When I first started publishing quotes from The Collected Teachings of the Tendai Lotus School by Gishin back in February, I mentioned that I was unclear on where Nichiren’s teachings diverge. I asked Rev. Ryuei McCormick about the difference between Tendai and Nichiren on the 3,000 realms in a single thought moment, and I published his response yesterday. But I wanted a fuller explanation of the similarities and differences between Tendai and Nichiren.
As I was organizing the quotes from Gishin, I recalled that I had a copy of Bruno Petzold’s book, Buddhist Prophet Nichiren–A Lotus In The Sun. Petzold was a German journalist and educator who lived in Japan in the early 20th century. While in Japan he became fascinated with Buddhism and eventually became a Tendai monk. At the beginning of World War II, Petzold was decorated by the Emperor of Japan for his 25 years of service. Soon afterwards the Tendai Sect conferred upon him the rank of Sōjō, or archbishop. He died in 1949 and his ashes are buried at Hieizan, the home of the Tendai sect on Mount Hiei.
That Tendai background is evident in his treatment of Nichiren and his teachings. When I first picked up his book in 2021, I was unsure how to approach Petzold’s obvious Tendai-centered discussion. His was not a devout view of Nichiren. Now, however, Petzold’s view of Nichiren through the lens of Tendai teachings offers insight into how Nichiren, the one-time Tendai monk, used Tendai teachings as a foundation for his doctrine.
In the book, Petzold explains at one point:
Petzold, Buddhist Prophet Nichiren , p 50-51Nichiren incorporates into his own system the whole Tendai philosophy. He adopts the classification of the Five Periods and the Eight Teachings; he acknowledges the doctrines of the Perfectly Amalgamated Three Truths (i.e. the Synthesis of vacuity and phenomenal reality in the Middle) and of the Identity of the One Mind and the Three Thousand (representing the totality of phenomena), and he upholds the practice of the Three Meditations in One Mind. He teaches the Oneness of the World. He proclaims that the whole universe in its essence is nothing but Buddha’s own body, so that even trees and grasses do not only attain Buddhahood, but are direct manifestations of Buddha. Similarly he maintains that the cosmos or the Tathāgata is our own body and soul; that the Buddha, Truth and Paradise are not outside of our own self; that Buddhahood can be attained in our present life and in our present body; that the Buddha, the mind and the living beings form One Unity. There is not one single important Tendai doctrine which is not a part of Nichiren’s system.
That’s not to suggest there is no difference. As Petzold explains:
Petzold, Buddhist Prophet Nichiren , p 109[N]ichiren’s tenet for criticism of the Tendai Hokke Sect lies in its harmonizing tendencies. His objection to their meditation is based on their acceptance of Dharma Daishi’s zen meditation, which contradicts the teaching of Tendai Daishi; and the subsequent disassociation of the proper Tendai Teaching (shikan) from its original source, the Hoke-kyō.
Today, I’m publishing Senchu Murano’s Preface, which he wrote for Petzold’s book. As Murano explains, Petzold’s view of Nichiren was greatly colored by three books published in the early 20th century:
- Nichiren, the Buddhist Prophet by Anesaki Masaharu, 1916
- Japanese Civilization: Its Significance and Realization, Nichirenism and the Japanese National Principles by Satomi Kishio, 1923
- Nichiren-shū kōyō (Manual of the Nichiren Sect), Shimizu Ryōzan, 1928
During the month of May I will publish select quotes from Petzold, many of which outline where Nichiren doctrine departs from Tendai teachings. I would prefer to read a book written from the Nichiren perspective, but Petzold meets my current needs.
Buddhist Prophet Nichiren–A Lotus In The Sun