Nichiren-shū Buddhist Monks

is a combination of several schools ranging from four of the original Nichiren Buddhist schools that date back to Nichiren's original disciples, and part of the fifth:

Overview

The school is often referred to as the ''Minobu Sect'' due to their prominence within the Mount Minobu area. The school's head temple, Kuon-ji, is located on Mount Minobu where Nichiren lived in seclusion and where he asked to be buried. Another significant temple of sect is the '' Ikegami Honmon-ji'' where Nichiren died. Accordingly, many of Nichiren's most important personal artifacts and writings preserved, also considered to be National Treasures of Japan are within their safekeeping.

The sect is also known for its more open and tolerant views of other Buddhist traditions, even mixing or incorporating various mixed Buddhist beliefs and Shinto practices into their own Nichiren Buddhist aesthetics, most notably the use of various religious statues, the red stamping practice of Shuin for novelty, esoteric combinations of Buddhist fortune-telling folk practices and Shinto magic rituals, as well as the tolerant photography and lax distribution of the calligraphic '' Gohonzon''.

Nichiren Shū does not believe Nichiren designated a single successor, as taught for instance by Nichiren Shōshū, instead they maintain that he designated six senior disciples of equal ranking to succeed him.

The ''Six Senior Disciples'' designated by Nichiren were:
* Nissho (1221–1323)
* Nichiro (1245–1320)
* Nikkō (1246–1333)
* Mimbu Nikō (1253–1314)
* Nitchō (1252–1317)
* Nichiji (1250–unknown)

Nichiren Shū designates the Shakyamuni Buddha of Chapter 16 of the Lotus Sutra as the Eternal Buddha while Nichiren is regarded as the Jogyo Bodhisattva possesses the mission in Chapter 21 Nichiren Shonin
/ref> as the "votary messenger" to uphold the true Dharma in the Latter Day of the Law.

The sect designates Shakyamuni as the "Original Buddha" and he alone occupies the central role in Nichiren Shū; Nichiren—referred to as Nichiren Shōnin ("Saint Nichiren")—is the saint who refocused attention on Shakyamuni by rebuking other Buddhist schools for solely emphasizing other buddhas or esoteric practices or for neglecting or deriding the Lotus Sutra.

Nichiren Shu regards Nichiren's own writings—called ''Gosho'' or ''Goibun'' (御 遺 文) as commentaries or guides to the doctrines of Buddhism. They include the Five Major Writings of Nichiren in which he establishes doctrine, belief, and practice, as well as many pastoral letters he wrote to his followers.

The sect is highly selective about which ''Gosho'' writings it deems authentic. Many ''Gosho'' writings accepted by Nichiren Shōshū are not accepted as genuine by Nichiren Shū on grounds that scholars have not verified their authenticity. This dispute arises over the veracity of various disputed writings to be truly authored by Nichiren. The sect does not reject the alleged oral transmissions (including the ''Ongi Kuden'') citing "pastoral value" but cannot be definitively asserted as Nichiren's own teachings.

Practices and beliefs

The sect upholds five kinds of practices:

# Receiving and keeping the Sutra both mentally and physically
# Reading the Sutra visually
# Reciting the Sutra orally
# Explaining the Sutra to others
# Copying the Sutra as a pious act

There are two type of practices expected of a believer:

# Primary practice — Chantin
Odaimoku
to an object of devotion.
# Secondary practice — The recitation of Chapter 2 and 16 of the Lotus Sutra, or any other chapter of the Lotus Sutra as desired.

In addition, other popular forms of Buddhist silent meditation (''Shōdai-gyō''), singing of hymnal praises, the artistic copying of the ''Odaimoku'' (''Shakyō''), and the study of fundamental Buddhist concepts such as the Four Noble Truths, Threefold Training">Four Noble Truths: BUDDHIST PHILOSOPHY Encycl ...
, Threefold Training, Noble Eightfold Path and Refuge (Buddhism)">Taking Refuge