Published by Soka Spirit Editor
Posted on May 02, 2011
The Heritage of the Law
What is the “heritage of the Law”? In other words, what is the original spirit or heritage that must not be lost in the transmission of the teachings? Is it merely the knowledge that the Law is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo? Is it something that can be passed on in writing or inscribed on the Gohonzon?
In his writing “The Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life,” Nichiren states, “the ultimate Law of life and death as transmitted from the Buddha to all living beings is Myoho-renge-kyo” (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 216). He explains that people receive the heritage through faith in the Law, “Be resolved to summon forth the great power of faith… Never seek any other way to inherit the ultimate Law of life and death” (WND-1, 218).
To the contrary, the Nichiren Shoshu priesthood teaches that the heritage of the Law is transferred to a single person—that is, only through the office of the high priest—and in a particular Gohonzon, the Dai-Gohonzon. They state: “The place where the Heritage of the Law is entrusted to a single person exists in the noble entity that is inseparable with the Dai-Gohonzon” (October 2008 Nichiren Shoshu Monthly, p. 17). And: “Even the object of devotion of the essential teaching produces no benefit without faith in the high priest (chief administrator) who alone inherits the heritage of the Law” (“Refuting Yumo Matsuoka’s [former priest] Slanderous ‘Refutation of Faith in the Absolute Authority of High Priest,’” Nichiren Shoshu Administrative Office, September 2005, p. 18).
The heritage of our country is documented in the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees rights including freedom of speech, religion and assembly, and in the Declaration of Independence, which states: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The original documents that contain these principles still exist as treasures of the nation.
But we don’t mistake the heritage of American principles for the paper documents upon which they are written or for the office of the president of the United States. It is the application of these principles that is the heritage of our country. The original documents in the hands of a tyrant would never constitute the heritage and spirit of America.
The idea that the heritage of the Law is restricted to a single person and a particular Gohonzon is a construct created by the priesthood to bolster their assumption of authority. There is no trace, no proof and no foundation in any document or oral teaching left by Nichiren to verify the transmission of the heritage of the Law through the exclusive lineage of the successive high priests.
Among all documents and writings left by Nikko, there is absolutely no term or mention of the transmission of the heritage of the Law through the exclusive lineage of the successive high priests.
Among the various documents, which are known to belong to ninth High Priest Nichiu, there is not a single mention of the transmission of the heritage of the Law to a single person. In fact, Nichiu reiterates the Daishonin’s point: “Faith, the heritage of the Law and the pure flow of the entity of the Law are identical. Unwavering faith indicates the unbroken lineage and thus the correctly transmitted heritage of the Law and the uninterrupted pure flow of the entity of the Law” (The Essential Writings of the Fuji School, vol. I, p. 64).
From Nichiren Daishonin up to ninth High Priest Nichiu, there are no concepts such as “the transmission of the heritage of the Law through the exclusive lineage of the successive high priests” or “transmission to a sole individual” or “having faith in and obeying the high priest.
Nichiren’s view on the heritage is stated as “Nichiren has been trying to awaken all the people of Japan to faith in the Lotus Sutra so that they too can share the heritage and attain Buddhahood” (WND-1, 217). Therefore, the concept of a “sole transmission” goes against Nichiren Daishonin’s view on the heritage of the Law.
The heritage of the Law is found in faith infused with “the same mind as Nichiren” (WND-1, 385) to propagate the Law as Bodhisattvas of the Earth. Otherwise, as he states: “Even embracing the Lotus Sutra [Gohonzon] would be useless without the heritage of faith” (WND-1, 218).
—Dave Baldschun
SGI-USA Soka Spirit Committee