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Nichiren was a stupid impostor who masqueraded as a Buddhist because no one in Japan understood what Buddhism was at that time.
- Nembutsu is hell; Zen is a devil; Shingon is the nation's ruin; Ritsu is treason. [Tendai is an outdated calendar]
- 念仏 無間、禅 天魔、真言 亡国、律 国賊.[天台過時]
- Four Declarations (四箇格言) that must be affirmed by all Nichirenists
- I attacked the Zen sect as the work of devils, and Shingon as a heresy that will ruin the nation, and insisted that the temples of the Nembutsu priests, the Zen sect, and the Ritsu priests be burned down', and the priests of the Nembutsu beheaded.
- Even though no sutra other than the Lotus Sutra can provide even the slightest benefit, the Buddhist scholars of the Latter Day claim that all sutras must lead to enlightenment because they were expounded by the Buddha. Therefore, they arbitrarily profess faith in any sutra and follow whatever sect they choose, whether Shingon, Nembutsu, Zen, Sanron, Hosso, Kusha, Jojitsu, or Ritsu. The Lotus Sutra says of such people, "One who refuses to take faith in this sutra and instead slanders it immediately destroys the seeds for becoming a Buddha in this world.... After he dies he will fall into the hell of incessant suffering."
Nichiren was mentally imbalanced and obsessive over finding the "true" Buddhism amongst the endless nonsense of the Chinese Mahayana sutras. He eventually narrowed it down to the Lotus Sutra. But he soon decided not all of the Lotus Sutra was the true dharma: only "the latter half of the fifteenth chapter, all of the sixteenth chapter, and the first half of the seventeenth chapter". Why would true dharma manifest itself in such an absurd way? What's more, Nichiren decided of his own volition that because of our "corrupt age", the Lotus Sutra could be boiled down to saying "Praise to the Sacred Lotus Sutra" ("Namu Myoho Renge Kyo"). Unlike Shinran, who developed a sophisticated theory of faith and achievement of enlightenment through mind-body devotion, Nichiren said you should chant his made-up maxim over and over. Why? Only Nichiren knows.
- Nichiren named his disciples Nichiu, Nichigen, Nichiyo, Nichiji, Nichirou, Niccho, Ni[chi]kou, and Ni[chi]kkou. Can you say narcissist?
- Unlike Shinran, who maintained that he was a flawed being unworthy of Amida's grace, Nichirenists believe themselves to be "wonderful people". [1]
- Some Nichirenists teach that the Four Noble Truths are not actually true. [2][3]
- The two biggest branches of Nichirenism are Soka Gakkai and Nichiren Shoshu, which split in 1991. Despite the fact that they have no doctrinal differences, both believe themselves to be the only true form of Buddhism and the other group to be full of devils. This is the fruit of Nichiren's teaching. [4]
- Both of these branches also believe that Nichiren was the "True Buddha" and Siddartha Gautama was only a preliminary Buddha'. [5][6][7]
- Both of these branches also believe that Nichiren gave them a secret tool for enlightenment in the form of a magical block of wood. [8]
Today, the Soka Gakkai branch of Nichirenism is objectively the most popular form of "Buddhism" in the United States. But philosophically Nichirenism is not Buddhism. It is derived from the Buddhist tradition, but this statement is almost meaningless; to people who wish to spread the true dharma the success of Nichirenism is nothing to be proud of.
Kempon Hokke
Here is an enjoyable commentary on a Soka Gakkai mailer by a competing Nichirenist group, Kempon Hokke: Toward the Summit of Hope
I looked into Kempon Hokke USA because I found their rhetoric somewhat inspiring, although also kind of amusing in the sense that they are arguing violently against probably no more than 10 people in the USA. Here are some funny articles written against them by SGI members: [9] [10]
When I posted on their BBS asking for details of their philosophy I was promptly insulted by H. Graham Lamont for calling Daimoku practice "chanting". Apparently, though, this is a common technique for Kempon members, according to a writer on their BBS: "The person in charge back then [Steven Polito] challenged my faith only through the manner in which my e-mails were worded. In other words when I used unfashionable wording and for that he he thought my faith wasn't sincere. That was ridiculous. Just because someone doesn't not use the correct verbage doesn't really mean anything." The same follower, who is quite sincere, later wrote: "Rev. Tsuchiya, if in the future there is a non-public discussion forum in which I may ask questions about Kempon Hokke and true Buddhism, specifically about how it exists in Japan, I would very much wish to participate. I was on the discussion list of Steve Polito[']s in the late 90's but Steve continued to demand further 'proof' of allegiance and finally unsubscribed me, which is why I have not kept current with your Temple's status."
But wait, there's more: Polito and another faithful were not only removed from power but excommunicated from this tiny group, and now their website reads:
- Bruce Maltz and Steve Polito([email protected]), former Kempon believers that intended to manage Kempon USA selfishly, has no relation to Kempon Hokke International at all. Their thought and behavior are not believer's of Kempon Hokke. Please don't yield to their threat and slander.
Thus, there are now only three members of Kempon USA: H.G. Lamont (the most fiery), Mark Rogow (who wrote on his blog that the dying child of an SGI family would "fall into hell"), and their Japanese priest/manager Shamon Tsuchiya.
I must say, of all the Nichirenist sects Kempon really exemplifies the best of Nichiren's teachings.
Nissatsu making flowers grow from shit
Arai Nissatsu (1830-1888) was a Nichirenist in an era when its hateful theology no longer made sense. He changed the spacing and punctuation of the Four Declarations to read as follows:
- 念 仏、 無間 禅 天魔. 真 言、 亡国 律 国賊.
- Because we contemplate the Buddha, ceaselessly devils are quieted; because our words are true, traitors who would destroy the nation are subdued. [11]
This rereading also changes the meaning of all the sects to imply goodness. Nice work, Nissatsu.
Japanese Buddhism is a game that only Westerners play
Let's consider for a moment the fuju-fuse: a sect of Nichirenists who stayed loyal to their insane founder's belief that one should neither give nor accept offerings from other sect, and even to sit with a member of another sect is a crime. Recall that these are themselves a member of the Nichiren school that believes all other Buddhist sects are pathways to hell. Now the fuju-fuse-ha split into two camps, one of which wanted to re-ordain those among them who had publicly renounced their faith during persecution, and one of which felt any association with the renouncers was tantamount to pollution of the sect. The latter group is the strictest subsect of the strictest sect of the strictest school of Japanese Buddhism.
So, let's go to that subsect's Japanese website today. And what do we see? "Free Tibet" flags and slogans! Even though Tibetan Buddhists are not to be associated with.
I know this is true from personal experience. I lived in Koshoji temple in Kyoto in 2008, part of the largest traditional sect in Japan (Pure Land, not Nichiren). My bedroom was the Buddha Hall. Towards the end of my stay a promient Kyoto woman died and they had her funeral in my bedroom. The funeral was conducted by Nichiren priests. So much for non-association!
Nobody in Japan cares about these philosophical disputes anymore. The only person who wants to fuss about them is the Westerner who has stumbled upon their school from Soka Gakkai or something similar. In other words, the Western Nichirenists have taken up someone else's historical struggle solely for the purpose of arguing with each other; the descendants of those historical sects have given up that fight.