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Nichiren Buddhism’s Orientation
vs. Temple’s Doctrinal Orientation |
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Ted Morino
SGI-USA
Study Department Senior Adviser
Nichiren Buddhism is well characterized by the opening
sentence of “On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime,”
which appears at the very beginning of The Writings of
Nichiren Daishonin. This writing is a letter the Daishonin
wrote to his samurai believer, Toki Jonin, in 1255, only
two years after establishing Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as the
basis of his teaching.
The first sentence of this writing reads, “If you
wish to free yourself from the sufferings of birth and
death you have endured since time without beginning and
to attain without fail unsurpassed enlightenment in this
lifetime, you must perceive the mystic truth that is originally
inherent in all living beings. This truth is Myoho-renge-kyo.
(The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p. 3). It is significant
that the Daishonin first of all draws our attention to
the splendor of our inner realm. This fact shows that
Nichiren Buddhism is a life-philosophy that elucidates
the universality of the beauty of each individual life,
rather than dogmatism that focuses on the supremacy of
one particular individual.
Unlike the essential teaching of Nichiren Daishonin, the
primary orientation of the current Nichiren Shoshu teaching
is dominated by the emphasis on the high priest’s
sole possession of the “Living Essence of the Buddha,”
as indicated in the following statement: “The direct
inheritance of the essence of the Lotus Sutra, the personal
transmission of the Living Essence of the Buddha and the
Law to a sole heir, is the source of the perpetual true
master within the context of Buddhism” (Nichiren
Shoshu Monthly, November 2005).
While Nichiren Buddhism is a continuing development of
our inner enlightenment, Nichiren Shoshu stresses the
special life-condition of enlightenment that the school
claims the high priest alone possesses, simply because
he holds the position of high priest. We need to realize
that this claim by Nichiren Shoshu is diametrically opposed
to the Daishonin’s ultimate exhortation that every
individual is equally open to attaining Buddhahood by
tapping the mystic truth of their innate Buddhahood. It
has nothing to do with the “Living Essence”
of the high priest that exists outside of his or her life.
Nichiren Buddhism consistently explains that one has to
first perceive one’s inherent Buddha nature to free
oneself from the fundamental sufferings in life and death.
His Buddhism thus encourages us to practice for ourselves
and others. What matters in this context of Nichiren Buddhism
is not the worshipping of a title like high priest but
the strength of our faith and practice.
When we are ignorant of this truth, we are enveloped by
our fundamental darkness (Jpn. mumyo ). Nichiren Daishonin
writes, “This word ‘belief’ is a sharp
sword that cuts off fundamental darkness or ignorance.
Therefore with regard to belief, Words and Phrases says,
‘Belief means to be without doubt.’ It is
a sharp sword that cuts away doubt and perplexity”
(The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, p. 54).
It is not one’s title but one’s faith that
counts in Nichiren Buddhism. In this respect, Nichiren
Daishonin emphasizes the “heritage of faith”
in the Mystic Law within more than anything else (WND,
p. 218).
The teaching of absolute obedience to the high priest
is an act of blind faith, a faith in something outside
of our lives, which goes against the practice of Nichiren
Buddhism, and essentially results in disrespecting our
inherent Buddhahood.
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