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.

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In the Mandala Gohonzon the phrase Namu-Myōhō Renge Kyō appears in the center with Nichiren’s signature in line below. The four corners are guarded by the four heavenly kings. In the middle on the side between the corners are representations of Fudo Myo-o and Aizen Myo-o. In the center on either side of the Daimoku are five rows of names. In the top row, Many Treasures Tathagata appears immediately to the right of the Daimoku and Śākyamuni appears to the left. In the next row down, Mañjuśrī appears next to the Daimoku on the right and Universal Sage appears to the left. In the third row, Kishimojin appears on the right side of the Daimoku and the 10 Rākṣasas Daughters on the left. In the fourth row, Nagarjuna is on the right side of the Daimoku and Chan-jan on the left. On the final row, Amaterasu Omikami, the Sun Goddess, appears next to the Daimoku on the right and the god Hachiman appears on the left.  Many other names appear, but these are the names positioned closest to the Daimoku. The position of the Sun Goddess and Hachiman has particular import in Kishio Satomi’s Nichirenism.

Now, let us not neglect another important thought on the Supreme Being. Nichiren wrote down in the Center of the Supreme Being [the Mandala Gohonzon] as follows:

Adoration of the Perfect Mysterious Law Nichiren, with the Sun Goddess immediately to the right of this and Hachiman to the left.

This, no doubt, indicates a most important thought of Nichiren; it was suggested to him by the doctrine of the Ten Mysterious Laws of the Honmon in the Hokekyo. The so-called Three Radical Mysterious Laws among the ten are applied in the center of the Supreme Being.

The Three Radical Mysterious Laws are as under:

1. Mysterious Law of Original Effect.
2. Mysterious Law of Original Cause.
3. Mysterious Law of Original Land.

All of them, originally, were the doctrine concerning the Primeval Buddha. Let us interpret this as far as may be necessary. The Primeval Buddha who had attained Buddhahood from all eternity, in other words, the Buddha who revealed Himself as the eternal savior in Chapter 16 of the Hokekyo, reveals Himself in at least the three aspects. First of all, He reveals Himself as the Perfect Buddha who is the highest effect of cultivation. That is the Mysterious Law of Original Effect. It runs in the Hokekyo as under:

“Listen then, young men of good family. The force of a strong resolve which I assumed is such, young men of good family, that this world, including gods, men, and demons, acknowledges: Now has the Lord Shakyamuni, after going out from the home of the Shakas, arrived at supreme, perfect enlightenment, on the summit of the terrace of enlightenment at the town of Gaya. But, young men of good family, the truth is that many hundred thousand myriads of Koṭis of Æons ago I have arrived at supreme, perfect enlightenment. By way of example, young men of good family, let there be the atoms of earth of fifty hundred thousand myriads of Koṭis of worlds; let there exist some man who takes one of those atoms of dust and then goes in an eastern direction fifty hundred thousand myriads of Koṭis of worlds further on, there to deposit that atom of dust; let in this manner the man carry away from those worlds the whole mass of earth, and in the same manner, and by the same act as supposed, deposit all those atoms in an eastern direction. Now, would you think, young men of good family, that any one should be able to imagine, weigh, count, or determine (the number of) those worlds? I announce to you, young men of good family, I declare to you: however numerous be those worlds where that man deposits those atoms of dust and where he does not, there are not, young men of good family, in those hundred thousands of myriads of koṭis of worlds so many dust atoms as there are hundred thousands of myriads of koṭis of Æons since I have arrived at supreme, perfect enlightenment. From the moment, young men of good family, when I began preaching the law to creatures in this Sahā-world and in hundred thousands of myriads of Rotis of other worlds” (Kern, pp. 298—300 ; Yamakawa, pp. 455—8).

Secondly, even the Buddha cannot be Buddha without having any cause to be Buddha. Therefore He says:

“Once I had practiced the Bodhisattva-course and accomplished the life which is still everlasting, nay, it is multiplied by the above numbers” (i.e. 500,000 myriads of koṭis). (Yamakawa, p. 461 ; cp. Kern, P. 303).

The mysterious Law of Original Cause is shown as above. But if such things only are done in heaven, then they are nothing but matters-in-heaven. Buddha’s contention, however, is quite different from such an imaginary tale; he, obviously, mentioned such a practice on the earth. Consequently, the next problem is the one concerning the background wherein such mysterious things have been actually done. Buddha says:

“From the moment … when I began preaching the law to creatures in this Sahā-world.”

Or further:

“And when creatures behold this world and imagine that it is burning, even then my Buddhafield is teeming with gods and men. They dispose of manifold amusements, koṭis of pleasure gardens, palaces, and aerial cars; (this field) is embellished by hills of gems and by trees abounding with blossoms and fruits. And aloft gods are striking musical instruments and pouring a rain of Mandāras with which they are covering me and the disciples and other sages who are striving after enlightenment. So is my field here, everlastingly; but others fancy that it is burning; in their view this world is most terrific, wretched, replete with numbers of woes” (Kern, p. 308 ; Yamakawa, p. 471).

This is the Mysterious Law of Land.

If there be such individuals who practice the Buddha’s Way and there are Buddhas, then the country or the world which consists of the above beings must be the ideal world. The Sole Buddha, according to the Hokekyo, reveals Himself in these three aspects, but the three are one. Nichiren founded the system … from this point of view.

“Namu-Myōhōrengekyō,” “Adoration to the Perfect Truth of the Lotus,” means the first “Mysterious Law of Original Effect,” “Sungoddess and Hachiman” is the “Mysterious Law of the Original Land” and “Nichiren” means the Mysterious Law of Original Cause.”

Of course, Myōhōrengekyō is the content of the Buddha Shakyamuni’s personality, that is to say, it is another name of the Buddha. Therefore, it is quite natural to mention it as the Mysterious Law of Original Effect, namely He manifested the highest effect of attainment of our personality through sincere cultivation.

Nichiren is, of course, in this case, the prophesied person as the executor or performer of the Hokekyo in the age of the Latter Law. There is no doubt that he performed all his duties precisely according to the indication and prophecy of the Hokekyo: that is, he exemplified how to live in order to attain Buddhahood. But the Sungoddess is the Imperial ancestor of Japan, and the God of Hachiman is also a Japanese national God. Herein some people might imagine a narrow minded notion of nationality, whereas it is, in fact, the most important problem in Nichirenism as the universal religion.

Nichirenism and the Japanese National Principles, p90-94

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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.

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Having previously discussed the Kaidan and the Daimoku, it’s time to consider Kishio Satomi’s take on the third of the Three Great Secret Dharmas, the Gohonzon.

The Sacred Title was treated as the problem of a religious subject while the Supreme Being is going to be treated as a problem of a religious object. Every religion has its object for worship. In Nichirenism, with regard to this point, what kind of object is given?

First of all, we must know the meaning of the Supreme Being itself. Three meanings were ascribed to the Supreme Being in Nichirenism. Originally, the word Honzon was a compound noun which can be divided into Hon and Son (Zon is an euphonical change). Hon means Origin and Son means augustness or supremacy. The innate supreme substance is the first definition, the second is the radical adoration, and the third is the genuine or natural respect. All these are slightly different expressions of the Supreme Being and its aspects.

There are two kinds of Supreme Beings in general. The one has the abstract principle as its religious object, while the other has a concrete idea of personality or person itself as its object of worship. In this connection, Nichiren has both simultaneously. According to him, Buddha Shakyamuni is the only savior in this world, therefore we must have Him as our object of religious worship. The following quotation demonstrates it:

“Worship, in Japan and the world, the Buddha Shakyamuni, the revealer of the Honmon of the Hokekyo, as the Supreme Being ” (Works, p. 195).

On the other hand, he says:

“You shall have the Sacred Title of the Hokekyo as the Supreme Being ” (Works, p. 348).

Thus, he founded two kinds of the Supreme Being, the object of worship. In other words, these are the Buddha centric Supreme Being and the Law centric one.

Nichirenism and the Japanese National Principles, p77-78

For Satomi, the Mandala Gohonzon is the physical representation of the Supreme Being.

For all beings, gods and men, animals and plants, spirits and demons, he gave the right position in the Supreme Being, the Circle or the Mandala. All of them, without exception, are surrounding the Sacred Title of the center, in other words, all the beings from Buddha to Hell devoted themselves to the highest truth of the Sacred Title. The Sacred Title is nothing but the Buddha Shakyamuni’s true name, as well as it is our own inherent nature. Realization of true self through the Sacred Title according to the principle of the Mutual Participation is thus taught. Man or Buddha or God in the highest possible sense can be seen here with the true significance of life. …

Keeping this in view it will be easy to understand that Nichiren’s idea consisted in “Coincidencia oppositorum” and “Synthetic union.” According to him, all beings on the one side are a mass of lust, but nevertheless they are, on the other side, Buddha in nature or Buddha in substance. Therefore if they would self-awaken to their true value and strain every nerve to get near their intrinsic Buddhahood, significant lives would be established. For that reason he divided the Buddha into two kinds, viz. Buddha-in-Nature and Buddha-in-Realization. The former corresponds to normal man and the latter means Buddha himself. Besides, all beings from the Buddha to Hell or from man to all lower animate creatures are united in the highest principle, that is to say, Myohorengekyo. Thus, this Mandala is, indeed, the real form of the Real Suchness or the world or self or the class harmonization. [Nichiren], therefore, strongly advocated this Supreme Being in the absolute sense. He writes on the right side of the Supreme Being as under:

“This is the Great Mandala which has never before appeared in this world during these two thousand two hundred and twenty years since Buddha’s Decease.”

On the left side is written

“Having been condemned to die on the twelfth day of the ninth month, in the eighth year of Bunn-nei, but as I had, instead, been exiled later on to the distant Isle of Sado, on the eighth day of the seventh month, in the tenth year of the same, I, Nichiren, make this representation for the first time.”

Thus Nichiren made the Supreme Being in a perfectly graphical method, which is much more effective than the ordinary Buddha’s image or Buddha’s picture or an abstract heaven.

Nichirenism and the Japanese National Principles, p80-83

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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.

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In discussing the Daimoku, Kishio Satomi doesn’t stray from what would be considered standard Nichiren doctrine.

“Namu” …. means a vow of constant effort for the Attainment of Buddhahood. [Nichiren] says:

“Wise and ignorant, all people equally shall utter Namu-Myōhōrengekyō and abstain from any other vow of the kind ” (Works, p. 196).

And to this Nichiren particularly draws our attention, he says:

“There are two different significations of the Sacred Title between the ages of the Right and Copied Laws and the age of the Latter Law. In the age of the Right Law, Vasubandhu and Nāgārjuna, etc., adored the Sacred Title which they had limited within their own practices. In the age of the Copied Law, Nangaku (or Eshi), Tendai, etc., worshipped and uttered the Sacred Title, but they did it for the sake of their own practices, and did not propagate it widely to other people. Such attitudes are nothing but metaphysical methods. The Sacred Title which is uttered by me, Nichiren, in the Days of the Latter Law, is totally different from their attitudes in the previous ages. It is a ‘Namu-Myōhōrengekyō’ for the sake of our own practice and at the same time for the sake of the salvation of all beings” (Works, pp. 240—1).

According to him, the Sacred Title must be kept by every individual, and this individual must strive for the salvation of his environment. What he chiefly meant was the instruction of individuals by the Law of the Sacred Title.

Nichirenism and the Japanese National Principles, p71-72

On the issue of knowledge vs. faith:

[In this doctrine of the Sacred Title…] we see therein a possible solution of the problem of knowledge and faith. [Nichiren] held the value of faith in religion in high esteem, therefore he admonished the people to live in faith. So, he wrote to one of his disciples:

“The slight knowledge regarding Buddhism of some of my disciples proved their bane” (Works,
p. 729).

Further, he says:

“Our knowledge brings no profit whatever. If one has sufficient knowledge to distinguish between hot and cold, one should explore wisdom ” (Works, p. 1609).

However learned a man may be, his knowledge is apt to lead him astray unless he grasps the fundamental wisdom which is different from knowledge. We cannot rejoice in religious happiness without faith. Therefore he says:

“One may make oneself a learned man or scholar, but it is of no avail if one goes to hell” (Works,
p. 1358).

Thus, he recognized the superiority of faith, but he by no means depreciated knowledge. The essential nature of religion must be faith, but reason and the will, after conviction of faith, lead faith on to the right path. He says:

“Be diligent in practice and research, if these two became extinct, then Buddhist Law would have perished. So strive for them and cultivate other people. But in all circumstances, these are derived from faith and belief ” (Works, p. 502).

Nichirenism and the Japanese National Principles, p73-74

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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.

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I first learned of Kishio Satomi’s book on Nichirenism from Bruno Petzold’s book, Buddhist Prophet Nichiren–A Lotus In The Sun. Petzold, a Tendai monk, disparaged Daimoku chanting, especially the idea that it can somehow hypnotize the chanter.

[W]hile adherents of Hinayāna and ancient Mahāyāna Schools refute any association of hypnotism with their meditation, Nichiren scholars state openly that their meditation is impregnated with it.

Petzold, Buddhist Prophet Nichiren , p 36

Petzold based this comment in part on this portion of Satomi’s book:

[Chanting the Daimoku] is one of the important practices comprising about five reasons (Satomi, “Nichiren’s Religion and its Practices,” Japanese, pp. 131—3):

1. Self intuition or reflection.
2. Expression of ecstasy.
3. Stimulation of continuous impression.
4. Autohypnotism for inspiration.
5. Manifestation of one’s standard.

Uttering must probably be studied from the point of view of psychology of religion and philosophy of religion. Without doubt, it is static as far as the Sacred Title is concerned, with the mere idea or conception, but when it is uttered by the voice and is heard by the ear, then it will become a dynamic moment of religion. The Sacred Title is the promise between God and man. Buddha reveals all His things under the name of the Sacred Title, and beings can see Buddha in it; thus Nichiren thought. When our absolute devotion for the Sacred Title is completed, we can enter into Buddha’s wisdom, despite our ignorance. In other words, we can accept Buddha’s true wisdom by virtue of faith, that is the absolute dependence on Him. Nichiren explained this faith as the joyful loyal submission. He describes it in an ingenious allegory:

“Hearken! religious faith is simply just like the love of a wife for her husband or a husband’s devotion to his wife, or I should say a parent’s heart for his or her children or the yearning of a child after its mother” (Works, p. 736).

Thus, Nichiren understood the Sacred Title; therefore he says:

“Cause and effect of Buddha’s enlightenment are innate in the five words of Myōhōrengekyō. If we keep these five characters, Buddha transfers the fruits of that cause and effect to us in a natural way” (Works, p. 94).

In consequence thereof we must carefully note that the Sacred Title is a law which permits individuals to vow to exert themselves to attain Buddhahood. In other words, our allotted lives, at any rate, are imperfect lives, in which divine nature and hellish nature reside together. We must cultivate the divine nature throughout our lifetime.

Nichirenism and the Japanese National Principles, p70-71

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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.

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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.

The 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).

Nichirenism and the Japanese National Principles, p67

While Satomi emphasizes that “religion is intended to redeem living beings and their environment,” faith, not works, is the focus of Nichirenism.

[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).

Nichirenism and the Japanese National Principles, p68

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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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.

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From a position of hindsight, it is difficult to fathom how Kishio Satomi could trumpet a Japanese “ideal of the absolute peace throughout the past.” By the 1920s, at the time Satomi was writing this, Japan had annexed Korea and controlled Manchuria. Still, as the country moved toward the Second World War, Japan was seen as the righteous nation that Nichiren had sought to save. As Satomi explains:

According to the rules of the Three Principles Japan has kept this ideal of the absolute peace throughout the past. It is not for her own sake but for the sake of all nations. With such conclusive ideals Japan was established, and still exists for this purpose. It is very regrettable that most people of modern Japan have lost sight of their own National Principles. Therefore Nichiren denounced the degenerated Japan while he praised and worshipped the ideal Japan. But Japan has such ideals and principles in her own self, and it is true that Japan is the country of righteousness. But Japan must not boast of the past nor of the present, but of the creation of the future. The signification of the Japanese Throne has thus been realized, as was prophesied by the Ancestor. It was indeed originated in a most religious and moral faith: Let us cite Tanaka’s Writing about the idea of the Sovereign.

“The soul of the most augustful Divine Edict, the rights of sovereignty have their origin in God’s governance of men and men’s obedience to God. The sovereign rights are to realize an assimilation of God and Man. God is embodiment of Truth, and when man identifies himself with God he is as one with Truth. This absorption of God and man the ruler of the country strives to bring about. … Heaven, Earth and Man, the threefold category, acquire a universal sympathetic life of God’s will which is Honesty. The universal phenomena roll on in perfect regularity. The Ruler is careful that he proves himself worthy of the figure … , and the rights of sovereignty are the schedule of his conduct. He is the Saint of the National Principles.”

The term “God” in the above translation is explained by Tanaka as follows:

“Gods and men are not at all unrelated beings. In Christianity, the creator and the created explain the relation between God and man, while in Shintoism and Buddhism God holds different positions in relation to men. The gods as we speak about them here are gods of broader meaning, they being interrelated with representatives of the spiritual world, such as Bodhisattvas, saints, Tathagatas. They are none else but men who had been emancipated, had become enlighteners of their fellow-beings. Gods and men explained thus are essentially an absorption and kindreds. But their respective powers are different. When men work with higher aims their lives become lives of Gods ” (Tanaka, Japan, the Heaven on Earth, the fifth chapter. See Tanaka’s “The Study of the Japanese National Principles,” pp. 32-45).

Further, again, let us cite Tanaka’s lines:

“After many struggles he (the First Emperor Jimmu) pacified the middle island, and founded the throne in Kashiwabara, Province Yamato. In the famous proclamation which he uttered on this occasion, he made it clear that the founding of the Imperial throne was not his personal affair, but it was the realization of the Goddess’ truth of humanity, the actuality and harmony of God and Man. The rights of his ancestors were remembered with the words of Gathered Happiness and Achieved Glories, and were taught to be powers of the righteous. The Holiness (which grows of Gathered Happiness) and Valor (which brings about Achieved Glories) were qualities of Jimmu’s ancestors, deities whose lives and works the Emperor realized and identified. The Three Principles of Gathered Happiness and Achieved Glories and Cultivation of Righteousness originate in the ancient spirit of Japan. It is the greatest power, originating as it did in Jimmu’s Proclamation, which gave birth to the Empire of Japan. The Grand Goddess having favored her descendants with her achievements, and Jimmu having uttered the commencement of the propaganda of Truth, the works of the righteous have become consummation of Morality, Reason, Truth and Finality. Righteousness is soul of the National Principles. … The word ‘Righteousness’ is in itself power of truth, and factualizes the redemption of mankind. Happiness spreading above and below, the world reaching final glory, all were brothers of the same family in his mind.”

Thus the Japanese National Principles mean indeed the ideal of mankind, not only that Japan is the typical realization of such ideals. The reason of Nichiren’s worship of Japan consists in this respect in spite of his severe attack and criticism of degenerated Japan. Tanaka’s interpretation runs as follows:

“The essences of the National Principles (Kokutai) are Entity, Body and Soul. Entity here is to be understood to be appertaining more to Soul than to Body, and the Soul of the country is the same in origin with the fundamental Principles of the country. The Soul of Japan explains the reason for the creation of Japan, the reason of her being. The Heavenly Law ever symphonious and all consistent, has been favorable for her birth and existence and the development of the Higher Morality. This is the fundamental spirit of the National Principles, Japan’s Ancient Path. The exegetes have taught that ‘Entity is identical with system, and System is Law.’ The Principles of the Nation are Entity, and Entity is at once the soul and the character of the nation ” (Tanaka, Japan, the Heaven on Earth, the first chapter).

Nichirenism and the Japanese National Principles, pp199-202

Satomi brings this idea that Japan is the ideal country back to Nichiren and his teachings.

Moreover, … [Nichiren] sometimes boldly declared that even the Sun-Goddess is nothing more than a little deity. For Nichiren, therefore, there is nothing but the universal Kingdom of truth, heaven on earth. But, as I have mentioned already, the country must first of all be religionized in order to establish the universal Kingdom of Heaven. From this point of view Nichiren found the ideal country in the very country of Japan, which was established without any doubt on the Righteousness. In this sense Nichiren identified his religion, which is based on the Hokekyo, with Japan’s substance. People today seem to think Nichiren to have been simply the founder of a sect, but this is quite an error; because Nichiren declared that he claimed to be neither the founder of any sect nor the successor of any sect (Works, p. 534).

But, on the contrary, he exclaimed, I will be the Eyes of Japan, I will be the pillar of Japan, I will be the great Ship (redemption) of Japan”; Japan which was regarded as the land of righteousness. To him, in this sense, nothing was of real significance except the realm of Japan, because the world, the morality, the humanity, the Buddha, the God or the truth, all things of life and being would start anew from the Reality of Japan. Thus, Japan as Truth of the world, Japan as the Foundation of Human salvation and Japan as Finality of the world concerning her moral essence and aspects is Japan in her reality. In that connection Nichiren looked upon himself as the leader of the nation and the world; so he says:

“The future of Japan depends on Nichiren alone
… Nichiren is the Soul of Japan ” (Works, p. 402; Nichiren’s view on Japan can be seen in the following pages: Works, pp. 2, 68—79, 104, 117, 136, 139, 140, 175—6, 182, 209, 264, 279, 328, 332, 382, 383, 426, 428, 447, 509, 519, 522, 526, 545, 548, 562, 575—6, 593, 604, 615, 759, 789, 790, 905, 930, 976, 1043, 1070, 1110—12, 1328, 1331, 1383, 1453, etc. etc.).

Thus there is no “Only for Japan,” but “Japan for Mankind.” The Truth of Japan is the Truth of Humanity. The millennium of the world is to be the millennium of Japan. The substance of Japan’s primitive national foundations are powers of Achieved Glories and benevolences, of Gathered Happiness, that have grown into the power of righteousness, and the power of righteousness had become the foundation of the Empire and the soul of the nation. Thus the Holy work had begun with the Edict of the Sun-Goddess and the proclamation of the Great Jimmu, and the essential meanings of the National Principles are thus interpreted by Nichiren and Modern Nichirenism.

Nichirenism and the Japanese National Principles, p209-211

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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.

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The relationship between Nichiren’s teachings and Japan were refined by Chigaku Tanaka. That relationship sprang from the very founding of the island nation. As Kishio Satomi explains:

[W]hat are the Japanese National Principles which were recognized as the ideal of the world by Nichiren? Well, his problem has a most intimate relation with the theory of the Holy Altar. But the doctrine of the Holy Altar was not so clearly demonstrated until it was fully defined in modern times. As already mentioned, the theory of the Holy Altar was made clear by Tanaka, as also the problems of the Japanese National Principles were explained systematically by Tanaka for the first time at Nichiren’s suggestion.

There exist two of the oldest Japanese chronicles, the one is called “Ninon Shoki” or “Nihongi” and the other “Kojiki.” The former is superior to the latter for several reasons, and is translated into English by Aston, therefore I will explain the former.

Japan was established two thousand and six hundred years ago and has never since been broken nor reformed. However, there is something that ought to be noted by the nations concerning the history and the ideal of her establishment.

When the Sun-Goddess, the ancestor of the Imperial family and the nation, bestowed the land of Japan on her grandchild, she gave three kinds of treasures, viz. a mirror, a sword and a gem-bead. And she decided that the Three Treasures should be the signs of the Imperial Throne. Then what do these three symbolize?

The Mirror symbolizes Wisdom, the Sword Courage, the Gem-Bead Humanity. She meant these Three Treasures to interpret the Japanese Imperial Throne.

Nichirenism and the Japanese National Principles, p188-189

Historical accuracy or quibbling by academics were distractions according to Satomi:

There are many doubts concerning the former volumes of this chronicle [of old matters in Ancient times] from a historical point of view. Many scholars have discussed them. Nevertheless the statement of the chronicle must not be regarded as a mere mythological story. The statement of the Nihongi is indeed the faith of the nation and the principle of the State. Even supposing that it might have been written as a fiction, nothing could interrupt the ideal of the nation. We find its value in the fact that it had the strongest influence on the nation during three thousand years, nay even still at the present day, it is the principle of the nation. Even if it is not matter of fact, at least it is certain that the statement of the chronicle was the national spirit from the ancient ages. At any rate this national ideal during three thousand years was always the supreme reason of the state’s existence, no matter what the researches of historians may have been on this particular point.

Nichirenism and the Japanese National Principles, p197

Satomi finds three national principles guide Japan and are the measure of its greatness:

According to the statement of the Nihongi, which is the national spirit of both the Emperors and the subjects, there are three fundamental principles which are the reason of Japan’s existence. The Jimmu’s rescript, which was announced prior to his accession ceremony, and the Emperor’s proclamation, which was made on his leaving Kyūshu for the main land, will explain the Three Principles.

The Three Principles are, Gathered Happiness, Achieved Glories, and Cultivation of Righteousness. These three are called “Japan’s National Principles.” But the National Principles are not merely Japan’s principles but are indeed meant for the world’s benefit. So we must not take a narrow view of the term “the Japanese National Principles” (Nippon Kohutai implying: National teaching, fundamental character of the State, the ideal of the country, etc. But it is too difficult to translate formally into any foreign language). The propagation and realization of the Three Principles were believed to be the task of the Japanese nation, of the Emperors and subjects alike. Of course, the Emperors are the masters and the leaders, and the subjects are the assistants. Therefore the Imperial tasks of Japan are called “Heavenly Task” (Tengyo), the term which was used by the Emperor Jimmu. And the Three Principles are the highest rules of Japan, which the Emperors as well as the subjects must obey absolutely and implicitly. The ultimate aim of Japan’s Three Principles is absolute peace all over the world.

Nichirenism and the Japanese National Principles, p198

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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.

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Kishio Satomi’s Nichirenism relies heavily on the importance of the final 14 chapters of the Lotus Sutra, the Honmon, to the exclusion of all else.

The Great Master Dengyo, with reference to [the precept platform], adopted the Shakumon centric idealistic commandment, while he rejected the Hinayanistic ones and those of the general Mahayanism. Dengyo, however, held, with the Shakumon centric commandment, the former fourteen chapters of the Hokekyo; therefore, he could not go further with the Honmon. Consequently, he adopted the Tenfold Prohibitive Commandments of the Bonmokyo (Skt. Brahma Djāla Sūtra), holding at the same time with the Shakumon centric idealistic commandment.

Nichiren, on the contrary, adopted only the Honmon-centric one and strictly prohibited any other kinds; because he saw the reason from the fact and the proof of the Scriptures that there is no authority maintained concerning the formal commandment in the days of the Latter Law. It would be too ineffectual to stipulate that a man should be such and such only by formal rules in this world of five turbidities or impurities.

We must attach more essential significance to commandment by refraining from such external rules; in other words, it is much more important to give signification of life in the depths of people’s minds than to give the ordinal arrangement of actions and appearances. Of course, there is no doubt that these old-fashioned commandments were very effective at one time in early ages but are too formal and too powerless to adapt to the age of the Latter Law. The age and people must have more internal authority, namely the commandment must be such as to give fundamental rules in the internal personality, with the most simple and authoritative dignity. Nichiren, therefore, rejected the Hinayanistic and general Mahayanistic commandments in consideration of their powerlessness, and, it may be added, with the authority of many Buddhist Scriptures on this point. He says:

“Now, the commandments are the Hinayanistic Two Hundred and Fifty rules. … With reference to the first commandment, namely “Thou shalt kill no living being,” in all the Scriptures except the Hokekyo, it is said that the Buddha kept this law. But the Buddha, who is revealed in these Scriptures with pious imposition, starts by killing, so to speak, from the point of view of the Hokekyo. Why? Because, although it seemed that the Buddha in these Scriptures kept the law in His daily affairs, yet He did not keep the True Commandment of “Kill no living being because He killed the possibility of Attainment of Buddhahood of all other beings except Buddhas Themselves, so that the beings were not allowed to attain Buddhahood. Thus, the leader, the Buddha, is not yet released from the sin of Killing, how ‘much less the disciples” (Works, pp. 365—6).

Therefore, Nichiren gives significance to one’s free will, which means in a sense an imperative category. This is a different point from that of the ordinal commandment which governs several of our acts superficially. He united the teachings and commandments which are explained together in the Nehan-gyo, from the point of view of the doctrine of the Hokekyo.

Although a man makes himself a perfect Buddhist, if it is limited to a mere individual personality and has no positive effect in protecting and spreading the Buddhist Law, then all exertions are in vain. How ever much one may be faithful to the mere individual formal commandment, it is of no use unless one awakes to the signification of one’s existence. Thus Nichiren thought. According to him, the signification of one’s existence can be filled up with ardent vows for the protection and enlargement of the Law.

Nichirenism and the Japanese National Principles, p96-98

Upholding this interpretation was the center of Satomi’s Nichirenism:

The protection of moral law is the sole task of human life, and this is the greatest invention and discovery of our lives. When one digresses from and acts against the moral principle, one is no longer worthy of being a human being, thus Nichiren thought. Consequently, weapons, army, education, commerce or the life, everything must be for the sake of true human life, which means the practice and the protection of moral laws. Buddha says in the Nehan-gyo:

“In spite of a man accepting and keeping the Five Commandments, he cannot be called a man of the true Mahayana Buddhism. One who protects the right law is the man of the true Mahayana Buddhism, even though he does not keep the Five Commandments. The man who protects the right law shall be armed. Him do I call the true practitioner of the Buddhist Commandments though he is armed.”

Nichirenism and the Japanese National Principles, p105-106

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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.

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For Kishio Satomi, individual salvation was of little use. Saving the world requires entire countries to act.

[A]ccording to Nichiren, if religion really wants to redeem the world, it must religionize the country. … He thought that the state is the unit of the world, and that the individual could never be the unit of the world. In other words, it is useless to uphold the fallacy that if religion instructs individuals one by one, the world, will, naturally, sooner or later, become religionized. On the contrary, let us suppose that the state has the conviction of true morality, and of politics, education and diplomacy, or that everything has been done morally; then the individual who belongs to the state is, as it were, a snake in a narrow and straight bamboo-tube. It may seem like bondage, nevertheless such a right bondage must be welcomed. Is the so-called free will surely free? Man cannot live without being to a certain extent in bondage, though one may be proud to live and decide everything by one’s own free will, for free will, too, is a sort of bondage. … Hence the country that is moral must take up as her mission the task of the guardianship and espousal of truth, morality and righteousness with all her accumulated power. However religionized a man may be, if the country is not made just, then even the man of righteousness is liable to be obliged to commit a crime in an emergency for the sake of a nation’s covetous disposition. … Nichiren, therefore, examined the essence of the various countries and he decided Japan as being the typical moral country. According to Nichiren, Japan is distinctly the typical country based on strict morality, consequently the mission of Japan consists in setting an example of the moral country to the world. Therefore, he says :

“The first and great Supreme Being shall be established in this country ” (Works, p. 104).

Nichirenism and the Japanese National Principles, p108-110

Masaharu Anesaki, wrote “Nichiren, The Buddhist Prophet”  in 1916. Satomi felt  Anesaki held a very wrong view of Nichiren’s relationship to Japan and the world. Satomi wrote:

[On the question of Japan and the world, Masaharu] Anesaki gives the following explanation:

“In this latter sense, Japan meant for him the whole world ” (Anesaki, ” Nichiren, the Buddhist Prophet.” Harvard University Press, p.98).

But this appears to be incorrect because the character of “the World” does not mean here the world in the usual sense, but it means “the World Benefit,” namely one of the Four Siddhānta, the Four Instructive Methods (Shi-shits-dan). In other words, this is a special technical term, the full name is “The Completion of the world with the benefit of delight” (Sekai Shits-dan Kangi no Yaku). Hence, “the World is Japan” means “Japan has the mission to propagate the law of the Hokekyo and thereby redeem the world.”

Nichirenism and the Japanese National Principles, p110-111

And Satomi considered the idea of Japan forcing redemption on other countries something Nichiren would endorse.

It is evident that [Nichiren] proclaims the necessity of subjecting all countries to one moral law, approving, of course, the pluralistic existence of all countries. But it is totally different from the Utopian’s fancy, because of his positive adoption of all material forces.

Therefore the commandment of his religion is recognized by the act of keeping and practicing the Hokekyo for his own sake and at the same time for the sake of humankind. Consequently, the vow and its practice are the essential elements in his religion. In order to keep the law bodily means that in daily life we must be determined to do anything. Rich men shall protect the law by means of their wealth and learned men shall extend the law by means of their knowledge and wisdom, etc. All the accumulated power of human civilization must make it a duty to help to realize the law on the earth. In an emergency, we shall be martyrs to the law. In short, we must keep the law for dear life and then the sincerity and signification of life will be realized. Such being the case with individuals, the country, too, must be established on righteousness. The country is, indeed, an organ for the realization of the moral law of security with all her accumulated powers. When the country attains to such conviction that it becomes the highest organ for the protection of righteousness, and that it can sacrifice itself whenever it is obliged to do so for the sake of the law, then the ideal World will be realized before our very eyes. …

To realize this ideal we are expected to have absolute faith even at the risk of our lives. Although persecution, innumerable difficulties and troubles might be our lot we could go through fire and water if our faith were strong and true.

Nichirenism and the Japanese National Principles, p112-113

One can understand how such sentiment encouraged those who sought to make Japan a world power through conquest in Asia. And, as I’ll show later in discussing Japanese Lotus Millennialism: From Militant Nationalism to Contemporary Peace Movements,” these same teachings of Nichiren empower the modern peace movement in Japan.

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Table of ContentsNext

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.

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In considering Kishio Satomi’s ideas regarding Nichirenism it is important to put his 1923 book in historical perspective. By the 1920s, the Japanese had reformed their country’s government, social structure, educational system, and more. They were the first non-Western people to industrialize. They had won two foreign wars and acquired territories overseas. But these successes provided little comfort to government leaders. Leaders were increasingly uneasy about Japan’s future. (Source)

For Satomi, military might was necessary to secure the ideal Buddhist land.

[Protecting the Right Law is] apparent in the Hokekyo. It says in Chapter XIV:

“It is a case, Mañjuśrī (Japanese, Monju or Monjushiri), similar to that of a King (Tenrinjo-o; Skt. Chakravarti-raja), a ruler of armies, who by force has conquered his own Kingdom, whereupon other Kings, his adversaries, wage war against him. That ruler of armies has soldiers of various descriptions to fight with various enemies. As the King sees those soldiers fighting, he is delighted with their gallantry, enraptured, and in his delight and rapture he makes to his soldiers several donations, such as villages and village ground, towns and grounds of a town ; garments and head-gear ; hand-ornaments, necklaces, gold threads, ear-rings, strings of pearls, bullion, gold, gems, pearls, lapis lazuli, conch-shells, stones(?), corals ; he, moreover, gives elephants, horses, cars, foot soldiers, male and female slaves, vehicles and litters ” (Kern, p. 274 ; Yamakawa, p. 415).

Therefore, Nichiren proclaims :

“Know ye, that when these Bodhisattvas act in accordance with the positive instruction, they will appear as wise kings and attack foolish kings in order to instruct them; when they will act negatively then will they appear as priests and propagate and keep the right law ” (Works, p. 103).

In that relation did Nichiren acknowledge military force, he accordingly wrote an instruction to one of his great supporters, Shijo Kingo, who was a typical Japanese warrior:

“Prefer the art of war to any other art, even any branch connected therewith shall be rooted in the Law of the Hokekyo ” (Works, p. 907).

Of course in this connection it is not his intention to interfere with anything relating to the substance itself, but it is mentioned for the fundamental enlightenment of all existence. In this relation Buddha makes the suggestions:

“All the pluralistic laws which are preached in several instances, do not contradict nor contravene Suchness by their signification. Even the moral books in the world or political words or industry or the like may be explained to the people, they shall all comply with the right law” (Yamakawa, pp. 539-40 ; there are no equivalent lines in Kern).

Hereupon Nichiren emancipated the ordinal conception of religion into the broadest sense, which is the synthetic creation. The moral books in the above quotation, imply philosophy, ethics, literature or the like; political words mean legislation, the judicature and administration, and industry means agriculture, commerce and the manufacturing industry, etc. Nichiren gave this instruction to his disciples:

“The priests among my disciples shall be the Masters to the Emperors or the ex-Emperors, and the laymen shall take seats in the Ministry; and thus in the future, all the nations in the world shall adore this law” (Works, p. 583).

He goes on to say :

“In brief, my religion is the law path” (Works, p. 391).

Therefore, for Nichiren, the professional practice of religion is not only the method, but verily also the justification and purification of our daily lives at every turn. Keeping this in mind, read the following instruction of Nichiren to Shijo Kingo:

“Consider your daily works in your Lord’s service as being the practice of the Hokekyo” (Works, p, 893).

Thus, he established the religious method of the synthetic creation, and he decided that the country should be the unit of the worldly salvation.

Nichirenism and the Japanese National Principles, p106-108

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