NICHIREN SHOSHU 日蓮正宗
MYOSHOJI TEMPLE 妙正寺
The first Nichiren Shoshu Temple in Canada
About
Nichiren Shoshu
Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism
Extracted from Nichiren Shoshu Official Website
Nichiren Shoshu is the Orthodox School of true Buddhism founded by Nichiren Daishonin over 750 years ago.
Buddhism was established nearly 3,000 years ago by Shakyamuni Buddha in India. For 50 years, he taught the Law in various ways according to the capacity of his listeners in order to relieve the people of their sufferings.
During the final eight years of his life, Shakyamuni Buddha revealed the Lotus Sutra as the true purpose of his advent.
In the Lotus Sutra, he predicted the advent of the True Buddha who would reveal the teaching whereby all the people in the world could purify their lives and attain the highest life condition, enlightenment or Buddhahood in an age called Latter Day of Law when the power and benefit of Shakyamuni’s teachings were lost.
On February 16, 1222, Nichiren Daishonin, the True Buddha of this time period which we call the Latter Day of the Law, made His advent in Japan. The Lotus Sutra states when the Latter Day of the Law arrives, the people's desires, hearts, views, and life, as well as the age itself, will become impure. As a result, conflicts will increase, and various calamities and disasters will occur. In order to resolve these misfortunes, Nichiren Daishonin, at the age of 12, decided to pursue learning in order to become "the wisest man."
He entered the Buddhist priesthood. After completion of the entire study of Buddhism, on March 28, 1253, at the age of 32, Nichiren Daishonin, walked up to the Kasagamori Forest, at the top of Mount Seicho, facing the rising sun and chanted
Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo toward the entire universe. Daishonin revealed the Daimoku of His inner realization, the enlightenment of
Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, the Supreme Law and Wisdom of the True [Original] Buddha of remotest past. Based on this realization, he declared the establishment of Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism on April 28, 1253.
Following his declaration, despite encountering and enduring countless persecutions, Daishonin propagated
Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, the essence of the Lotus Sutra. On October 12, 1279, he inscribed the Dai-Gohonzon of the High Sanctuary of the Essential Teaching, the fundamental object of worship for faith and practice. After that, in 1282, he selected Nikko Shonin as the Second High Priest and transmitted the entirety of the Law to him. On October 13 of the same year, he passed away at the age of 61.
After his demise, Hakiri Sanenaga, the feudal lord of Minobu, continuously performed slanderous acts against true Buddhism. In the spring of 1289, Nikko Shonin, accompanied by his disciples, left Mt. Minobu with all the sacred treasures, including the
Dai-Gohonzon of the High Sanctuary of the Essential Teaching. In October of 1290, Nikko Shonin established Taisekiji Temple at Fuji Ueno with the aid and contributions of Lord Nanjō Tokimitsu.
Since then, for more than 700 years, Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism has been correctly transmitted at Nichiren Shoshu Head Temple Taisekiji, in the form of the Heritage of the Entity of the Law, entrusted to one and only one legitimate successor, from one High Priest to the next.
In turn each of the successive High Priests has carried out the transmission of the Law in the exact same manner as one drop of water in a vessel transferred to another vessel, and has continued to burn brightly the "torch of the Law," unbroken and uninterrupted to this day, which has been inherited by the 68th High Priest Nichinyo Shonin.
The Practice of Faith in Nichiren Shoshu
On October 12, 1279, Nichiren Daishonin inscribed the fundamental Object of Worship, called the Dai-Gohonzon. The object of worship is a transcription of the Dai-Gohonzon, transcribed by the High Priest of Nichiren Shoshu.
The Gohonzon is the entity and manifestation of the enlightened life of the True Buddha. Our goal is to fuse with this Gohonzon when we do our daily prayers and recitations so that our own Buddha nature will come forth from the depths of our lives. All of us, the members of Nichiren Shoshu, have a smaller Gohonzon enshrined in an altar in our own homes so we can do our daily practice to it.
There are three essential points in the practice of Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism: Faith, practice, and study.
1. Faith signifies absolute faith in the Gohonzon.
2. Practice is the actual practice to uphold one’s faith. It refers to doing morning and evening Gongyo (recitation of Lotus Sutra) everyday to the Gohonzon sincerely and chanting Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo in order to purify one's life.
3. Study means to correctly study the teachings of Nichiren Daishonin correctly based on the heritage of the Law by the successive High Priests.
Through carrying out the actual practice, based on faith, practice, and study with the true Gohonzon, not only will the personal happiness of the believer be manifested, but also the purification of the society can be achieved.
Since Buddhism is based on actual proof, we encourage you to start chanting and see for yourself the benefit you can experience in your life.