This is another in 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.
While Kishio Satomi’s Nichirenism places an outsized emphasis on the establishment of the Holy Altar, one of the Three Great Secret Dharmas, his discussion of the Daimoku is well within the bounds of modern mainstream Nichiren teaching.
Nichirenism and the Japanese National Principles, p67The title of the Hokekyo is “Myōhōrengekyō.” But we must mention here that this title is neither a mere title of the Book nor a nominal expression. This, indeed, implies all the value of the Scripture and represents the truth of the Lotus. If the Sacred Title is taken as a mere nominal title it is simply book-worship when people utter “Namu-Myōhōrengekyō,” “Adoration to Myōhōrengekyō.” We cannot attain the true meaning without comprehending the title, for the Sacred Title is the essence of the Hokekyo. The Hokekyo is, indeed, an interpretation of the Sacred Title. That is why Nichiren refers to this point so often in his writings. He says:
“The so-called Namu-Myōhōrengekyō is not only the essence of the entire Buddhist Scriptures, but is the heart, the substance and the ultimatum of the Hokekyo” (Works, p. 726 ; see ibid., p. 727).
While Satomi emphasizes that “religion is intended to redeem living beings and their environment,” faith, not works, is the focus of Nichirenism.
Nichirenism and the Japanese National Principles, p68[Nichiren] rejected the usual methods of thinking, meditation, reading, researching until people realize the essential quality of religion. According to him, the essence of religion does not consist in such rational practice, but is implied in faith. The Sacred Title is, indeed, the very thing to which our faith must attain in order that we may reach the fulness of the truth. It is, of course, the title, but the title is the key to the contents. Therefore he says:
“The name (or appellation or title) is intrinsically justified in calling the thing, and the latter feels it is entitled in its turn to respond. This is the signification of the Sacred Title ” (Works, p. 229).
In Satomi’s Nichirenism, the Daimoku is the principle of our lives.
The Sacred Title is therefore the principle of our lives or essence of our nature, and further this Sacred Title is the name of life which is analyzed into ten worlds, and synthetized into One Buddha Centric Existence under the principle of the Mutual Participation. He writes in this respect as follows:
“… Therefore, if one can perceive that it is not a mere title of the Book, but our substance, because Buddha named our substance and nature as ‘Myōhōrengekyō,’ then our own selves are equivalent to the Hokekyo: and we know that we are the Buddhas whose Three aspects of character are united into One; because Buddha manifested our true substance in the Hokekyo ” (Works, pp. 659—60 ; see ibid., pp., 228, 341—2).
Nichiren thus taught the intuition for the real self by the law of the Sacred Title. As the result of it, he advocated “Namu-Myohorengekyo,” that is adoration or devotion to the Perfect Truth of the Scripture.
Nichirenism and the Japanese National Principles, p69-70
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