From Śākyamuni Buddha Through Nichiren Shōnin to the Present
This collection of essays is the first English translation of Bukkyo No Oshie, Shakuson To Nichiren Shōnin. That book has been used mainly as the source material and study guide for an advanced examination taken by priests in the Nichiren Shū branch of Buddhism. Today, we have an increasing number of Nichiren Shū priests outside of Japan, many of whom do not speak Japanese fluently yet still want to participate in an English version of the exam.
The collection covers the life of Siddhārtha Gautama, also known as Śākyamuni Buddha; the teachings of the Buddha and their development over time; the Lotus Sūtra, the teaching of the Buddha which is the foundation of the practice of Nichiren Shū; the teachings of Tiāntái, a Chinese monk who lived in the 6th century CE and wrote extensively on the structure and ideas of the Lotus Sūtra; the life of Nichiren Shōnin who founded Nichiren Buddhism; the teachings of Nichiren Shōnin, based on the Lotus Sūtra and the teachings of the Buddha and Tiāntái; and finally a history of the various branches of Nichiren Buddhism following the death of Nichiren Shōnin in 1282 CE.
All those who worked on this first edition hope that it will find an audience beyond those ordained in Nichiren Shū, and provide a detailed background of Nichiren Buddhism, both for those who practice and for those with a more academic interest. …
With palms together,
Shinkyo Will Warner
Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.A.
April 2021