QUESTION: Regarding the true practicer of Buddhism, how does one preserve one’s faith?

ANSWER: According to the Lotus Sūtra, the Buddha first preached various provisional teachings, which were later merged into the Lotus Sūtra, the only way to Buddhahood. All the people in Japan misinterpret this, saying that since various provisional teachings were merged in the Lotus Sūtra, they all are equal in value or in depth of meaning. Thus, it is said, reciting the name of Amitābha Buddha (the Buddha of Infinite Life), chanting mystic mantra words, practicing Zen meditation, or keeping and reciting the names of any of the sūtras, Buddhas, and bodhisattvas are equivalent to practicing the Lotus Sūtra, and therefore those who practice any of these are true practicers of Buddhism.

I say this is a great mistake. After all, true practicers of Buddhism should not rely on what people say, but solely on the golden words of the Buddha. Upon obtaining Buddhahood, our Lord Śākyamuni Buddha wanted to preach the Lotus Sūtra, the sole way leading to Buddhahood. However, since the capacity of the people to understand and have faith in it was not ripe, He at first preached various provisional teachings for forty years or so as an expedient. Only then did He preach the Lotus Sūtra, revealing His true intention. It is clearly stated in the Sūtra of Infinite Meaning, introductory to the Lotus Sūtra, that various provisional sūtras are expedient while the Lotus is true. A passage in it reads: “Through the expedient, the truth has not been revealed for over forty years.”

Having fully understood why the Buddha first preached the provisional teaching before revealing the true teaching, 80,000 bodhisattvas such as Great Adornment declared in the sūtra that no matter how long one practices the expedient teachings of the pre-Lotus sūtras, Buddhahood will never be attained. Then, in the Lotus Sūtra proper, it is preached in the second chapter: “The Buddha revealed the truth only after a long period of preaching provisional teachings.” He also declares in the same chapter: “There is only one teaching, neither second nor third teaching except those preached as expedient I now simply discard the expedient teachings.” And we are admonished in the third chapter “not to believe in even a word or phrase except in the Lotus Sūtra.”

From these words it should be clear that the One Vehicle teaching of the Lotus Sūtra alone is the great dharma enabling all people to attain Buddhahood, while all other sūtras should be given no value whatsoever.

Nyosetsu Shugyō-shō, True Way of Practicing the Teaching of the Buddha, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Page 84

Regarding the idea that all sūtras preached before the last half (essential section) of the Lotus Sūtra are Hinayāna, even the 24 venerable masters who transmitted the dharma including such great commentators as Nāgārjuna and Vasubandhu in India did not expound it for more than 1,500 years following the death of Śākyamuni Buddha, although they knew it. In China, it has been more than 1,000 years since Buddhism was introduced, but no one knew about it, except Grand Masters T’ien-t’ai and Miao-lê, who roughly talked about it. They, however, did not go so far as to reveal its truth. The same was true with Grand Master Dengyō of Japan.

Contemplating this, I, Nichiren, see this idea restated in the Nirvana Sūtra, “Jumyō” chapter: “Suppose someone denies the eternity of the Three Treasures (the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha), such a man will lose his three refuges in the purity of Buddhism and all the merit of upholding the precepts. He will never gain the rewards for practicing the three kinds of teachings for śrāvaka, pratyekabuddha and bodhisattvas.” This scriptural statement in the Nirvana Sūtra apparently expounds what is preached in “The Life Span of the Buddha” chapter of the Lotus Sūtra.

Following this statement, the Nirvana Sūtra cites a parable saying that as a tree is necessarily accompanied by its shadow, the Buddha is believed in because of His eternal life. The teaching of “The Life Span of the Buddha” chapter is likened to a tree, and pre-Lotus sūtras as well as the first half of the Lotus Sūtra are likened to the shadow of the tree.

Toki Nyūdō-dono Go-henji: Hongon Shukkai-shō, A response to Lay riest Lord Toki: Treatise on Overcoming Illusions of the Triple World by Provisional Teachins, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 277

A drop of ocean water is a delicacy that includes the five elements of flavor. Moreover, whereas a drop of river water is like an ordinary pill, a drop of ocean water is a panacea. In this regard “Namu Amida-butsu” is a drop of river water while “Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō” is a drop of ocean water. The Amitābha Sūtra is a drop of minor river water while a character of the Lotus Sūtra is a drop of ocean water.

The sins of the late Lord Shichirōgorō accumulated during his life span of 16 years (in a family of warriors, whose duty is to kill living beings) are as minimal as a drop of a small river water while his faith in “Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō,” though for a short while, is as precious as a drop of ocean water. Thus, there should be no doubt about the attainment of Buddhahood by the late Lord Shichirōgorō.

Ueno-dono Gohenji, Reply to Lord Ueno, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Followers II, Volume 7, Page 48

Generally speaking, when a man tries to distinguish himself in the world, even people who seem to be sages or saints envy him. How much more so ordinary people.

In ancient times, Wang Chao-chün, a consort of Emperor Wen Ti of Former Han, was so beautiful that 3,000 women in the imperial palace envied her, and it is said that innumerable queens of Indra envied Lady Kauśika, the former wife of Indra. In Japan, Prince Kaneakira, son of Emperor Daigo, was envied by Minister Fujiwara Saneyori of the Ono Palace; and Sugawara Michizane was exiled to Kyushu on a false charge made by Minister Fujiwara Tokihira.

Contemplate your own situation from the perspective of these examples. The residence of Lay Priest Lord Ema, your lord, was once vast but it is no longer so. As his young noblemen are many and retainers of long standing increase in number, just as fish become agitated when the water in a pond decreases and birds fight for a treetop when the autumn wind begins to blow, the jealousy among his men must be growing. And since you often acted against your lord and was given many slanderous reports, you were often forced to relinquish your fief. Despite all of this, according to your letter your fief was returned to you. This is wonderful indeed. This is what is meant by “What is done by night appears by day.” It is the reward for your sincere efforts in trying to bring your lord to the faith in the Lotus Sūtra.

Shijō Kingo-dono Gohenji, Response to Lord Shijō Kingo, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Followers I, Volume 6, Page 151

Chapter two, “Expedients” of the Lotus Sūtra, fascicle 1, says: “The Buddha would preach the True Dharma in the end;” and “abandoning the teachings of temporary expediency, He honestly would preach only the supreme way.” It is stated in chapter fourteen (fascicle 5), “Peaceful Practices,” compares the sūtra to “a jade kept in the topknot of the Wheel-turning Noble King” and “a jade found only on the top of the Wheel-turning Noble King’s head.” It also says, “The jade which had been protected by this powerful king for ages is about to be given away.”

The meanings of these scriptural statements is that all the scriptures of Buddhism brought over to Japan totaling 7,399 scrolls, are all subordinate to the Lotus Sūtra. Just as the Japanese people totaling 4,900,094,828 persons are all retainers of one king, all scriptures of Buddhism (except the Lotus Sūtra) are a mere temporary repose for ignorant women. For example, in building a huge tower, a scaffold is assembled from many small pieces of wood set up ten or twenty-feet high. Then, using this scaffold, the huge tower is built with lumber. Once the tower is completed, the scaffold is dismantled. The scaffold here represents all Buddhist scriptures other than the Lotus Sūtra and the great tower is the Lotus Sūtra. … Scaffolds are needed for building a great tower, and after the completion of a tower scaffolds are demolished. This is what is meant by “discarding the expedient.” A pagoda is built by using a scaffold, but no one worships a scaffold without a pagoda.

Ueno-dono Haha-ama Gozen Gohenji, A Response to My Lady the Nun, Mother of Lord Ueno, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Page 178-179

Chapter two, “Expedients” of the Lotus Sūtra, fascicle 1, says: “The Buddha would preach the True Dharma in the end;” and “abandoning the teachings of temporary expediency, He honestly would preach only the supreme way.” It is stated in chapter fourteen (fascicle 5), “Peaceful Practices,” compares the sūtra to “a jade kept in the topknot of the Wheel-turning Noble King” and “a jade found only on the top of the Wheel-turning Noble King’s head.” It also says, “The jade which had been protected by this powerful king for ages is about to be given away.”

The meanings of these scriptural statements is that all the scriptures of Buddhism brought over to Japan totaling 7,399 scrolls, are all subordinate to the Lotus Sūtra. Just as the Japanese people totaling 4,900,094,828 persons are all retainers of one king, all scriptures of Buddhism (except the Lotus Sūtra) are a mere temporary repose for ignorant women. For example, in building a huge tower, a scaffold is assembled from many small pieces of wood set up ten or twenty-feet high. Then, using this scaffold, the huge tower is built with lumber. Once the tower is completed, the scaffold is dismantled. The scaffold here represents all Buddhist scriptures other than the Lotus Sūtra and the great tower is the Lotus Sūtra. … Scaffolds are needed for building a great tower, and after the completion of a tower scaffolds are demolished. This is what is meant by “discarding the expedient.” A pagoda is built by using a scaffold, but no one worships a scaffold without a pagoda.

Ueno-dono Haha-ama Gozen Gohenji, A Response to My Lady the Nun, Mother of Lord Ueno, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Page 178-179

There are seventy states in India, all of which are included in the name of India. Sixty-six provinces of Japan are included in the name of Japan. The name of India includes seventy states in India and all the things in them such as people, cattle, and treasures. The name of Japan includes sixty-six provinces, wings of eagles donated from Dewa Province, gold dug out in Mutsu Province and all the treasures, human beings, cattle as well as Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. Through heavenly eyes we can see in the two Chinese characters for Japan sixty-six provinces, treasures as well as human beings and cattle. Through dharma eyes we can even see human beings and cattle being born and dying here and there. Just as we can recognize the body of a man by hearing his voice, the size of an elephant by looking at its footprints, the size of a pond by seeing lotus flowers in it, the size of a dragon by seeing the rain it caused, a portion includes the whole in everything.

The title of the Āgama sūtras seem to contain everything in it, but it has only one Śākyamuni Buddha of Hinayāna Buddhism and not any other Buddha. Such sūtras as the Flower Garland Sūtra, the Sūtra of Meditation on the Buddha of Infinite Life, and the Great Sun Buddha Sūtra seem to contain everything, but they have no Eternal Śākyamuni Buddha who has attained Enlightenment in the eternal past and the doctrine of the Two Vehicles (śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha) attaining Buddhahood. These sūtras are like flowers without fruits, thunder without rain, drum without sound, eyes with out sight, women without children, and men without life or spirit.

Hōon-jō, Essay on Gratitude, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Pages 52-53.

The Nirvana Sūtra states also that benefits of understanding the teachings of the Buddha through such means as the “five periods,” “eight teachings (four doctrinal teachings and four methods of teaching),” provisional and true teachings, and Mahāyāna and Hinayāna doctrines are like the shadow of the tree, which is the doctrine of “The Life Span of the Buddha” chapter in the essential section of the Lotus Sūtra. The sūtra also declares that those who negate the eternal life of the Buddha are like a tree without a shadow in darkness. It means that benefits of those sūtras expounded by Śākyamuni Buddha during His lifetime before “The Life Span of the Buddha” chapter are likened to the shadow of a tree in darkness. They are of those who had listened to the teaching of “The Life Span of the Buddha” chapter and been planted with the seed of Buddhahood in the distant past. Those who had not received the seed have neither a tree nor a shadow to speak about.

Toki Nyūdō-dono Go-henji: Hongon Shukkai-shō, A response to Lay riest Lord Toki: Treatise on Overcoming Illusions of the Triple World by Provisional Teachins, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 277

The people of Japan, both wise and ignorant, and rulers as well as the ruled, all say, “How can Priest Nichiren claim to be superior to the commentators, Buddhist teachers, grand masters, and virtuous priests of the past?” In order to clear their suspicions of me, I predicted two great calamities to overtake Japan in the near future: domestic disturbance and foreign invasion, which I foresaw upon seeing the severe earthquakes of the Shōka Era and the great, long comet of the Bun’ei Era. The domestic disturbance would be the fighting among the descendants of Lord Hōjō Yoshitoki, while the foreign invasion would occur in all directions but mostly in the western region. The sole cause for this to happen is that Buddhists in Japan all believe in false teachings, causing the King of the Brahma Heaven and Indra, protectors of the True Dharma, to order a neighboring country to attack Japan. Unless the Japanese people listen to me, Nichiren, even if they have millions and tens of millions of generals such as Taira Masakado, Fujiwara Sumitomo, Abe Sadatō, Fujiwara Toshihito, and Sakanoue Tamuramaro, there is no way to defend the country. I spoke far and wide, “If this prediction of mine does not prove to be true, you may believe in the false teachings of Shingon and Pure Land Buddhism.”

Seichōji Daishū-chū, A Letter to the People of the Seichōji Temple, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 5, Page 176