VI. APPEALING TO THE AUTHORITIES

HAVING CALMED DOWN SOMEWHAT, THE TRAVELLER STATED: Though I am unable to understand you completely, I think I understand what you mean roughly. However, from Kyoto, the seat of the imperial court, to Kamakura, the capital of the shogunate, none of the eminent priests and able leaders of the Buddhist world has yet presented a written statement on this matter or made an appeal to the emperor or the shogun. It is not for you, a mere low-ranking priest, to venture to do so with your spiteful words. I can see your intention, but if you submit your appeal, you will be violating proprieties.

IN RESPONSE, THE MASTER DECLARED: Although I am a man of little capability, fortunately I have studied Mahayana Buddhism. It is said that a blue fly which rides on the tail of a fine horse can travel even 10,000 miles, and a green ivy vine which clings to a tall pine tree can climb up to 1,000 yards high. Likewise, born to be a disciple of the Buddha, I put my faith in the Lotus Sūtra, the king of all the Buddhist sūtras. Seeing the Buddhist dharma declining, how can I not feel sorrow?

The sorrow is even more so [ in view of what the Buddha preached in the Lotus Sūtra, the 10th chapter on “The Teacher of the Dharma”: “Medicine King Bodhisattva, listen carefully. Of the numerous sūtras I have preached, this Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma is the supreme;” and “The sūtras I have preached number immeasurable thousands, ten thousands, and hundred millions. Of the sūtras I have preached, am now preaching, and will preach, this Lotus Sūtra is the most difficult to believe and to understand.” In the 14th chapter on the “Peaceful Practices”: ” Mañjuśrī, this Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma is treasured by all Buddhas and it is the supreme of all the sūtras.” In the 23rd chapter on the “Previous Life of the Medicine King Bodhisattva”: “As Mt. Sumeru is the highest of all mountains in the world, this Lotus Sūtra is the supreme of all sūtras. As the moon shines brighter than any other stars, this Lotus Sūtra shines the brightest of all the sūtras. As the sun eliminates all darkness, this Lotus Sūtra eliminates all kinds of darkness. As the Great King of the Brahma Heaven is the king of all the people, those who uphold this Lotus Sūtra are the prime of all the people.”]

The Buddha also warns us in the Nirvana Sūtra: “Suppose there is a monk, to all appearances ‘good’, who encounters a destroyer of the dharma but does not take any measures in accusing him, chasing him out or punishing him. You had better know that such a man is not a ‘good’ monk at all but an enemy of Buddhism. On the other hand, if he accuses the destroyer of the dharma, chases him out, or punishes him strictly, such a man is My disciple, one who truly hears Me.”

[Numerous bodhisattvas, 80 trillions in number, vow in the 13th chapter on the “Encouragement for Upholding This Sūtra” of the Lotus Sūtra: “We will not spare even our lives; we treasure only the unsurpassed way.”

The Nirvana Sūtra preaches: “Suppose an eloquent speaker was sent to a foreign country as a royal emissary. Even at the cost of his life, he must convey the words of his king without concealing anything. Likewise, without sparing even his own life, a wise man must widely spread among the ignorant people the true teaching of the Buddha, the existence of the Buddha-nature in all. “]

Although I am not a man worthy of being called a good monk, I do not want to be accused of being a foe of Buddhism. Therefore, I must tell them some principles showing just a portion of the Buddha’s teaching.

Risshō Ankoku-ron, Treatise on Spreading Peace Throughout the Country by Establishing the True Dharma, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1, Pages 82-84

Nichiren was 38 years old when he wrote this. It is awe inspiring to imagine the confidence he had in what he believed. There was no doubt.
100 Days of Study

QUESTION: What proof do you have to say that the five virtues prior to the introduction of Buddhism into China were the “five precepts” of Buddhism?

ANSWER: The Sūtra of the Golden Splendor states, “All the teachings in the world encouraging to do good, stem from this sutra;” the Lotus Sūtra, chapter 19 on the “Merits of the Teacher of the Dharma, “When they (devout people) expound scriptures of the secular world, talking about the government, or teaching the way to earn a livelihood, they all will be in accordance with the True Dharma;” in the Sūtra of Meditation on the Universal Sage Bodhisattva, “Ruling the country by the True Dharma without oppressing the people unjustly is the practice of the third repentance;” and in the Nirvana Sūtra , “All the non-Buddhist scriptures in the world are of the teachings of the Buddha, not of the teachings of non-Buddhists.”

The Great Concentration and Insight, of Grand Master T’ien-t’ai declares, “One who knows the true way of the world knows the Buddhist dharma.” In the Annotations on the Great Concentration and Insight, Grand Master Miao-lê states, “Such worldly teachings as courtesy and music spread first, opening the way of the Buddha,” and Priest Annen’s Comprehensive Interpretations says this:

The Buddha sent three wise men to China to teach the five precepts by means of the five virtues. In the past, when the prime minister of the Sung State asked Confucius whether or not the Three Emperors and Five Sovereigns in ancient China were sages, Confucius answered that they were not. The prime minister then asked whether Confucius himself was a sage, and he said he was not. The prime minister asked again whether or not there was anyone who was considered a sage. Confucius replied that he heard that there was a sage known as Śākyamuni in the land to the west.

The Heterodox History of the Chou Dynasty states:

On the eighth of the fourth month in the 24th year in the reign of King Chao of the Chou, rivers, springs, ponds and wells all suddenly overflowed while palaces, houses, mountains, rivers and the great earth all quaked. At night, rays of five colors went through the T’ai-wei Constellation, shining in four directions. In the day, the rays turned blue-red. King Chao asked Historian Su-yu what caused this strange phenomenon. Su-yu replied that it was an omen of the birth of a great sage in the land to the west. Answering the king who asked what would be the effect upon the world, Su-yu declared that there would be no immediate effect, but his teaching would prevail over this land in 1,000 years. King Chao is said to have at once sent a man to Komen to have it (Su-yu’s prediction) inscribed on a stone and buried in the ground. It is in front of a heavenly shrine in the western outskirts.

Also on the 15th of the second month in the 52nd year during the reign of King Mu, a storm occurred suddenly destroying houses and toppling trees; mountains, rivers and the great earth all trembled at once; in the afternoon the sky turned dark with black clouds; 12 white rainbows hanging over the western sky passing from north to south, did not disappear for many nights. King Mu inquired of the Historian Hu-to about what these phenomena foretold. Hu-to replied that they predicted the death of a sage in the land to the west.

Now, as I contemplate these citations, the Sūtra of the Golden Splendor assures us, “All the teachings in this world encouraging to do good, stem from this sūtra.” Before Buddhism was introduced into China, ancient rulers such as the Yellow Emperor first learned the five virtues from Hsüan-nü. The Buddha caused them to learn the teachings of the Eternal Buddha through learning Hsüan-nü’s five virtues in order for them to govern the country. As their capacities for comprehension were not yet developed, they would not have understood the relationship between causes in the past and effects in the future, even if the five precepts of Buddhism had been preached. So, they concentrated on governing the country and establishing themselves by strictly observing the moral codes of loyalty and filial piety in this world.

Sainan Kōki Yurai, The Cause of Misfortunes, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1, Pages 82-84

Again, I find this background information foundational in understanding Nichiren’s writings.

A few notes:

Five virtues

benevolence, justice, courtesy, wisdom and fidelity

five precepts (gokai)

(1) not to kill, (2) not to steal, (3) not to commit adultery, (4) not to lie, and (5) not to drink intoxicants

ten virtuous acts (jūzen)

(1) to (4) are the same as the first 4 of gokai, (5) not to speak harsh words, (6) not to say words causing enmity, (7) not to engage in idle talk, (8) not to be greedy, (9) not to be angry, and (10) not to have wrong views.

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We, ignorant icchantika of the Latter Age, always drowned in the sea of life and death, are desirous of believing the Lotus Sūtra. It forecasts our inherent Buddha-nature being revealed. Grand Master Miao-lê explains this in his Annotations on the Great Concentration and Insight, fascicle 4, “Unless the Buddha-nature in each of us develops gradually to fill our minds, how can we attain Buddhahood? It is this wonderful power of the Buddha-nature in each of our minds that enlightens us. Therefore, we call this wonderful power of the Buddha nature our teacher-protector.”

The doctrine of the “mutual possession of the ten realms” is not explained in any sūtras expounded during forty years or so of the Buddha’s preaching except in the Lotus Sūtra. Since the “mutual possession of the ten realms” doctrine is not preached, believers of those sūtras do not know about the realm of Buddhas inherent in their minds. Unaware of the realm of Buddhas in their minds, they do not know of other Buddhas outside of their minds either. Namely, practicers of expedient sūtras preached in the pre-Lotus period of forty years or so do not know of Buddhas. Even if they see Buddhas, they merely see Buddhas in other worlds, not real Buddhas.

Practicers of the two teachings, śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha, are unaware of the Buddha within their own minds, so they cannot become Buddhas. Bodhisattvas of the pre-Lotus sūtras, unaware of the “mutual possession of the ten realms,” themselves deny the attainment of Buddhahood by practicers of śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha teachings. Thus, they are unable to fulfill their vow of saving all people. These bodhisattvas do not see the Buddha. Likewise, ignorant people do not know the “mutual possession of the ten realms,” so the Buddha realm inherent in them is not revealed. As a result, the Buddha of Infinite Life will not come to welcome them at the last moment of life, and Buddhas will not come to help them upon request. They are like the blind who cannot see their own shadow.

Now in the Lotus Sūtra, it was clarified that the Buddha realm is inherently possessed by even those in the unenlightened nine realms, enabling those who had listened to the expedient pre-Lotus sūtras— bodhisattvas, Two Vehicles (śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha ), and those in the six realms of illusion—all to see for the first time the Buddha realm in themselves. It was the first time that those people were able to become true Buddhas, true bodhisattvas and true śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha. It was the first time that bodhisattvas and śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha attained Buddhahood and ignorant people were able to be reborn in the Pure Land. Regardless, during or after the lifetime of the Buddha, the true, trustworthy teacher (“good friend”) of all the people is the Lotus Sūtra. Tendai scholars in general assert that one can achieve enlightenment through pre-Lotus sūtras, but I, Nichiren, do not accept it. Having no time to discuss this thoroughly in this book, I merely mention it here briefly. I hope to discuss it in detail someday.

Shugo Kokka-ron, Treatise on Protecting the Nation, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1, Page 31

The power of the Lotus Sūtra’s teaching of the universal possession of the 10 worlds is underscored with the realization: Practicers of the two teachings, śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha, are unaware of the Buddha within their own minds, so they cannot become Buddhas. Bodhisattvas of the pre-Lotus sūtras, unaware of the “mutual possession of the ten realms,” themselves deny the attainment of Buddhahood by practicers of śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha teachings. Thus, they are unable to fulfill their vow of saving all people.

Grand Master Miao-lê, in explaining the practice of the Lotus teaching in his Annotations on the Great Concentration and Insight, declared that the Lotus Sūtra would be easy to practice for the ignorant and slow in the Latter Age because they would be able to meet Universal Sage Bodhisattva, the Buddha of Many Treasures and Buddhas manifested in various worlds throughout the universe, by simply practicing the teaching of the sūtra. In addition, Miao-lê declared, “You may recite the Lotus Sūtra inattentively; you don’t have to meditate or concentrate; with your whole heart pray to characters of the Lotus Sūtra all the time whether sitting, standing or walking.”

The aim of this interpretation is solely to save the ignorant in the Latter Age. The “inattentive mind” meaning the mind of an ordinary person engaged in daily routines is contrasted to the “concentrated mind.” “Reciting the Lotus Sūtra” means to recite either the whole eight fascicles or just one fascicle, one character, one phrase, one verse or the daimoku; it means also to rejoice upon hearing the Lotus Sūtra even for a moment or the joy of the fiftieth person who hears the sūtra transmitted from one person to the next. “Whether sitting, standing or walking” means regardless of what you are doing in daily life. “Whole heart” means neither spiritual concentration nor the rational faculty of the mind; it is the ordinary inattentive mind. “Praying to characters of the Lotus Sūtra” means that each character of the Lotus Sūtra, unlike that of other sūtras, contains all the characters of all the Buddhist scriptures and the merit of all Buddhas.

Grand Master T’ien-t’ai, therefore, states in his Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sūtra, fascicle 8, “Without opening this sūtra he who believes in the Lotus Sūtra reads it all the time; without uttering a word, recites various sūtras widely; without the Buddha preaching, always listens to the resounding voice of the Buddha; and without contemplating, shines over the entire dharma world.” The meaning of this statement is that, those who believe in the Lotus Sūtra are upholders of this sūtra twenty-four hours a day, even if a person does not hold the eight fascicles; that those who believe in the Lotus Sūtra are the same as those who continuously read all the Buddhist scriptures every day, hour and second even if they do not raise their voices in reciting the sūtras; that it has already been more than 2,000 years since the passing of the Buddha, whose voice remains in the ears of those who believe in the Lotus Sūtra, reminding them every hour and minute that the Buddha has always been in this Sahā World; and that without contemplating the doctrine of the “3,000 existences contained in one thought,” those who believe in the Lotus Sūtra observe all the worlds throughout the universe.

These merits are endowed solely to those who practice the Lotus Sūtra. Therefore, those who believe in the Lotus Sūtra have the virtue of shining over the dharma world without intention, reciting all the scriptures of Buddhism without voice, and upholding the eight-fascicled Lotus Sūtra without touching it, although they do not pray to the Buddha at the moment of death, do not recite sūtras by voice or enter
an exercise hall.

Shugo Kokka-ron, Treatise on Protecting the Nation, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1, Pages 39-40

I am reminded of the importance of Faith, Practice and Study. We begin with Faith, knowing nothing else. We Practice and Study. With Practice and Study our initial Faith ripens and becomes nourishment for our daily life.

[L]et me explain why we should discard provisional sūtras, putting faith in the true sūtras instead.

QUESTION: What scriptural statements support your contention?

ANSWER: Ten scriptural statements support my contention. First, it is stated in the Lotus Sūtra, chapter 3 on the “Parable”, “You should try to uphold only Mahayana sūtras … without putting faith in even a verse of other sūtras.”

Secondly, the Nirvana Sūtra states, “We should depend on sūtras which thoroughly reveal the truth and not on those which do not.” Sūtras which do not thoroughly reveal the truth refer to those sūtras expounded in forty years or so before the Lotus Sūtra.

Thirdly, it is stated in the Lotus Sūtra, chapter 11 on the “Appearance of the Stupa of Treasures”, “It is difficult to uphold this sūtra. If anyone upholds it even for a moment, I, as well as the other Buddhas, will rejoice and praise him. He is a man of valor and endeavor; he is observing the precepts and practicing the rules of frugal living.” In the Latter Age of Degeneration, we may not observe various precepts defined in the sūtras expounded during forty years or so before the Lotus Sūtra. Upholding the Lotus Sūtra single-mindedly may be called observing the precepts and rules of frugal living.

Fourthly, the Nirvana Sūtra states, “Those who do not exhort themselves to uphold the dharma may be called indolent, but those who do not exhort themselves to observe the precepts may not be. Bodhisattvas, if you are not lax in putting faith in this Mahayana dharma, you deserve to be called the upholders of the precepts. In order to uphold that True Dharma, you bathe in the water of Mahayana. Therefore, even when bodhisattvas break the precepts, they may not be called indolent.” This scriptural passage elaborates the spirit of observing the precepts in the Lotus Sūtra.

For the fifth, it is stated in the Lotus Sūtra, fascicle 4, chapter 11 on the “Appearance of the Stupa of Treasures”, “The Lotus Sūtra is entirely true. ” This is the attestation by the Buddha of Many Treasures.

For the sixth, in the Lotus Sūtra, fascicle 8, chapter 28 on the “Encouragement of Universal Sage Bodhisattva, Universal Sage Bodhisattva, swearing to Śākyamuni Buddha, declares, “I will make sure that this sūtra will be spread all over the world (Jambudvīpa) and not be destroyed after the extinction of the Buddha.”

For the seventh, it is stated in the Lotus Sūtra, fascicle 7, chapter 23 on the “Previous Life of Medicine King Bodhisattva”, “I will not let this sūtra perish in the world (Jambudvīpa) during the fifth 500-year period after My extinction.” This is an oath by Śākyamuni Buddha Himself.

For the eighth, explaining why the Buddha of Many Treasures and various Buddhas manifested in many worlds all over the universe gathered together around Śākyamuni Buddha, the Lotus Sūtra, fascicle 4, chapter 11, on the “Appearance of the Stupa of Treasures” declares, “They have come together in order to perpetuate the dharma in this world.”

For the ninth, regarding the place where practicers of the Lotus Sūtra reside, the sūtra, fascicle 7, chapter 21 on the “Divine Powers of the Buddha” preaches:

After the extinction of the Buddha, you should single-mindedly uphold, read, recite, expound, copy this sūtra and act according to its teachings. … Wherever a copy of this sūtra is, regardless where it may be, in a garden, in a forest, under a tree, in a monastery, in the house of a layman, in a hall, in a mountain, in a valley or in a wilderness, a Stupa should be erected and offerings be made to it. Why should it be? It is because this is the place of enlightenment. It was here that Buddhas attained Buddhahood.

And for the tenth, it is stated in fascicle 9 of the Nirvana Sūtra, a sūtra preached for amplification of the Lotus Sūtra:

During the last 80 years when the True Dharma will be about to expire after My death, this sūtra will spread widely in this world (Jambudvīpa). Then, however, evil monks will steal this sūtra, cutting it up into pieces to kill its original color, fragrance and flavor. In reading this sūtra, unable to understand the essence of the Buddha’s profound enlightenment, they will insert flowery phrases and meaningless sentences just to save appearances. They might put a beginning sentence at the end, an ending sentence at the beginning, a beginning or ending sentence in the middle, or a middle sentence at the beginning or at the end. You should know that these evil monks are not the Buddha’s disciples but the Devil’s companions. … Those evil monks are like a dairymaid who dilutes cow’s milk with much water to make a quick profit. Likewise, they will mix the Buddha’s words in this sūtra with worldly words, making it misleading. Many people will not be able to talk about, copy and comprehend this sūtra correctly, or be able to praise, make offerings to and revere it. Guided solely by self-interest, those wicked monks will be unable to spread this sūtra widely; it will spread so slightly that it will not be worth mentioning. It is just like a poor dairymaid selling cow’s milk, which was resold and repurchased many times. …When, finally, milk gruel is made of it, it will have no taste of milk. Likewise, this great Nirvana Sūtra, a Mahayana sūtra, while being transmitted from person to person, will lose its flavor until in the end it will be tasteless. Nevertheless, it is still 1,000 times superior to other sūtras just as the taste of milk, no matter how much diluted, is 1,000 times better than the taste of bitterness. It is because this great Nirvana Sūtra, a Mahayana sūtra, is supreme of all the sūtras transmitted by the direct disciples of Śākyamuni Buddha.

Shugo Kokka-ron, Treatise on Protecting the Nation, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1, Page 14-16

This is the first quote from the final volume, Doctrine 1. It is difficult to decide what to include since all of the letters in this first volume are important doctrinal texts. Since I have just 14 days left in this 100-day practice, I expect to focus on quotes such as the above which detail foundational arguments.

In addition, as I encounter Nichiren advocating the death of his opponents, I will be updating Day 43 of 100, which raised the question the first time. In this case, I’ve added as a postscript, Nichiren’s scriptural precedence for advocating that those who slander the dharma be punished.

Grand Master T’ien-t’ai states in his Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sūtra, ‘Buddhist sūtras other than the Lotus Sūtra recognize the attainment of Buddhahood only by men but not by women.” This means that women can attain Buddhahood only through the Lotus Sūtra, doesn’t it? The Emitting Ten-million Rays of Light Buddha appearing in the Lotus Sūtra (chapter 13) is Mahā-Prajāpatī, foster mother of Śākyamuni Buddha. Reasoning from these accounts, isn’t it so that the attainment of Buddhahood by women is possible only through the Lotus Sūtra?

“Without fail I will expound the truth.” These are the golden words of Lord Śākyamuni Buddha (chapter 2). The truth of his words was attested to by the Buddha of Many Treasures (chapter 11) by saying, “This is entirely true.” Furthermore, it was upheld by various Buddhas by “Stretching their wide long tongues touching the Brahma Heaven” (chapter 21). Will the sun and moon ever fall on the ground? Will Mt. Sumeru ever collapse? Will the ebb and flow of the ocean stop? Will the earth ever be overturned? As long as these events do not occur, the attainment of Buddhahood by women through the Lotus Sūtra is certain.

Hōe Sho, Writing on Vestments, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 7, Followers II,
Page 186

You can never overemphasize the importance of the Lotus Sūtra concerning the enlightenment of women.

This concludes the seventh volume of the Writings of Nichiren Shōnin.

Once in the neighboring land of India there was a great king in a country called Parthia, who loved to breed horses. He not only improved the quality of horses but also tried to transform cattle into horses. Eventually he even changed the men of Parthia into horses and rode them. The people of his own land were so grief-stricken over his actions that he began to change foreigners into horses instead.

When a merchant from a foreign country visited his country, the great king forced him to take a potion, turned him into a horse, and tied him in a stable. The merchant missed his native land and longed for his wife and children but was unable to go home without the king’s permission. Even if he were able to return home, what could he do in the form of a horse?

While he grieved over his misfortune day and night, his only son in his homeland began to prepare for a trip to look for him, since the expected date of his father’s return had passed. The son wondered, “Was my father murdered? Or is he too sick to move? How can I, his child, stay here and not go looking for my father?” His mother lamented saying, “My husband has not yet returned from abroad. What will I do if my only son goes away too and doesn’t return?” Nevertheless, the son missed his father deeply, so he went all the way to Parthia to look for him.

While staying in a small house, the master of the house told him:

What a pity! You are still very young and extraordinarily handsome. I had a son, but he went abroad and never returned. I don’t know whether he is dead or what became of him if he is still alive. When I think of my own son, it saddens me to even look at you. The reason why I feel very sorry for you is that there is a terrible development in this country. The king of this country, out of his love for horses, uses a mysterious herb. When the king forces a person to eat a slender leaf of the herb, that person will become a horse, and when the king feeds a horse with a wide leaf, the horse becomes a man. Recently the king forced a foreign merchant to eat the herb, changing him into a horse, and tied him in the first royal stable and keeps him as a treasure.

Believing that the king must have changed his father into a horse, the young man asked the master, “Do you know what kind of hair the horse has?” The master replied, “It is a chestnut horse with white dapples on its shoulders.”Hearing this, the young man devised a secret plan and entered the royal palace, stole a wide leaf herb, and fed it to the horse, which reverted to its original form as a human being.

The great king, who investigated the whole episode, was impressed by the filial act of the young man, returned the father to his son and stopped changing men into horses. Unless a child is filial, how can a child go to such lengths to go abroad searching for his father?

Venerable Maudgalyāyana saved his late mother who suffered among hungry beings, and Princes Pure Store and Pure Eyes changed the erroneous views of their father, Wonderful Adornment King. These are the fine examples of good children being the treasure of parents.

Sennichi-ama Gohenji, A Reply to Sennichi-ama, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 7, Followers II, Pages 162-163

The glossary offers this:

Parthia (Ansoku-koku)

Ancient kingdom whose territory stretched from northwest of India to Persia. It was founded in 248 B.C. and fell in 226 A.D. The tale about the great king of this country cited by Nichiren in the “Sennichi-ama Gohenji” (70) is also found in the Hōbutsu-shū by Taira Yasuyori.

In truth, the gohonzon that I revealed was not revealed by any of the many tripitaka masters entering China from India or by those who went to India from China. Looking at such books as the Record of the Western Regions by Hsūan-tsung, the honzon of various temples in many states in all of India are all recorded. I have also exhaustively studied the gohonzon of Chinese temples recorded by Chinese sages coming to Japan and by wise men of Japan entering China. Regarding those in Japan, they are all recorded in the diaries of numerous temples starting with the Gangōji and Shitennōji Temples, the first Buddhist temples in Japan, and many secular books and diaries beginning with a book called Nihongi. Therefore, the gohonzon of each temple is ascertained. The gohonzon that I revealed is not among them.

Some people may have doubts about me saying, “Isn’t it correct to say that the honzon revealed by Nichiren is not based on sutras or commentaries? Isn’t this why many sages in the past did not portray it or carve it in wood?” Despite this, the honzon is based on the scriptural statements, as clear as day. Those who doubt this should investigate whether or not the scriptural base in fact exists. It is not right to criticize it just because it was not created or portrayed in the previous era.

For instance, when Śākyamuni Buddha went up to the Trāyastriṃsá Heaven in order to make obeisance for his late mother, no one in the entire world (Jambudvīpa) was aware of this. Only Venerable Maudgalyāyana knew this, but it was due to the divine power of the Buddha. Likewise, the Buddha Dharma, which exists before our very eyes, cannot be seen unless one has the capacity for perceiving it, and it cannot be spread unless the time is ripe. There is a natural reason for this. For instance, it is like the ebb and flow of the ocean tide or the waxing and waning of the moon in the sky according to time.

Now this gohonzon had been treasured by Lord Preacher Śākyamuni Buddha in his heart for 500 (million) dust-particle kalpa in the past before appearing in this world. Even after attaining Enlightenment, he did not reveal it for forty years before expounding it in the Lotus Sūtra. And even while preaching the Lotus Sūtra, the Buddha passed through most of the theoretical section without referring to it until he began preaching it in the “Beholding the Stupa of Treasures” chapter, revealing it in the truth in the “Life Span of the Buddha” chapter in the essential section, and completing it in the “Divine Power of the Buddha” and the “Transmission” chapters.

Many bodhisattvas such as Mañjuśrī of the Konjiki Sekai (Golden World), Maitreya of the Tuṣita Heaven, Avalokiteśvara of Mt. Potalaka, and Medicine King, a disciple of Sun Moon Pure Bright Virtue Buddha, eagerly volunteered to spread it, but they were not allowed to do so. Śākyamuni Buddha then stated, “These bodhisattvas, though widely known for their wisdom and wit, have not placed their faith in the Lotus Sūtra for long and their learning is not deep enough, making it difficult for them to endure the great challenges of the Latter Age of Degeneration. I have instead my treasured disciples whom I have secretly kept in the bottom of the earth since 500 million dust-particle kalpa ago. I am entrusting them with this great duty.”

Thus, the Buddha called out such bodhisattvas as Superior Practice Bodhisattva in the “Emerging from the Earth” chapter and granted to them the five characters of Myō, Hō, Ren, Ge, and Kyō, the gist of the essential section of the Lotus Sūtra, declaring:

Listen carefully! Listen carefully! This dharma should not be spread during the millennium Age of the True Dharma nor the millennium Age of the Semblance Dharma. In the beginning of the Latter Age of Degeneration, priests slandering the True Dharma will fill the world (Jambudvīpa) evoking the anger of various heavenly beings, causing a comet to appear in the sky, and unleashing a violent earthquake that will shake the great earth like a great wave of the ocean. What is more, severe droughts, huge conflagrations, deluges, storms, widespread epidemics, famines, and the horrors of war will compete with each other. At such time when all the people in the entire world don armor and carry swords and bows, when various Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and virtuous deities have become powerless, and when people all die and fall like heavy rainfall into the Hell of Incessant Suffering, the rulers will be able to save their countries and the people will be able to free themselves from calamities if they carry the great mandala of five Chinese characters with them and put faith in it. Not only will they experience peace in this life but also will be able to escape the suffering of fire in hell after death.

Now, although I am not Superior Practice Bodhisattva, I understood beforehand nearly everything about Buddhism in the Latter Age of Degeneration. Believing that it was at the discretion of Superior Practice Bodhisattva, I have devoted myself to spreading the five characters of the Lotus Sutra during these twenty years or so.

Nii-ama Gozen Gohenji, A Response to My Lady, the Younger Nun, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 7, Followers II,
Pages 147-149

For more details on the subject of gohonzons, see also Day 28 of 100.