Dave Baldschun One of the misconceptions put forth by the Nichiren Shoshu Temple (NST) priesthood about the Soka Gakkai is the wartime stance of the first and second presidents, Tsunesaburo Makiguchi and Josei Toda. It is well known that they were arrested during World War II, but the reasons for their incarceration given by the priesthood have been twisted to suit their purpose in discrediting the founders of the…
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…
In 1632, Nissei (1600-1683) became the seventeenth high priest of Taiseki-ji, where he enjoyed rare privileges in the shogun’s court through the patronage of Kyodai-in (1592-1666). Kyodai-in wielded influence as the widow of Hachisuka Yoshishige, an influential governor of Awa province on Shikoku Island. The high priest left Taiseki-ji abruptly, in fact, following an argument with the powerful patron. Taiseki-ji was without a high priest for three years from…
The history of the Fuji School, founded by Nikko Shonin (1246-1333), began when he departed from Kuon-ji temple at Mount Minobu in 1289. Because of his deep understanding of the Daishonin’s teachings and his courageous action to propagate it despite numerous persecutions, Nikko Shonin inherited the Daishonin’s spiritual legacy. In fact, the Daishonin had entrusted Nikko Shonin with “the Law that Nichiren propagated throughout his lifetime” and referred to…
There is a lot of talk about evil, enemies and devils–why? Dave Baldschun SGI-USA Vice Study Department Leader I’ve noticed that in Nichiren Buddhism there is a lot of talk about evil, enemies and devils. We are told that in propagating the correct teaching of Buddhism: “The three powerful enemies will arise without fail” (“On Practicing the Buddha’s Teachings,” The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p. 394); “This world is…
Censoring the Gosho and Changing the Silent Prayers to Support Militarists. On December 25, 1926, Japan’s Emperor Taisho died. A new emperor, Showa—known to the world outside Japan by his given name, Hirohito—took the throne, and the era was renamed Showa. During the early years of Hirohito’s reign, Japan grew increasingly nationalistic, with the military gaining a growing influence in politics. As the nation ran headlong toward war, the…
During the time of Nicchin, the 12th high priest (1469- 1527) : The origin of 5 prayer format. “The five-prayer format of gongyo became formalized during the term of Nicchin, who served as high priest from 1482-1527” (Toryu gyoji sho ni manabu, p. 244). In his work On Reciting the Sutra at Each Temple, Nicchin indicates that morning and evening gongyo were conducted while making the rounds among various…
Daishonin never prescribed a specific format or number of repetitions. While the chanting of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and the recitation of the “Expedient Means” and “Life Span” chapters of the Lotus Sutra constitute an unchanging facet of Buddhist practice, the forms these practices have taken over time—including such details as the number of times the sutra is recited in the morning and evening, and the accompanying silent prayers that go with…
Nissei –17th High Priest, Nichiren Shoshu. This is the first in a series of articles on former high priests of Nichiren Shoshu and how they contributed, or hindered, the spread of Nichiren’s Buddhism. Nissei is known for two major doctrinal errors. One was the establishment of a statue of Shakyamuni as an object of devotion, and the other was mandating the recitation of all twenty-eight chapters of the Lotus…
Taiseki-ji was plagued by fierce factional struggles for the seat of high priest. During the first half of the twentieth century, Taiseki-ji was plagued by fierce factional struggles for the seat of high priest. To resolve disputes over who should succeed to the post, elections were held. But fraudulence and corruption interfered with elections for high priest, eventually prompting government intervention, both by the police and the Ministry…