhisattvas) to propagate the Lotus Sutra, and the Odaimoku (Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō) as the essence of Lotus Sutra, in the Mappō era (the age of degeneration) two thousand years after the Buddha’s death. Nichiren Daishonin was born in Japan at the inception of Mappō and propagated the Lotus Sutra – in other words, the Odaimoku – at the risk of his life throughout four major calamities and uncounted, smaller ones. As a result, Nichiren Daishonin became aware that he was the reappearance of Bodhisattva Jogyo (Superior Practices Bodhisattva) as referenced in the Lotus Sutra. Being so, we refer to him as and recite:

Namu Honnge Jogyo Koso Nichiren Daibosatsu (Honor Be: To Our Founder, Representing Jogyo, Nichiren, The Great Bodhisattva.)