General Guideline of Honmon Butsuryu Shu

11. Why is the Statue of Nichiren Shonin Black?

Question and Answer

Why is the statue of Nichiren Shonin displayed in front of the Odaimoku Gohonzon?
Why is the statue of Nichiren Shonin of HBS black?
What is Nichiren Shonin holding in his hands?
Why is cotton strips (Owata) placed on Nichiren Shonin's head?
What should one do when enshrining the statue of Nichiren Shonin into the altar?

The Lapse Of Six Hundred Years Made it Antique—Looking

A: Nichiren Shonin, who taught us about the true Dharma and transmitted to us the Odaimoku entrusted to Jogyo Bodhisattva, is, in a sense, our Great Master, Teacher and Parent. His statue is placed before the Scripture in the altar to offer our respect and to revere him faithfully.
Other Nichiren sects display Nichiren Shonin's icons, but they are not black. A black statue is an origin of HBS. A “black" expression is inappropriate. It is better to mention it as an antique—looking statue due to the lapse of so many years.

HBS's statue of Nichiren Shonin that is antique—looking is justified for the following reasons:
There was a disciple of Nichiren Shonin whose name was Nippo Shonin. He excelled in engraving and had engraved about 3 or 4 figures of Nichiren Shonin. One of them is displayed at the Honmonji Temple in Kyoto, now known as the Yuseiji Temple, the Main Temple of HBS. This statue had a natural wooden color initially, but being exposed to burning candle oil and punk for so many years, it began to get darker in color. This is also the statue on which Nichiren Shonin conducted an “Opening of the Eyes" ceremony to instill the spirit of the Odaimoku. In the early part of the Meiji Era, when Nissen Shonin entered Yuseiji Temple to carry on his religious practices, the statue was already near “black" and it looked like an antique.
Since then, Nissen Shonin felt that all new HBS's statue of Nichiren Shonin should look like the original statue displayed at Yuseiji Temple. That statue of Nichiren Shonin has been designated as a national treasure by the Japanese Educational Ministry for its value and excellent carving technique.

Nichiren Shonin is holding a Scepter in his right hand, and a Lotus Sutra scroll in his left hand. Many parishioners think that he is holding wooden clappers in his hands. Not so. His right hand is holding a Scepter and in his left hand is the Fifth Scroll, among eight scrolls of the Lotus Sutra. His icon illustrates that he is presenting a sermon to us. The fifth Scroll contains Chapter 13, “Fortitude", of the Lotus Sutra. As you know, the modern day Lotus Sutra is in book form, but, in ancient time, it was written on eight separate scrolls. The fifth scroll elucidates that people born in the Mappo Period must be courageous enough to overcome any hardships they encounter and to spread the teachings of the Lotus Sutra. Nichiren Shonin carried this scroll with him at all times because he felt that it contained the Eternal Buddha's prediction that he would appear in this world of Mappo as a messenger of the Eternal Buddha.

11. Why is the Statue of Nichiren Shonin Black?

Purpose for the Cotton Strips

Every year, from November to March of the following year, cotton strips are placed on the head of Nichiren Shonin's figure.
On November 11, 1264, Nichiren Shonin, accompanied by several disciples on their way to the home of a parishioner, Yoshitaka Kudo, was attacked by a large number of mobsters of Kagenobu Tojo, a district head. During this scuffle, Nichiren Shonin received a cut with a sword on his forehead. That incident is known as the Tojo Komatsubara Incident, one of three other famous incidents against Nichiren Shonin. After the scuffle ended, an old woman who just happened to pass by, seeing the cut on Nichiren Shonin's forehead offered him her cotton hood. This is the origin of placing cotton strips on the head of Nichiren Shonin's statue. It also serves to express our feeling of esteem by protecting it ostensibly from pain during the cold weather.

11. Why is the Statue of Nichiren Shonin Black?

Rules For Cleaning And Placing Cotton Strips On The Forehead Of Nichiren Shonin's Statue

Wash your hands thoroughly before cleaning and placing cotton strips and on the forehead of Nichiren Shonin's statue and a scarf around the neck. Be sure to wear a facemask. Remove the icon and the cushion from the altar and place it on a clean table very cautiously not to be disrespectful to the figure, Then dust the figure with a fine brush. Make sure that you do not dust the eyes and the Odaimoku inscription on the back of the icon. After cleaning is done, replace the figure back into the altar. Then place cotton strips on its forehead and a scarf around the neck. Purify the altar with the sparks from an iron and stone flint. The sparks from the flint should not be directly aimed at the statue. If there is any damage to the figure, be sure to notify your priest.

It is recommended that you consult your priest before purchasing an icon. An “Opening of the Eyes" ceremony must be conducted on the figure at your temple for instilling the spirit of the Odaimoku.

“One must feel as though the icon is alive
while praying in front of the altar
and chanting the Odaimoku".
(Goshinan)　

“One must feel that the statue is alive
If not, to worship is meaningless"
(Gokyoka)

11. Why is the Statue of Nichiren Shonin Black?