日蓮
Nichiren was born on February 16, 1222, at Kominato in Awa Province, the son of a fisherman. He was given the name Zennichimaru, but in 1237 he was ordained under the religious name of Rencho, which he later changed to Nichiren (nichi, "sun", standing for the Light of Truth as well as for the Land of the Rising Sun, and ren, "lotus", for the Lotus Sutra).
From 1243 to 1253 Nichiren studied at the Tendai center on Mt. Hiei. He came to feel that the true teaching lay in Tendai doctrine, not, however, the degenerate one of his own times but that of Saicho, the founder of the sect. Tendai since Saicho, he felt, had degenerated, for it had been largely infiltrated by Esoteric practices. Thus Nichiren's aim was to unify and to purify Japanese Buddhism. In 1253 he left Mt. Hiei and returned to his former monastery at Kiyozumi. There he preached his new doctrine: hope for the present degenerate age lay in the Lotus Sutra.
Concerned about the state of the nation, Nichiren in 1260 presented to the regent a tract entitled Rissho ankoku ron (A Treatise on the Establishment of Righteousness and the Peace of the Country). This important work was conceived in the form of a dialogue between a householder (Nichiren, probably) and a visitor with whom he discusses the times.
He claims that his doctrine become a kind of state religion. The intolerance of his tone is striking. He especially censures Honen and his works.
Nichiren divided Buddhist history into three millennia since the death of the historical Shakyamuni, which, according to Chinese reckoning, took place in 947 B.C. Thus the world of the 13th century was in the third period, that of disintegration, or mappo (End of the Law). The Lotus Sutra tells how the bodhisattva of Superb Action (Vishishtacharita; Japanese, Jogyo) was to preach the doctrine after the Buddha's death. Nichiren considered himself to be the reincarnation of this bodhisattva, and his aim was to fulfill the prediction by specifically preaching the Lotus Sutra. The Sutra, he maintained, was concentrated in the invocation namu myo ho renge kyo (Hail to the Scripture of the Lotus of the Good Law). Sakyamuni, as the eternal, omnipresent mind, encompasses all. Every grain of dust can become Buddha, for it exists in the Buddha mind and shares its essence. In the Rissho ankoku ron Nichiren was uncompromising in his disdain of other sects, especially Jodo; but elsewhere Zen, Shingon, and Ritsu receive the same treatment. Kukai he called Japan's great liar (Nihon no dai mogo), and Zen a doctrine of demons and fiends.
The government was shocked at the Rissho ankoku ron, and a mob was incited by his enemies to attack his hermitage. Nichiren escaped, but on his return to Kamakura in 1261 he was banished to Izu Peninsula. For reasons unknown, the banishment was short, and he returned, unrepentant, to Kamakura.
In 1264 Nichiren returned to his native village, for his mother was seriously ill. Her unexpected recovery, he claimed, was due to the intervention of his prayers. Then, from 1264 to 1268, he traveled on missionary work throughout the eastern provinces, where he was successful in making many converts.
As he had predicted in the Rissho ankoku ron, Mongol envoys arrived in 1268 to demand tribute; and Nichiren called on the government to adopt his teachings as the national religion, claiming that this was the only way to save the country. For 3 years the government made no move; but in 1271 Nichiren was arrested, tried, and sentenced to banishment. But according to the custom at the time, the authorities had the right to execute if they so wished, and the death penalty was set for October 17, 1271.
There are a number of stories of how the execution was stayed while Nichiren was on the very execution ground, Nichiren himself claiming divine intervention. He was detained in Kamakura until December of that year and then sent to the isle of Sado, off Echigo, where he remained until 1274. There in 1272 he wrote his famous Kaimokusho (Eye-opener), in which he vehemently confirmed his intention of continuing his former activities. In it he set forth his three vows: he would be the pillar of Japan, the eyes of Japan, and the great vessel of Japan, by which he doubtless meant that he would be the receptacle that contained the Truth that was to save the country.
In 1274 he was released from Sado and returned to Kamakura, where he found a more conciliatory government despite his continued adamancy. He left Kamakura and with some disciples settled at Minobu near Mt. Fuji. He built temples there and at Ikegami which are still the chief sites of the sect. He died at Ikegami reciting stanzas from the Lotus Sutra. He was accorded the posthumous title of Rissho Daishi.
Nichiren’s religion has had a lasting appeal the Japanese, many of whom have seen themselves as special and belonging to a nation that somehow has a mission in the world. No religion has done as much as Nichiren Buddhism to identify Buddhism with the national life. Also, no other sect of Buddhism has been so characterized by an apocalyptic mysticism as that of Nichiren.
Nichiren Buddhists believe in ten fundamental principles for the makeup of human health. These are:
1. Hell - a condition that occurs when someone feels in despair or hopeless.
2. Hunger - when someone wants something constant, for example, to be like someone else instead of taking his own life.
3. The animal - is governed by instinct and can lead someone to take advantage of the most vulnerable. For example, a leading power hungry can abuse their position and treat his / her, personal slave.
4. Anger - includes the traits of selfishness, competitiveness, and arrogance.
5. Tranquility - is a calm state of life.
6. Ecstasy - is the pleasure felt when their desires are fulfilled.
7. Absorption is a condition based on the knowledge and wisdom.
8. Learning - appear when someone searches for new skills.
9. Bodhisattva - "disciple of the Buddha" and the media is a condition where people have a strong interest in the other, which ultimately helps them overcome challenges.
10. Buddhahood - is the latest state to be in because it includes compassion, wisdom, and humanity.
Quotations:
"That which you give to another will become your own sustenance; if you light a lamp for another, your own way will be lit."
"Winter always turns into Spring. Never, from ancient times on, has anyone heard or seen of winter turning back to autumn."
"One should become the master of one's mind rather than let one's mind master him."
