This is last of a series of daily articles concerning Kishio Satomi’s book, “Japanese Civilization; Its Significance and Realization; Nichirenism and the Japanese National Principles,” which details the foundations of Chigaku Tanaka’s interpretation of Nichiren Buddhism and Japan’s role in the early 20th century.
Kishio Satomi’s Nichirenism departs from traditional Nichiren doctrine in its focus on the Holy Altar and how that Kaidan would bring about an ideal world. For Satomi, this was something Nichiren had left till the end.
[By the time Nichiren’s exile on Sado ended, he] had done everything which he ought to do, and he had also proclaimed everything which he had to announce. He fought a severe and a long fight throughout his life for righteousness’ sake, and now one thing remained, namely to prepare for the future. The signification of the Sacred Title was revealed in the days of Kamakura, and the Supreme Being, too, was established during his exile in Sado. And then, one point among the Three Secret Laws still remained unrevealed. …
Now, the time was at hand for a new movement, so Nichiren firmly made up his mind to retire to some tranquil place in order to undertake the education of his followers and disciples, and also for the sake of something important.
Nichirenism and the Japanese National Principles, p173
In Satomi’s telling, it was Mt. Fuji that attracted Nichiren to Minobu.
Nichirenism and the Japanese National Principles, p175More than half of his extant works were written in Minobu days. Moreover, he started technical lectures for students in order to educate his followers. But the most important signification consists in his long-cherished desire for preparation of the establishment of the Holy Altar at a certain future. He, indeed, thought of Mt. Fuji as the ideal place for the establishment of the Holy Altar of the Honmon Centric Hokekyo. Therefore, he selected this recess of Minobu, which is close to Fuji, in order to view it and encourage his great ideal. Therefore, he once climbed Fuji and buried rolls of Hokekyo in order to reveal its symbolical signification. The reasons and signification of his retirement to Minobu were unresearched during seven hundred years. According to Tanaka’s opinion these were his objects, and this is now the acknowledged view since Tanaka’s theory appeared. There actually exist at the present day the remains of the concrete preparation for the establishment of the Holy Altar in the outskirts of Mt. Fuji.
According to Satomi, all of this ultimately would create the foundation upon which an ideal world would be established.
Nichirenism and the Japanese National Principles, p114-116Nichirenism … taught us the most sincere vow for dear life in order to render life significant and truly happy, and now the modern Nichirenism teaches us how to realize such an ideal in the world.
Thus a Nichirenian’s idealism is not a mere spiritualism, but a concrete motion with material forces, it is possible therefore for direct action to follow in an emergency.
Imaginative gods, fanciful views of reality, superstitions, and egoistic faith are, all of them, denied in Nichirenism. These Three Great Secret Laws [the Gohonzon , the Kaidan and the Odaimoku] are the key to the future civilization. Recent civilization has brought about the freedom of the masses and equality by depriving the nobility of their freedom. Although people may call their own action righteousness, it is, indeed, merely freedom and equality of the commons just as it was arbitrariness in the case of the nobility. In Nichiren’s thought such one-sided righteousness is denied absolutely.
Nichiren expected to establish his ideal country, heaven on earth, by the incessant efforts of all his followers in the future. But the world will fall into evil ways, nay into folly with its struggles; for instance, capitalism against labor, socialism against aristocratism, individualism against nationalism, diabolism against humanism, etc., while religion or ethics is constantly somniloquising. Finally, the world might fall into extreme confusion just like modern Russia. Should it happen thus, all human beings and all countries would awaken and heed Nichiren’s warning, so thought Nichiren. He speaks the following words:
“At a future time, a war more stupendous than any before will be waged, when it comes all beings under the light of the Sun and Moon will pray for mercy to all manner of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas out of fear of the ruin of their countries or lives : If in spite of that they do not receive divine favor, then, for the first time, innumerable priests and all the great kings will believe the hated priestling (i.e. Nichiren himself), and all people will call upon the Sacred Title, making the sincerest vows and joining hands, just as when the Buddha performed the Ten Mysterious Powers (miracles) in Chapter XXI of the Hokekyo, and all existence without exception in the ten directions, shouted ‘Adoration to the Buddha Shakyamuni, Adoration to the Buddha Shakyamuni and Adoration to the Perfect Truth of the Hokekyo, Adoration to the Perfect Truth of the Hokekyo ‘ towards this world loudly in the same breath ” (Works, p. 111; and see Tanaka : “Nichiren’s Doctrine”).
Nichiren’s religion was founded with such a future aim and was not well understood at that time nor even at the present day. But the time is drawing nigh when this religion will be accepted. The Great War, in a sense, may be an omen that Nichiren mentioned when he said the greatest war on record. To the problem between the country and religion, or that of ethics and religion, the Key of possible solution is given here, I think.
And yet an even greater war that featured weapons more dreadful than any before destroyed Japan and we still do not see “all people [calling] upon the Sacred Title, making the sincerest vows and joining hands.”