[General Guideline of HBS]
Rev. Nisso Fukuoka
— Shijo Sho written by Nichiryu Shonin — 817
At the beginning of Hokke Shu Naisho Buppo Kechimyaku Sho or The Transmission of the Buddhist Teaching Realized Innerly by the Lotus School, Nichiren Shonin said that Namumyohorengekyo is exactly the religious sect which was established by the Buddha Shakyamuni, and gave grounds for designating it Butsuryu Shu. Buddha Shakyamuni in the remote past expounded Buddhism and established the Butsuryu Shu. He appears in various forms in this world in order to save evil people in the future everlastingly and make clear what the Butsuryu Shu is for.
— Shijo Sho written by Nichiryu Shonin — 817
— Nijo Sho written by Nichiryu Shonin —
The Lotus School which was named after the title of a sutra means the Butsuryu Shu if it is seen from the standpoint of the Buddha who established it. In a broad sense, it is the religious sect which was established by all sorts of buddhas and bodhisattvas. Some may ask why it is not called Nichiren Shu, Because Nichiren Shu means the religious sect which is spreading the Fine Dharma merely during the limited period of the Last Dharma after the Buddha's decease. The name of Nichiren Shu can not represent the fundamental characteristics of the eternal religious sect existing forever through the three periods, that is, the remote past, the present period of the Last Dharma, and the future. The name of Nichiren just refers to the aspect of his appearance in the realm of man and not to his another aspect of Bodhisattva Jogyo, even though Nichiren Shonin's previous incarnation was Bodhisattva Jogyo. It is thus incapable of meaning that the Fine Dharma consistently remains effective in saving all living beings through the three periods. That is why it is called Butsuryu Shu and not Nichiren Shu.
— Nijo Sho written by Nichiryu Shonin —
— Gojo Sho written by Nichiryu Shonin — 819
Great Master Tendai and Great Master Myoraku had set up the Provisional School of the Lotus Sutra, but the spirit of the Lotus Sutra which these two masters of old times had enshrined in their hearts and had not talked about was revealed by Nichiren Shonin in his three books, that is, Kanjin Honzon Sho, Shishin Gohon Sho, and Nyosetsu Shugyo Sho. These three books clearly explain that the most important is the religious practice based on chanting the Daimoku, and preach the easy practice which allows human beings attain enlightenment by the first and probably the last scriptural power, and declare that the Fine Dharma plants the Buddha seed in the minds of the most stupid people and enables them to attain Buddhahood.
— Gojo Sho written by Nichiryu Shonin — 819
— Daizoichiyo — 823
So far as the sacred object of worship is concerned, we must select the one that is as worthy as it is worshipped as the object, otherwise, however hard we perform Buddhist practice it will never be rewarded, being unable to get nearer to the attainment of Buddhahood. For instance, the more you rely on the foolish, children, the unskilled, and the wicked for their help, the more deeply you will be disappointed. If you do it at all, you had better rely on the wise, grown—ups, the skilled, and good people. The object of worship is quite like this. First of all we must sort the correct teaching from the provisional teaching. Then select the one that contains all sorts of powers and merits, and the one that benefits us in the present period of the Last Dharrna. That is the Daimoku revealed in the primordial division of the Lotus Sutra. Thus we must worship the Daimoku as the sacred object. It is said that those who pray wholeheartedly to this sacred object are the truly blessed and happiest.
— Anraku Sho — 823
Since a person can attain his or her dignity because of the Buddhist law, the Buddhist law is far more important than buddhas and bodhisattvas. This is the reason why the Honmon Butsuryu Shu worships the Fine Dharma, the cause of all the buddhas, as the Sacred Object, not worshiping any one buddha. In comparison with the Fine Dharma, even the Buddha with eternal glorious decorations of meritorious acts is out of the question. Because the Dharma one believes and upholds is so precious, the believer becomes a person of noble character who will in return purify the defiled world. It is aptly said that even the Primordial Buddha in the remote past did not give his name as Buddha but entrusted the Fine Dharma to Bodhisattva Jogyo in order to save this world. The Fine Dharma is the only seed that enables people to attain Buddhahood. This is exactly what Nichiren Shonin said. He said that the Buddhist teaching of the Honmon Butsuryu Shu expounds how to perform the practice based on chanting the Daimoku, but scholars of other sects have no knowledge of this, that the ordinary people in the period of the Last Dharma must worship the Daimoku as the Sacred Object.
— Daizoichiyo — 823
— Kaido Yoketsu — 825
The Sacred Object of Worship of the Honmon Butsuryu Shu is Namumyohorengekyo, the quintessence of the Primordial Division of the Lotus Sutra. Though the Fine Dharma appears to be characters, the truth of the Buddha's Enlightenment is contained in the Fine Dharma, in which all the buddhas, bodhisattvas, and saints are resting in peace. We are promised that if only we chant the Fine Dharma, we will be granted the merit of the Buddha's enlightenment. The Primordial Sacred Object, the Primordial Altar, and the Primordial Practice, which are the three most important elements of religious practice, are all contained in the Daimoku as the sacred object of worship. So the Daimoku as the sacred object of worship is called the Greatest Entity of the Three Most Important. This Greatest Entity of the Three Most Important is the Primordial Dharma for the attainment of Buddhahood, the quintessential Dharma transmitted by Bodhisattva Jogyo, and the Sacred Object revealed only in the primordial eight chapters of the Lotus Sutra. And these things are clearly shown by the third doctrinal aspect among the three kinds of doctrinal aspect, that is, the doctrinal aspect which maintains the attainment of Buddhahood only by force of faith.
— Kaido Yoketsu — 825
— Kaido Yoketsu — 825
Nichiren Shonin set the quintessence before everything and said that the Fine Dharma is the quintessence for the attainment of Buddhahood. On examination of Nichiren Shonin's thought after the period of his exile in Sado through his writings, I have understood that the Sacred Object of Worship should be the Daimoku, the Sole and Most Precious Dharma that includes Everything, so I made up the Sacred Object of Worship by writing 'Namumyohorengekyo which is revealed in the Primordial Eight Chapters of the Lotus Sutra, is entrusted to the Bodhisattva Jogyo and plants in the minds of all living beings the seed, the genuine cause of Buddhahood' with the phrase 'the Greatest Entity of the Three Most Important'. Those who received this object of worship but did not understand the reason criticized saying that Daimoku alone does not make the Object of Worship and it could hardly be called the Mandala including all the ten realms when one of them is missing since none of the Four Heavenly Kings such as Tamonten is described in this Object of Worship. Nichiren Shonin, however, translated Mandala as an accumulation of merits and said that Mandala is the aspect representing all the merits accumulated in Namumyohorengekyo. It is also written in Deep Meaning of the Lotus Sutra (fascicle 1) written by Great Master Tendai that Namumyohorengekyo is the Entity of One Thought of the Primordial Buddha and contains all the merits of enlightenment called Ichinen Sanzen or Three Thousand Realms in a Moment's Thought. Therefore ordinary people in the evil period of the Last Dharma must worship the Daimoku as the Sacred Object of Worship. This is why it is called the greatest Mandala that ever existed after Buddha Shakyamuni's passing away.
— Kaido Yoketsu — 825
— Soshoyojaku — 827
Among the Three Great Secret Laws, the True Law which plants the seed, genuine cause of Buddhahood in the minds of living beings is the Daimoku and nothing else. It is obvious that only the Daimoku is the Sacred Object to those who perform Buddhist practice in the period of the Last Dharma. At the beginning of Questions and Answers about the Object of Worship or Honzon Mondo Sho, it is said that all buddhist teacher was the Dharma and it is absolutely out of place to revere Buddha Shakyamuni even as the object of worship. It is undeniable that the Daimoku is the object of worship about which Nichiren Shonin said 'Such a sublime Sacred Object was revealed only in the primordial eight chapters of the Lotus Sutra.' In his Kanjin Honzon Sho, Nichiren Shonin shows the Altar as 'the Saha World in the primordial time', the Daimoku as `Namumyohorengekyo inside the stupa', and the Spectacle of the Sacred Object by indicating `the primordial Buddha and primordial bodhisattvas', and further shows the primordial division's superiority to the provisional division of the Lotus Sutra by the fact that the primordial Buddha is in the sky above the Saha world, whereas the manifestations of the Buddha are on the ground. Nichiren Shonin says;`the primordial Buddha Shakyamuni wrapped all these things up in the Daimoku and permitted believers to have it as the Sacred Object. This Sacred Object is nothing but Nichiren's soul and the meritorious world moving lively in faith. This is the greatest mandala without precedent as the Sacred Object of Worship.'
— Soshoyojaku — 827
— Anraku Sho — 829
The Three Great Secret Laws are the primordial sacred object, the primordial altar and the primordial Daimoku revealed in the primordial division of the Lotus Sutra. These three laws are embraced in the Daimoku. So the Daimoku revealed in the primordial division of the Lotus Sutra, that is, the unity of the abovementioned three, should be worshiped as the Sacred Object.
— Anraku Sho — 829
—Butsuryu Yodan — 829
Question: What do you mean by `Sangashichu Ichidai Hiho' or 'the Sole and Most Precious Dharma of the Three Most Important?
Answer: It means the quintessence of the primordial division of the Lotus Sutra, the Daimoku entrusted to Bodhisattva Jogyo. Now, Iet me give you some authorities for that.
Ota sho (Letter to Ota Moriaki from Nichiren Shonin) says;`the Fine Dharma is the sole and most precious Dharma.'
Honzon Mondo Sho, or Questions and Answers on the Sacred Object states; `those who perform the Buddhist practice in the period of the Last Dharma must worship the Daimoku of the Lotus Sutra as the Sacred Object.'
Shishin Gohon Sho states;`This sutra's real intention lies in making people chant the Dairnoku exclusively.' And Shuyo Sho written by Nichiryu Shonin says;'The most important for this religious sect is the Daimoku entrusted to the Bodhisattva Jogyo because the Buddha's life is embraced in Namumyo‐horengekyo, the title of the Lotus Sutra.'
—Butsuryu Yodan — 829
— Odeshidanna Sho — 829
Question: What authorities from Nichiren Shonin's writings can you offer for the reason why 'Sangashichu lchidai Hiho' is written on both sides of the Daimoku?
Answer: Hokke Shuyo Sho or On the Main Point of the Lotus Sutra says;
`The Secret Laws which the two masters, Tendai and Dengyo, expounded are the three laws, that is, the Primordial Sacred Object, the Primordial Altar, and the Primordial Daimoku, but Nichiren Shonin prefers the quintessence of the Lotus Sutra, that is, the Odaimoku.'
Again Ota sho says;`The most honored one, Buddha Shakyamuni, has left the sole and most precious Dharma, namely, the Daimoku revealed in the primordial division of the Lotus Sutra in order to reprove unbelievers for their mistake in the period of the Last Dharma. Receiving the Buddha's order, the four bodhisattvas spread it in the period of the Last Dharma.'
— Odeshidanna Sho — 829
16. Selected Writings of Nichiryu Shonin and Nissen Shonin 21 - 30
- [TOP]
- 21. - Shijo Sho written by Nichiryu Shonin - 817
- 22. - Nijo Sho written by Nichiryu Shonin -
- 23. - Gojo Sho written by Nichiryu Shonin -
- 24. - Daizoichiyo - 823
- 25. - Kaido Yoketsu - 825
- 26. - Kaido Yoketsu - 825
- 27. - Soshoyojaku - 827
- 28. - Anraku Sho - 829
- 29. - Butsuryu Yodan - 829
- 30. - Odeshidanna Sho - 829
