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.
What sets Kishio Satomi and his father, Chigaku Tanaka, apart from mainstream followers of Nichiren is their emphasis of the importance of the nation of Japan.
Nichirenism and the Japanese National Principles, p27The Hokekyo [Lotus Sutra] must have a state like Japan in order to validate its pregnant value, and Japan should have the Hokekyo for the sake of the realization of her national ideal. Therefore, Nichiren praised Japan in regard of the truth of the Hokekyo from the doctrinal point of view, not for the sake of his fatherland.
The believer was not to yearn for a Pure Land in the West nor even to seek the Eternal Buddha’s Pure Land in this Sāha world. Real followers of Nichiren, Satomi says, actively seek to create that land.
Nichirenism and the Japanese National Principles, p100-102We must also not neglect the following results which are cited by Nichiren (from the Nehan-gyo) very often as being one of his thoughts about the commandment, It says:
“However virtuous a priest may be, if he neglects to eject transgressors, to make them repent or renounce their sins, hearken! he is wicked and hostile to Buddhist Law. If he casts them out to make them be repentant and amend their negligence, he is worthy to be my disciple and truly virtuous.”
Thus the idea of the Hokekyo does not admit of a mere self-complacency in faith, but it demands absolute reconstruction and instructing one’s environments. Therefore, the definition of faith is much different from the ordinal ones in other religions. The significant purport of a Nichirenian’s faith must be a combination of both, which is self-devotion and social reconstruction, therefore he says:
“How grievous it is that we were born in such a country wherein the right law is disparaged and we suffer great torment! How shall we deal with the unbelief in our homes and in our country, even though some people observe the faith of the Law whereby they are relieved of the sin of individual disparagement. If you desire to relieve your home of unbelief, tell the truth of the Scripture to your parents, brothers and sisters. What would happen would be detestation or belief. If you desire the State to be the righteous one you must remonstrate with the King or the government on its disparagement of the righteous law, at the risk of capital punishment or banishment. From all eternity, all failures of people to attain Buddhahood were rooted in silence about this, out of fear of such things ” (Works, p. 651).
The conception of the commandment, therefore, is not merely negative virtue of individuals, but undoubtedly a strong vow for the realization of a universal or humanistic ideal paradise in this world.
According to Nichiren, the heavenly paradise has not an allegorical existence, but is the highest aim of living beings in the living world. In other words, it must be actually built on the earth. For such a fundamental humanistic aim we must all strive. The true commandment has not its being apart from the vow. If one fully comprehends his thought, and will strive for it, then the signification of one’s life will be realized. This thought is the most important idea of Nichiren’s religion, and, in fact, the peculiarity of Nichirenism consists therein. For him, to protect and extend the righteousness over the world, through the country and to everybody is the true task of life. Consequently, [Nichiren] tested what would be the most convenient way of realizing such an ideal in the world, and he found the country for it.
Just as it is important to keep in mind the 13th century medieval environment in which Nichiren developed his ideas, it is equally important to remember that Satomi is writing after World War I and during Japan’s growing imperialistic ambitions in the first half of the 20th century.
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