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What do you think of Nichiren Buddhism? Why does it work?
Any of you ever heard of Nichiren Buddhism? It is based on the teachings of a 13th century monk in Japan.
The thing is, the teachings are nothing like the original teachings by Siddhartha, so I don't know why they even bother to call it Buddhism. It should be called "The Nichiren Way" or something.
They chant this lotus sutra that goes like this "Nam Myo Ho Renge Kyo" and supposedly it removes their bad karm and fulfills their desires.
Lots of honest people swear that it works and has resulted in changes in their lives.
My question is, if this is a false version of Buddhism, then how come it works? What is the mechanism behind it?
And what is the basis of believing that Nichiren discovered something 1700 years after Buddha about Buddhism that Buddha himself never taught, which contradicts the Four Noble Truths and his original teachings? It makes no sense.
The thing is, the teachings are nothing like the original teachings by Siddhartha, so I don't know why they even bother to call it Buddhism. It should be called "The Nichiren Way" or something.
They chant this lotus sutra that goes like this "Nam Myo Ho Renge Kyo" and supposedly it removes their bad karm and fulfills their desires.
Lots of honest people swear that it works and has resulted in changes in their lives.
My question is, if this is a false version of Buddhism, then how come it works? What is the mechanism behind it?
And what is the basis of believing that Nichiren discovered something 1700 years after Buddha about Buddhism that Buddha himself never taught, which contradicts the Four Noble Truths and his original teachings? It makes no sense.
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Comments
hey:)
I have been chanting the diamoko for about two years, I really like it:) I went to a talk by a SGI Buddhist and thats where i picked it up:)
I know what it means but to me its real value is in the words them selves. i dont believe they have any mystical power but i would attest to their specialness (I have tried other "mantras" but the diamoku has a sweet spot that fits me:)
>>Lots of honest people swear that it works and has resulted in changes in their lives.
I would say, as a gift, it has changed mine:) though not as much as "core Dharma":)
mat
The things that they practice to attain enlightment are the Middle way and the Eightfold Path.
The way its so different is besides the chanting, theres no enlightment practices like meditation or yoga.
And theres a big field of nichiren buddhism called nipponzan myohoji which are kind of like activists who protest the producing of nuclear weapons and go on peace walks.
The nipponzan myohoji was started after the bombings of hiroshima and nagasaki.
oh and by the way there is some false info in your post, your saying that it dosn't practice normal buddhism when the eightfold path and the middle way are are the main practices the Gotama "buddha" made because meditation and yoga were already being practiced before he was even born, along with some very unusual and harmful practices that arn't around anymore. So yes, it is the practice of buddhism
And ifyou go to a temple you will see that almost every firld of buddhism chants a sutra...i also go to a zen temple so i can practice meditation and they chant the heart sutra
What factual errors? I've gone to both sects of Nichiren and attended their meetings and received their books, etc. I'm no fool. I've studied religion my whole life. Next time point out specifics or your post has no substance.
My experience with Nichiren is limited, but what you have quoted (Nam Myo Ho Renge Kyo) can loosly be translated as "I take refuge in the Lotus Sutra".
The Lotus Sutra is believed to have been compiled in Kashmir in the first century BCE, though I'm not sure how acurate this is. Our earliest copy of it is actually a chinese version. The Lotus Sutra was venerated in China for a long time and the Tien Tai school of Chinese Buddhism hailed it as the ultimate sutra. From there it travelled to Japan where Saicho founded the Tendai school.
Nichiren, I believe, was a Tendai monk, but left and studied with other schools. Soon he founded his own school based on the Lotus Sutra. He believe that devotion to the sutra would gain one enlightenment.
There have been a few off-shoots from Nichiren Buddhism and SGI is one of the most popular. I believe, that SGI buddhists think that chanting "Nam Myo Ho Renge Kyo" will gain them what they desire (job, house, car etc), though I might be wrong.
Placebo perhaps?
I'm not sure what you mean here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_Sutra
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nichiren
http://www.sgi-usa.org/buddhism/
The sage monk Nichiren was a founder of East Asia Mahayana Buddhist school, and recognised patriarch and master within the Lotus Tradition ( Tientai in China , Tendai in Japan)
The emperior of Japan also honoured Nichiren with the title of Great Teacher Risho ( one who estalish the true Dharma ) , equal in rank with Great teacher Kobo and Great Teacher Dengyo in Japanese Buddhism.
" They chant this lotus sutra that goes like this "Nam Myo Ho Renge Kyo" ? "
The daimoku or title of the practice in Nichiren schools can be understands as " I devote myself to Buddha's teaching of Wonderful Dharma , the mestifestation of the infinite matrix causes and effects is just like manifesticent blossom of the pure white lotus flower "
As in the Mahayana Buddhist teaching hold that the highest teaching of the Buddha is in the Lotus Sutra, where the Buddha revealed his ulitmate truth on his cause of enlightenment, his true purpose and vow that he advent to our earth . As such the teaching in Lotus Sutra represent the Buddha's mind in Lotus Tradition
" supposedly it removes their bad karm and fulfills their desires ? "
The Great Teacher Tientai explains using the words of Indian Bodhisattva monk Nagarjuna in his Treatise of the Middle Way ( Chu ron, Madhyamika shastra ), there are four way to preach the Dharam, at the begining is to teach according to the mind and desire of the people , and slowly lead them in and open and show them where is their Buddha mind , and teach them to cultvate their own Buddha nature -- this is wonderfully dharma gate that Nichiren had explounded with the practice of Lotus title (mantra ) and Lotus Mandala ( Gohonzon ) , that's explains well why people see that the Buddhis practice works and able to spread across the world so rapidly
Both? Do you mean Nichiren Shoshu and Soka Gakkai? There are actually something like 40 schools. The largest is Nichiren Shu; which encompasses many branches.
Nichiren Shoshu, whose basic teachings Soka Gakkai follows, is a bit of an aberration within Nichiren Buddhism. They venerate Nichiren as the True Buddha whose teachings eclipse those of Shakyamuni Buddha {Gotama}. Nearly all of the other Nichiren schools venerate Shakyamuni as the Buddha. In fact, they all generally frown upon the veneration of mythical Buddhas like Mahavairochana, Amida, or the Medicine Buddha.
This is oversimplified; but the 8-fold path can be reduced to three: Ethics, Meditative Cultivation, and Wisdom. In Esoteric Buddhis, these become the three mysteries of Body (Mudra), Speech (Mantra}, and Mind (Mandala). In Nichiren Buddhism, they became the Three Dharmas of The Ordination Platform or Buddhist Shrine / Altar, the Daimoku {Namu Myoho Renge Kyo}, and the Object of Contemplation.
For the average lay person, the practice of cultivation is mostly prayer and devotional chanting. BTW, this is actually true for lay believers in most schools of Buddhism. However some Nichiren Buddhists do practice 止観 {Zhi Guan / shikan} meditation; which is a translation of samatha-vipashyana. The East Asian version of samatha-vipassana is laid out in 4 or so meditation manuals composed by 智顗 {Zhiyi}, the Chinese founder of Tiantai Buddhism. These meditation manuals are sort of loosely similar to the Vimuttimagga and Visuddhimagga of Theravada. Thomas Cleary's fairly well known "Stopping and Seeing: A Comprehensive Course in Buddhist Meditation" is based on the Tiantai 'Zhiguan' or 'Shikan' Manuals.
Nichiren's advanced teaching is called 観心 {kanjin}. The two words are translations of vipassana and citta. In English; "Spiritual Introspection" or "Observing the Mind." The primary method is Mantra Chanting and Mandala Contemplation. The Mantra is 南無妙法蓮華経 {na mu myo ho ren ge kyo}. Nichiren designed a special calligraphy mandala based on symbolic imagery from the Lotus Sutra.
Starting with your claim to have gone to "both" sects of Nichiren; as someone else has already pointed out, there are a number of different sects. You haven't given us any clue as to which two sects you've attended.
Nichiren Shu is the largest Nichiren group. SGI is the largest in the US, where I live. I had a look at websites associated with each. The doctrine described on the websites is fairly standard Mahayana Buddhism. The practice of chanting "Hail to the Lotus Sutra" (rough translation) is unique, but every Buddhist school has some unique aspect, or it wouldn't be a separate school.
I know that at one time the members of at least one group chanted for things they wanted. The members of that group in the US now actively discourage that, but I don't know everything about all Nichiren groups and it's possible that this practice is continuing somewhere in the world. It's not characteristic of Nichiren Buddhism as a whole.
The Lotus Sutra is one of the oldest Mahayana sutras, and one of the most influential in South East Asia. The chanting is supposed to create the sort of internal transformations that meditation is used to create in other schools.
Lots of honest people swear that meditation works and has resulted in changes in their lives.
In what way does Nichiren's teachings contradict the four truths or the Buddha's other teachings?
Not ready , they are all included in the teaching of Lotus Sutra :
The Lotus Sutra( Translated by Burton Watson)
Chapter Twenty: Bodhisattva Never Disparaging
" At that time the Buddha said to the bodhisattva and mahasattva Gainer of Great Authority: 'You should understand this. When monks, nuns, laymen or laywomen uphold the Lotus Sutra, if anyone should speak ill of them, curse or slander them, he will suffer severe recompense for his crime, as I have explained earlier. And I have also explained earlier the benefits gained by those who uphold the sutra, namely, purification of their eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind.
"Gainer of Great Authority, long ago, an immeasurable, boundless, inconceivable number of asamkhya kalpas in the past, there was a Buddha named Awesome Sound King Thus Come One, worthy of offerings, of right and universal knowledge, perfect clarity and conduct, well gone, understanding the world, unexcelled trainer of people, teacher of heavenly and human beings, Buddha, World-Honored One. His kalpa was called Exempt from Decay and his land was called Great Achievement.
"This Buddha Awesome Sound King during the age when he lived preached the Law for heavenly and human beings and asuras. For those who were seeking to become voice-hearers he responded by preaching the Law of the four noble truths so that they could transcend birth, old age, sickness and death and eventually attain nirvana. For those seeking to become pratyekabuddhas he responded by preaching the Law of the twelve-linked chain of causation. For the bodhisattvas, as a means to lead them to anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, he responded by preaching the Law of the six paramitas so they could eventually gain the Buddha wisdom. ..
..
When Never Disparaging's life ended,
he encountered numerous Buddhas,
and because he preached this sutra
he gained measurable blessings.
Bit by bit he acquired benefits
and quickly completed the Buddha way.
Never Disparaging who lived at that time
was none other than myself.
...
In previous existences
I encouraged these persons
to listen to and accept this sutra,
the foremost in the Law,
unfolding it, teaching people,
and causing them to dwell in nirvana.
So in age after age they accepted and upheld
scriptures of this kind.
A million million ten thousand kalpas,
an inconceivable time will pass
before at least one can hear
this Lotus Sutra.
...
Therefore its practitioners
after the Buddha has entered extinction,
when they hear a sutra like this
should entertain no doubts or perplexities
but should with a single mind
preach this sutra far and wide,
age after age encountering Buddhas
and quickly completing the Buddha way."
The only "benefits" (in this age of the Law) are inconspicuous benifits (Myoyaku). Moreover the "benefits" are "Granted" (a dicey word) are the benefits of the Boddhisattsva, specifically prayers for the enlightenment of others. In one of Nichiren's letters to a follower he wrote "Suffer what there is to Suffer and enjoy what there is to enjoy and continue your journey of faith".
Secondly as you have read the Sutra of the Lotus of the Wonderful Law was compiled in writing some years after the death of Shakyamuni, but you also have to realize that ALL of the "Sutras" were compiled in writing after the fact, simply because at that time in India there was no codified script. You proved you were someone's actual disciple by memorizing his teachings and speaking them back to him verbatim.
Shakyamuni / Siddartha / Gautama .... pick a name ... started out with heavily philosophical piece to get the people's attention and then delved into 'maybe you should wash your food before you eat it, silly' ... to attempt to elevate the peoples condition to be able to receive a higher teaching. In some ways? It didn't work; the story I always heard about the guy who became the Zen Patriarch was that he was at one of these lectures, posed a question to Shakyamuni who either decided it didn't merit an answer or didn't hear the question and reached down in a pond, plucked a lotus flower held it up towards the guy and smiled. I gather he jumped up and did one of those "aha" things and ran away figuring he had the answer (a non-answer) and never consulted Siddhartha again.
Apparently in the last 8 years of his life he said O.K. folks here it is. Here's where I was trying to get you all to. The other teachings I gave you were provisional to lead you to this point, now you have to honestly discard these my provisional teachings (take off the training wheels) for they shall be as devils in your path to enlightenment, ... and learn this.
What he got was blank stares so he said O.K. hold onto my words; in X amount of time in an island country (to the northeast?) there will come a buddha with the ability to explain my words in a warm and merciful way that the people of that time? will "get it". Enter Rencho son of the lowest cast in Japan, a Fish dryer's family (not even a fisherman) and the only way his parentals could get him an education was to put him in a monastery school to learn to be a priest. His conclusions were what you are reading about him from these other folks.
The Nichiren as Buddha or Nichiren as leader of the Bodhisattvas question is a doctrinal one and my school reveres him as the Buddha and other Nichiren Sects do not. Peter Johnson at Tientai.net has more to say on the doctrine of the Lotus Sutra if you're interested.
http://www.tientai.net/lit/hksmsg/HKSMSG.htm
O.K. -snicker- that was probably more than 'two cents' worth but the other guys did such a great job that I thought I had to try to live up to what they'd done. I hope this helps. jccampb