Nichiren-shū

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 its 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 the sect is the Ikegami Honmon-ji where Nichiren died. Accordingly, many of Nichiren's most important personal artifacts and writings, 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 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 that possesses the mission in Chapter 21 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"), 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 which 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, Noble Eightfold Path and Taking Refuge taught by Shakyamuni Buddha are also used as supporting practices in the sect.

Object of worship

Nichiren Shū issues calligraphic ''Gohonzons'' to its members, but statue arrangements may also be used to represent the ''Gohonzon''. In Nichiren Shū, the following may be used as the ''Gohonzon'':
* A statue of the Shakyamuni Buddha as the Eternal Buddha, sometimes flanked by the Four Bodhisattvas of the Earth
* A stupa with ''Namu-myōhō-renge-kyō'' inscribed on it, flanked by the Buddhas Shakyamuni and Prabhutaratna Buddha
* A single inscription of the Odaimoku (''Ippen Shudai'')
* The ''Rin-metsu'' ''gohonzon'' of Nichiren, now claimed as the Shutei Gohonzon of Nichiren Shu

All fully ordained Nichiren Shū ministers are able to inscribe and consecrate mandalas, but in practice few of them do. They usually bestow a copy of a Nichiren inscribed mandala, called the ''Shutei Gohonzon'', upon their members.

Holidays

Holidays observed in Nichiren Shū:
* 15 February — Nirvana Day; death anniversary of Shakyamuni Buddha
* 16 February — Nichiren's birthday
* 21 March — Higan Equinox festival
* 8 April — Buddha's Birthday
* 13–15 July and August — Urabon ancestry festival
* 13 October — death anniversary of Nichiren (Oeshiki)
* 8 December — Bodhi Day

Nichiren Shū temples of historic importance

* Hokekyo-ji, temple safekeeping the original of the ''Rissho Ankoku Ron'', one of Nichiren's most important writings
* Ikegami Honmon-ji, founded on the site where Nichiren passed and was cremated
* Kuon-ji, founded by Nichiren
* Kyōnin-ji, marks the site where Nichiren was attacked in 1281
* Ryūkō-ji, marks the site where Nichiren was to be executed
* Seichō-ji, originally a temple of the Tendai-shū and later Shingon-shū; converted into a temple of the Nichiren-shū in 1949 as it played an important role in Nichiren-Buddhism
* Tanjō-ji, near the site of Nichiren's parental home (the original site is under sea level today)

Nichiren Shū today

Nichiren Shū first spread overseas with Japanese immigrants to the United States, then to the Kingdom of Hawaii, Brazil and other locations in the latter half of the 19th century and the early 20th century. Presently, there are Nichiren Shū temples and Sanghas in the United States, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, much of South America, India, Korea, Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan), and Europe.

Nichiren Shū also ordains non-Japanese and non-Japanese speaking men and women, and continues to expand its presence overseas. Nichiren Shū maintains relations with other Nichiren schools and non-Nichiren schools.

In 2010, Nichiren Shū described itself as a "religious organization consisting of about 5,000 temples, 8,000 ministers and 3.8 million members worldwide."

Differences and similarities with other Nichiren schools

Gohonzon

The sect does not believe in the '' Dai-Gohonzon'' revered in Nichiren Shoshu to be superior to other ''Gohonzons'', and rejects the claim that it was truly inscribed by Nichiren as fraudulent.

View of Nichiren

Nichiren Shu states the following:

The sect regards Nichiren as Visistacaritra and teaches that Shakyamuni Buddha is special because he was the original Buddha in recorded human history that demonstrated an exemplary model for the pursuit of Buddhism by his followers and disciples.

* The sect rejects the Nichiren Shōshū claim that Nichiren was the "Original Buddha of Kuon Ganjo" from a timeless past.
* It also rejects the belief of Soka Gakkai which views Nichiren as simply an ordinary mortal person who attained Buddhahood.
* Nichiren Shu disputes the claim of Nichiren Shōshū designating Nikkō Shōnin as the sole legitimate successor to Nichiren, claiming it is based on fake documents and invented doctrines.
* The sect does not have a general consensus on the authenticity of some of the writings claimed to be from Nichiren, rendering them as apocryphal within Nichiren Shū.

Three Great Hidden Dharmas

Accordingly, Nichiren Shu shares the doctrine of ''The Three Great Hidden Dharmas'' (also known as "The Three Great Secret Laws"), but still differs them on the meaning:

# "Odaimoku" — (The sectarian pronunciation of " Namu Myoho Renge Kyo"), its meaning and intent.
# Lotus Sutra — (as Sources of Doctrine) which chapters are used, recited and revered as valid.
# "Kaidan" — (defined platform for practice), its meaning and intent.Lotus Seeds: The Essence of Nichiren Shu Buddhism, San Jose, CA: Nichiren Buddhist Temple of San Jose, 2000. , page 72

See also

* Masaichi Nagata

References

External links

Nichiren Shu

Nichiren-shū Yahoo group moderated by one of the North American Nichiren-shū ministers

Copy of a Gohonzon inscribed by Nichiren

Website of one of Nichiren-shū's North American ministers

Nichiren Buddhist Sangha of Greater New England

Nichiren-shū in Italy and Europe, website in Italian, English, French and Spanish

Nichiren-shū in the UKNichiren Shu in Hungary

Nichiren Shu Brasil

Nichiren Shu In Indonesia

Namu Myoho Renge Kyo

Nichiren Sangha, website in English and Spanish

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