is a combination of several schools ranging from four of the original

Nichiren Buddhist Nichiren Buddhism (), also known as ''Hokkeshū'' (, meaning ''Lotus Sect''), is a branch of Mahayana Buddhism based on the teachings of the 13th-century Japanese Buddhist priest Nichiren (1222–1282) and is one of the Kamakura period schools ...

schools that date back to

Nichiren was a Japanese Buddhist priest and philosopher of the Kamakura period. His teachings form the basis of Nichiren Buddhism, a unique branch of Japanese Mahayana Buddhism based on the '' Lotus Sutra''. Nichiren declared that the '' Lotus Sutra ...

'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 a major Buddhism, Buddhist temple in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. Founded by Nichiren in 1281 it is today the head temple of Nichiren Shū. While the Ikegami Honmon-ji in Tokyo is also the Nichiren sect's administrative centre, Kuon-ji today ...

, 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 Some of the National Treasures of Japan A is " Tangible Cultural Properties designated by law in modern Japan as having extremely high value." Specifically, it refers to buildings, arts, and crafts designated as especially valuable from ...

, 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 Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

beliefs and

Shinto , also called Shintoism, is a religion originating in Japan. Classified as an East Asian religions, East Asian religion by Religious studies, scholars of religion, it is often regarded by its practitioners as Japan's indigenous religion and as ...

practices into their own aesthetics, most notably the use of various religious statues, the red stamping practice of

Shuin ---- A , also called "Go-shuin (御朱印)" as an honorific, is a seal stamp given to worshippers and visitors to Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples in Japan. The seal stamps are often collected in books called that are sold at shrines and ...

for novelty,

esoteric Western esotericism, also known as the Western mystery tradition, is a wide range of loosely related ideas and movements that developed within Western society. These ideas and currents are united since they are largely distinct both from orthod ...

combinations of Buddhist fortune-telling folk practices and Shinto magic rituals, as well as the tolerant photography and lax distribution of the calligraphic ''

Gohonzon is a generic term for a venerated religious object in Japanese Buddhism. It may take the form of a scroll or statuary. The term typically refers to the mainstream use of venerated objects within Nichiren Buddhism, referring to the calligrap ...

''. Nichiren Shū does not believe Nichiren designated a single successor, as taught for instance by

Nichiren Shōshū is a branch of Nichiren Buddhism based on the traditionalist teachings of the 13th century Buddhism in Japan, Japanese Buddhist Bhikkhu#Monks in Japan, priest Nichiren (1222–1282), claiming him as its founder through his senior disciple Nikk ...

, 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 Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha (),* * * was a śramaṇa, wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist lege ...

of Chapter 16 of the

Lotus Sutra The ''Lotus Sūtra'' (Sanskrit: ''Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtram'', ''Sūtra on the White Lotus of the True Dharma'', zh, p=Fǎhuá jīng, l=Dharma Flower Sutra) is one of the most influential and venerated Buddhist Mahāyāna sūtras. ...

as the

Eternal Buddha In East Asian Buddhism, Shakyamuni Buddha of the Essential Teachings (Chapters 15-28) of the Lotus Sutra is considered the eternal Buddha. In the sixteenth chapter of the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha reveals that he actually attained Buddhahood i ...

while Nichiren is regarded as the Jogyo Bodhisattva that possesses the mission in Chapter 21 as the "votary messenger" to uphold the true

Dharma Dharma (; , ) is a key concept in various Indian religions. The term ''dharma'' does not have a single, clear Untranslatability, translation and conveys a multifaceted idea. Etymologically, it comes from the Sanskrit ''dhr-'', meaning ''to hold ...

in the

Latter Day of the Law The Decline of the Dharma or Ages of the Dharma, refers to traditional Buddhist accounts of how the Buddhist religion and the Buddha's teaching (Dharma) is believed to decline throughout history. It constitutes a key aspect of Buddhist eschatol ...

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

, 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 In Buddhism, the Four Noble Truths (; ; "The Four Arya (Buddhism), arya satya") are "the truths of the noble one (the Buddha)," a statement of how things really are (Three marks of existence, the three marks of existence) when they are seen co ...

Threefold Training The Buddha identified the threefold training (; ; or simply ''śikṣā'' or ''sikkhā'') as training in: * higher virtue (Pali ''adhisīla-sikkhā'', Skt. ''adhiśīlaśikṣa'') * higher mind (Pali ''adhicitta-sikkhā'', Skt. ''samādhiśikṣ ...

Noble Eightfold Path The Noble Eightfold Path () or Eight Right Paths () is an early summary of the path of Buddhist practices leading to liberation from samsara, the painful cycle of rebirth, in the form of nirvana. The Eightfold Path consists of eight pra ...

and Taking Refuge taught by

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

as the

, sometimes flanked by the Four

Bodhisattvas of the Earth Bodhisattvas of the Earth ( Chinese: 地涌菩薩; Japanese: 地涌の菩薩, 地湧の菩薩, 上行菩薩), also sometimes referred to as "Bodhisattvas from the Underground," "Bodhisattvas Taught by the Original Buddha," or "earth bodhisattvas," ...

* A stupa with ''Namu-myōhō-renge-kyō'' inscribed on it, flanked by the Buddhas Shakyamuni and

Prabhutaratna Prabhūtaratna ( Skt: प्रभूतरत्न; Traditional Chinese: 多寶如来 or 多寶佛; Simplified Chinese: 多宝如来 or 多宝佛; pinyin: ''Duōbǎo Rúlái'' or ''Duōbǎo Fó''; Japanese romaji: ''Tahō Nyorai'' or ''Tahō Bu ...

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 is a Buddhist holiday exclusively celebrated by Japanese sects for seven days; three days before and after both the Spring equinox ( shunbun) and Autumnal equinox ( shūbun). It is observed by nearly every Buddhist school in Japan. The tradi ...

Equinox festival * 8 April —

Buddha's Birthday Buddha's Birthday or Buddha Day (also known as Buddha Jayanti, Buddha Purnima, and Buddha Pournami) is a primarily Buddhist festival that is celebrated in most of South Asia, South, Southeast Asia, Southeast and East Asia, commemorating the bir ...

* 13–15 July and August — Urabon ancestry festival * 13 October — death anniversary of Nichiren (Oeshiki) * 8 December —

Bodhi Day Bodhi Day is the Buddhist holiday that commemorates the day that Gautama Buddha (Shakyamuni) is said to have attained enlightenment, also known as '' bodhi'' in Sanskrit and Pali. According to tradition, Siddhartha had recently forsaken years ...

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 *

, founded by Nichiren *

Kyōnin-ji The Kyōnin-ji, situated in Kamogawa, Chiba, Kamogawa, Chiba Prefecture, was founded on 5 March 1281 and is one of the most important historic temples of Nichiren-shū. On 11 November 1264, following an invite by Kudō Yoshitaka Lord of Amatsu, N ...

, 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 is a Japanese new religions, Japanese new religion led by Minoru Harada since December 2023 based on the teachings of the 13th-century Buddhist priest Nichiren. It claims the largest membership among Nichiren Buddhism, Nichiren Buddhist group ...

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 Apocrypha () are biblical or related writings not forming part of the accepted canon of scripture, some of which might be of doubtful authorship or authenticity. In Christianity, the word ''apocryphal'' (ἀπόκρυφος) was first applied to ...

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 (or also "Three Great Secret Dharmas") are the fundamental teachings in Nichiren Buddhism, which include Hommon-no- honzon (本門の本尊: object of devotion of the essential teaching), Hommon-no-kaidan (本門の戒壇: sanctuary of the essenti ...

"), but still differs them on the meaning: # "Odaimoku" — (The sectarian pronunciation of " Namu Myoho Renge Kyo"), its meaning and intent. #

— (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

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

{{Authority control Nichiren Buddhism Buddhism articles needing expert attention