Hi there,

Does anyone know anything about this area of Nichiren Buddhism, all i can find out is they chant and walk with drums.
Anyone know the main practices etc...

Cheers Bry!

They have over 50 peace pagodas in the forms of stupas around the world, each tended by a monk or nun. It was founded by Nichidatsuu Fujii, a gentle monk who was mistaken as to the principle practices in the Latter Age. He died in 1985, living to more than 100 and for 98 of those years he lived as a mendicant not unlike Nichiren Daishonin. He walked hundreds of thousands of miles chanting the Daimoku for world peace. He remonstrated with governmental authorities and lived his life emulating Bodhisattva Never Despise. He was attacked with tear gas but he never had an ill thought. He loved Buddha Sakyamuni, Nichiren Daishonin and Bodhisattva Emminent Conduct who he purported to have met. I think, I can criticize his doctrine however.

One in a million people can attain Buddhahood through the practice of Nipponzon Myohoji. In this case it was Nichidatsu who made the religion great, not the religion of Nipponzan Myohoji that made Nichidatsuu great. Very few people in the Latter day can live like Nichidatsu. Even his monk and nun disciples have difficulty following his example. Also, the world is a far more dangerous place with the ascendency of islamic fundamentalism. His believers would surely be killed on the streets of Riyadh or in Yemen. Absolute pacificism is not the teaching of the Lotus or Nirvana Sutra. He wrote:

"We have come to an age when we must have mutual trust to survive. To trust -- this is a religious civilization. To save others and to save the world --- these are the tasks of a spiritual civilization."(Nichidatsu Fujii)

"The outcome obtained with the spirit of compliance in edifying the people on the teachings is much more beneficial than any argument or intellectual dialogue. When compliance and fawning are treated at the same level, it results in both oneself and others losing the merits of the Dharma."(ibid.)

"It means to comply with the correct teachings. It is at the same time a practice not to go against any person. A Bodhisattva should not cast a sidelong glance at the deeds and conducts of the people and deride their bewilderment, but rather should have the mindset of bouncing a ball when coming across a child, and listening to the old reminisce."(ibid)

"The seventh category of ju-ekou is a level called tou-zui-junichi-issai-shujou-ekou. It means to equally accept and follow (zuijun) all people with an impartial mind. What is the reason for even impartially following the unenlightened who engages in evil and knows no virtue? It is a practice of enveloping all people with great compassion. It is akin to a mother’s heart that gives what her child seeks and together rejoices."(ibid.)

"The practice of shakubuku by The Bodhisattva Who Never Despises wastangyo-raihai (the sole practice of worshipping the Buddha within others). Shakubuku, it is nothing more than the practice to follow others without confronting them. When we talk of shakubuku, it somehow seems to evoke aggressiveness to the surface. This should never be the case."(ibid.)


The gentle practices are futile in this period of the Age of Decay. This is why I think the legacy of Nipponzan Myohoji will remain limited and the great desire of Nichidatsu will remain unfulfilled through the gentle practices. Some people can't be trusted. Those who strap explosives to mental defectives can't be reasoned with. They must be broken and subdued. "Chant the Daimoku for peace and security in this very life," will not resonate with these men. They only will understand the sharp words of the Lotus Sutra that condemns them to the hell of incessent suffering if they don't reform the perverted tenets in their heart. Motherly love will not reform the errant sons of Islam. The strictness of our father Sakyamuni Buddha of the Juryo Chapter is what is required today.

Nichiren Daishonin would never comply with evil men or evil doctrines. I don't even think he would have approved of Nichidatsu's spirit of interfaith cooperation with Gandhi, even in an effort to realize world peace.

Interesting is the figure above actually from Nipponzan Myohoji or some other source!
Bits I have seen about this sect seem totally peaceful!

The figure from above was a literary device, I did not mean it to be taken literally. I could have just as easily said, "it is very difficult, if not impossible, to attain Buddhahood through the teachings of Nichidatsuu Fujii."

Also, please remember, as I said in the first paragraph, this is MY critique of their doctrines. I am critiquing their doctrines from the standpoint of the Lotus Sutra, Nichiren Daishonin, and the Kempon Hokke. It is an incomplete critique, merely a synopsis.

The reasons that is is so difficult, if not impossible, to attain Buddhahood through their teachings are; the inability of the common man to practice as Nichidatsuu Fujii did; its [Nipponzan Myohoji's] reliance on the gentle practices [shoju] of the Lotus Sutra in this dreadful age [rather than reliance on the aggressive practices of the Lotus Sutra or shakabuku]; their mistaken belief that cooperation or compromise with inferior teachings, philosophies, and religions [rather than repudiation] will lead to a peaceful world.

Illarazza of the Kempon Hokke

One of the Nichiren Shu Shamis [Suzanne Rees Glanister] said they have pay support groups. BTW, I agree with them that this now a time of Shoju. While Mark Rogow is a fine person I am sure, we do not all hold to his views. Of course, Bry, you know that.

I forgot where you are?

robin

Even Milarapa said, let alone the Nirvana Sutra, that one should be very very reflectful when many people hold to your views.

Mark

Ugh. I meant lay.

Mark Rogo? I could be wrong but rememeber that name from the SGI many moons ago.

I'm in the UK, have tried to find info on Nipponzan on the net, but can't find that much info really.

Hi Brian

Hope you're well. There are two Nipponzan Myohoji pagodas and one temple in the UK. One pagoda is on the Thames bank in London, and the other and the temple are in Milton Keynes.

The website for the Milton Keynes Peace Pagoda is http://www.mkbuddhism.org.uk/

If you click on the links on the left they've got quite a few pictures etc. up, and contact details for the temple.

Regards,

Ben

Hi,

I participated at a retreat in May of last year at a Nipponzan Myohoji temple in Atlanta, GA. It was led by Rev. Ryuei McCormick who is a Nichiren Shu priest and last about 4 days. I've included some pics of the temple.

The Nipponzan Myohoji is very active in that region as they are building a new pagoda and temple in the Smokey Mountains. They also have participated in a number of socially engage events in their area over the years.

I agree that they don't have much of a web presence and they generally tend be hard to find. They do not teach people much about Nichiren Buddhism and tell people in their marches that Odaimoku simply means "wishing for peace". One of my teachers, Rev. Faulconer has been working with them in Boston and has been on a few marches. He said now that when people ask to learn more about Nichiren Buddhism, the Nipponzan Myohoji just refer them to Rev. Faulconer and say "go learn from Nichiren Shu"! They don't spend anytime building a lay sangha- their main concern is peace marches and pagoda building, but people can always practice with them.

Those pics are pretty much identical to the interior of the Milton Keynes temple.

Not to turn this discussion on it's head, but

"They only will understand the sharp words of the Lotus Sutra that condemns them to the hell of incessent suffering if they don't reform the perverted tenets in their heart. Motherly love will not reform the errant sons of Islam. The strictness of our father Sakyamuni Buddha of the Juryo Chapter is what is required today."

really? This is kind of missing the point. We must always remember there is a word , not such a mystical word, but a word nonetheless and the word is

" context",

more specifically "historical context". . .

Also, this is not "father" Sakyamuni to whom we open our lives. Our lives are ever open and it is the "father" mentality which we must "break and subdue". It is also those who say they practice correctly, but follow this path of mis-understanding who must be 'broken and subdued'.



namaste

Cosmicclocksmith,

I agree with you, that in our world at the present time the spirit of Shoju is much more applicable than shakubuku in inter-faith experiences. I do, however, feel that shakubuku has a place within the academic and intellectual areas of Nichiren Buddhism. It also has a place with the type of work that the Nipponzan Myohoji do as well. "To break and subdue" the reliance on violence and nuclear weapons is their main mission.

Nichidatsu Fuji's behavior is itself shakubuku, just as the message of Jofukyo Bosatsu is. The message is that "you all will become Buddhas" is given whether one believes it or not. This is the greatest compassion one can give- beating the drum of Odaimoku and spreading the Lotus Sutra far and wide.

If you can get a copy, Fuji's collected talks is available in "Tranquil is This World of Mine". Shakubuku and Shoju are both discussed at length Fuji's work.

Cosmicclocksmith,

I'm not sure what you mean? Could you please elaborate?

Joekraut, but never sour.

http://www.dharmawalk.org/

I found this whilst on the net.
To me this seems the coolest form of Nichiren Buddhism that i have come across.
Just chant Na-Mu-Myo-Ho-Ren-Ge-Kyo.

what else is there to learn???

Now that is my kind of teaching, peaceful practices with an aim for world peace.
None of the Egotism or aggresive tactics of certain sects.

Peace out brothers and sisters!

How about learning the true nature of your own life? Just chanting is beginner Buddhism, and that is fine, however, just chanting won't get you to enlightenment in this life. It is a matter of history that people who think they will just wake up one day and be enlightened are sorely mistaken. Millions have died without attaining enlightenment because they fail to understand that to awaken they need to study Ichinen Sanzen.

Nichiren did not lie when he said you could attain enlightenment in this life, but he didn't guarantee it. He said that if you chant you will attain enlightenment. So how many lifetimes do you need to do it? Now, there is a caveat that in my estimation it is not the time for a Buddha to appear, but that doesn't mean you can't attain a level of awakening that puts you past regression. I see that as the goal to achieve in this life.

Hi Mark, Fair enough my point was maybe a bit flippant, but the point i was trying to make was that Chanting was where the journey starts for us all. Once you have learnt that the path has begun. I am learning about the true nature of my own life. But thanks for reminding of that point.
Cheers Bry!

Also distingistion between study in theorical ichinen sanzen as expouned in pre-Nichiren teaching, and actualized ichinen sanzen in daily practice as revealed by Nichiren.

ASN

Hiya, I feel I have an understanding of Ichinen Sanzen (3000 realms in a single moment) and the ten worlds (which permanently exist within us at all times), how would you describe the difference between the theoretical and the actualised??

Bry!

On Attaining Buddhahood.

If you wish to free yourself from the sufferings of birth and death you have endured through eternity and attain supreme enlightenment in this lifetime, you must awaken to the mystic truth which has always been within your life. This truth is Myoho-renge-kyo. Chanting Myoho-renge-kyo will therefore enable you to grasp the mystic truth within you. Myoho-renge-kyo is the king of sutras, flawless in both letter and principle. Its words are the reality of life, and the reality of life is the Mystic Law (Myoho). It is called the Mystic Law because it explains the mutually inclusive relationship of life and all phenomena. That is why this sutra is the wisdom of all Buddhas.

Most of us will know this above quote,

Chanting Myoho-renge-kyo will therefore enable you to grasp the mystic truth within you.

This seems to go along with Nichidatsu's Teachings!

If only you chant Namu Myoho Renge Kyo, then what offense could fail to be eradicated? What blessing could fail to come? This is the truth, and it is of great profundity. You should believe and accept it.

Winter Always Turns to Spring :Nichiren Daishonin

The latter as the manifestation of actual proofs from the practice , liberation from the chains of karma, transform the direction of other living beings according the entrustment in the Lotus Sutra.

in short, making the seemly impossible possible.

As Nichiren wrote: " ... produce fire from damp wood, or to obtain water from parched ground. " - WND p444

ASN

Here is an excerpt of something I've been working on for some time now.

From birth through the formative years

All creatures that exhibit life are born of the Three Realms of Existence. They all have form, perception, conception, volition, and consciousness (five components). They all have their own individual environment and each individual displays different worlds of the Ten Worlds. Pay close attention to the term volition as it will be raised later, but understand that all creatures are born as a blank slate (no self), according to the Three Truths.

 Ku - Non-Substantiality
 Ke – Temporary Existence
 Chu – Middle Way

It must be noted here that the Middle Way is not a compromise. It is the understanding that even though we are non-substantial and temporary in nature, we are capable of substantiation.

The form may be that of a dog, human, or shrimp, and in all cases they reflect the natural instincts (condition) of their species. They are subject to heredity from their parents (condition), and the conditioning of their parents and society. In any form, life follows the conditioning of the form it is born into from the aspect of instinctual behavior. You will never see a dog acting like a cat or vise versa in most cases. Remember that we are born as a blank slate and are taught by our parents.
All forms of life, excepting plants and other inanimate species, are taught by their parents how to act in accordance with their species. The distinction must be made between inanimate and animate life at this point, because inanimate life acts according to instinctual behavior and environmental factors, while animate life can be conditioned to act in manners that do not accord with instinct or environmental factors. This is the case with humans and certain animal species, specifically mammalians.
Indeed, even the time a person is born impacts the way a person interacts with and perceives his or her environment. Astrology is very good at identifying characteristics that appear due to the time a person is born and this predisposition, and the conditions a person are born into are functions of karma from a previous life.
As a person continues through the formative years they are taught the values that they will later display. If a persons basic needs are not met during these years it can lead to personality disorders, which is also evident in the animal world. Everything that happens to a person is the process of causes and conditions which shape a person so that they can receive the retribution later on from past deeds whether good or bad.
Nichiren says it succinctly in his writing “An Essay on the Chain of the Twelve Causes and Karmic Circumstances that Run through the Whole of Sentient Existence”.

“This chain is made up of (i) a fundamental unenlightenment which leads to (ii) dispositions that are inherited from former lives. Then, (iii) the first consciousness after conception takes place in the womb whilst (iv) the body and mind are evolving which leads to (v) the five organs of sense and the functioning of the mind as it makes (vi) contact with the outside world. This becomes (vii) the receptivity or budding intelligence and discrimination from six to seven years old onwards which evolve into (viii) the thirst, desire or love at the age of puberty; (ix) the urge of sensuous existence which (x) forms the substance of future karma. Then (xi) the completed karma is ready to be born again as it takes its direction towards (xii) old age and death. This chain of the twelve causes and karmic circumstances are said to be spread over the two levels of cause and effect which are understood as past cause and present effect and present cause and future effect. Also this chain is carried over from the past to the present and on to the future.”

The Mechanics of Life: The Ten Factors

All life follows the construct of the Ten Factors, which are Appearance, Nature, Entity, Power, Influence, Inherent Cause, Conditioning, Latent Effect, Manifest Effect, and Consistency from Beginning to End.
The three factors of appearance, nature, and entity are the substance of all phenomena. The six factors of power, influence, inherent cause, conditioning, latent effect, and manifest effect are the functions of all phenomena.
Of the first three factors, Appearance and Nature refer to the individual. If the entity has the appearance of a dog, it also has the nature of a dog. The Entity is a bit more complex in that it is the repository of karma, so that a single entity can pass between death and rebirth in order that the karmic retribution follows in succeeding lifetimes.
The next two factors, Power and Influence, refer not only to the power and influence an entity displays in its environment over other entities, but also the power and influence the entity has over its own environment. The President of the United States has power and influence far exceeding that of most people, however, it is power and influence that is displayed within the environment. Power and influence displayed over the environment refers to the strength and purity of the mind, which then is reflected by that persons environment.
A definition of power and influence over the environment can be found in the Vimilakirti sutra: “The purity of his buddha-field (environment) reflects the purity of living beings; the purity of the living beings reflects the purity of his gnosis; the purity of his gnosis reflects the purity of his doctrine; the purity of his doctrine reflects the purity of his transcendental practice; and the purity of his transcendental practice reflects the purity of his own mind.”
Nichiren is more succinct, saying “If the minds of the people are impure, their land is also impure, but if their minds are pure, so is their land. There are not two lands, pure or impure in themselves. The difference lies solely in the good or evil of our minds.”

The next five factors (cause, conditioning, effect, manifest effect, and consistency from beginning to end) represent the actual mechanics of life and are extremely difficult to understand. To understand them you must first understand the principle of the simultaneity of cause and effect, in that the effect is also the next cause forming a chain. This is a principle that is revealed in Quantum Physics. You’ll also need to understand the doctrine of Dependent Co-arising which conveys to us the sense of the inter-relatedness of all phenomena and the means whereby it comes into being and passes away. It explains how, through a process of cause and effect, events within the cycle of birth and death arise and pass away. This inter-relatedness corresponds directly to all living beings and all phenomena. We are dependent on each other to actuate our karma both good and bad, and even such events as weather (phenomena) have an effect upon us. Indeed, Hurricane Katrina had a devastating effect upon the gulf coast.
The cause is the beginning, however as mentioned earlier, the cause and effect is a chain or sequence. We all make causes, good, bad or benign during the course of our lives and mental causes like negativism or positivism also generate an effect; so that causation is not limited to physical activity alone; brain waves are measurable. As an example, everyone has been in a room where the ‘vibe’ is bad. This is usually caused by someone that is emitting a negativity that everyone can feel.
The conditioning or relation between a cause and an effect occurs simultaneously with the effect. If you ever said “I’ll never do that again”, you have experienced the conditioning that occurs within the sphere of causation. This conditioning is a normal part of our lives and amounts to who we think we are, and how we act. It is the basis of our conditioned response to our environment.
The latent effect is of course the manifestation of the cause, however, the effect cannot manifest unless the conditions are present. In other words, you cannot slip on the ice if there is no ice. The conditions must be present in order for an effect to manifest, and that leads to a time variation between the actual cause and the effect. This is the main reason why people cannot see the relationship between what they sow and what they reap.
The manifest effect is something that happens well after the original cause and effect, and may be the culmination of many causes and effects. The manifest effect is something that you can look back on and say “If this didn’t happen then that wouldn’t have happened.”
The consistency from beginning to end is a must. There can be no inconsistency in causation. Whether or not we can see the relation is moot. This consistency also is the basis for rebirth, in that cause and effect cannot end. Death is not an end to causation! If you make the cause then you must see the retribution for that cause. This is why people are born into various conditions from hell to enlightenment. This is why some people are born with disease. DNA and Genetics are conditions, and the conditions must be present for an effect to manifest.

The Mutual Possession of the Ten Worlds

Along with the Ten Factors there is also the Mutual Possession of the Ten Worlds. These are states of mind that fluctuate in response to phenomena. They are, from lowest to highest, Hell, Hunger, Animality, Anger, Tranquility, Rapture, Learning, Realization, Boddhisattva, and Buddhahood. These states of mind each possess each other [Mutual Possession] so that a person can exhibit a subordinate state within a base state. In other words, the Buddha’s base state is Buddhahood and the subordinate state could be tranquility or even hell. The Buddha does experience the lower worlds, but in a different way than unenlightened people. An example would be that the Buddha is angry that people live in a fundamental state of unenlightenment, or he can experience the state of hell that people live in through empathy.
Hunger is not just hunger for food, but also hunger for fame, power, fortune, drugs, sex; you name it and people hunger for it. Hunger is one of the category “Lower Three Worlds.” Anger follows in the category of the “Lower Four Worlds.” These lower worlds are the states of mind that generally produce the most bad causes which lead to bad effect, however, the Buddha also experiences these lower four worlds but from the standpoint of a purified mind. It is not the Buddhas intent that people eliminate desire, but purify that desire.
Rapture is what people generally believe to be happiness, but this is not so. Rapture is merely a feeling of joy that is temporary in nature. True happiness is more readily experienced as tranquility which is the base state. The states of learning and realization are academic in nature and can be best described by our scientific and academic communities, while the state of Boddhisattva is best described as a state where the individual delays their own enlightenment in an attempt to teach others and put them on the path of Buddhism.
The Mutual Possession of the Ten Worlds can be observed in all forms of life, albeit some forms are harder to observe than others. People tend to complicate their lives to the point that it becomes difficult, but not impossible. Animals such as dogs and apes are easily observable in that they don’t complicate their lives.
The concept of the Ten Worlds and their Mutual Possession is extremely profound in that it advances the notion of the inherent Buddha nature that we all possess and is the basis for original enlightenment theory (Hongaku Shiso). T’ien-t’ai states the following: "If the appearance of Bodhi and the Buddha nature are different, could one be permanent and one be impermanent? … Like the soothsayer who saw that both the appearance and the nature of the king were most exalted, how could the appearance of Bodhi and the Buddha nature not be identical?"
This concept is also indicative of the One Moment that encapsulates the past, present, and future, which is known as the “Three Existences.” The One Moment can be seen as the potentiality of life in any given circumstance, in that we have the volition to go beyond our conditioning and choose to act in an ethical manner instead of being drawn into the lower worlds. This potentiality is also expressed in Quantum Physics.
Ichinen Sanzen is expressed aptly in the following quote by T’ien-t’ai. “The observer and that which is observed are everywhere produced by the matrix of causality and conditions. In all that is produced by causality and conditions, there is emptiness of self.” The Great Calm-Observation, Volume 5, Part 3, Page 1

Putting it all together: Conditioned Response


First of all there is the caveat that we are not automatons living each moment generated by past causes with no hope of making any change. Much of life is simple cause and effect, however, we are on a general path toward our individual destiny. There is ample opportunity along this path for the expression of manifest effect, but the bottom line is that there is volition in every decision we make.
All life is conditioned at every moment of our existence and it is this conditioning that forms the basis of our response to our individual environments. For some, the conditions they are born into limit their ability to act with volition in certain circumstances. For example, those that are born with less than adequate functioning in certain areas are more apt to be limited in the amount of volition they have. In other words, no matter how much you may want to be a singer, if you were born with limited function in regards to singing, you may want to try a different career. No amount of volition is going to change the basic conditions.
As was mentioned earlier, life is a complex and interconnected interplay between entities and their individual environments. We are all dependant upon each other to fulfill our karma. To be blunt, the victim is dependant upon the victimizer, and vice versa. This is known as Dependant Co-arising.
No matter how much a person may complain about how life is treating them, it is their own bad karma that is to blame. The victimizer is the person that we blame for what has been done, but that is really just an example of the complexity of the interconnectedness of life. The victimizer is just making the cause for his or her own unhappiness in the future, and has not acted with volition. The victim has received the effect, and together they are caught in a cycle of repetition throughout future lives. This can be seen in the Middle East with the cycle of violence that is perpetuated by the conditioning of revenge. On the other hand, Martin Luther King and Gandhi both used volition in that they were determined not to sink into the cycle of violence. Which of these two examples has been the most effective?
History is replete with examples of people acting with volition, but much more replete with examples of acting within the confines of their own conditioning. It must be stated though, that is it volition or the conditioning which leads to the volition? It is actually a combination of the two, in that the conditioning of ethical behavior results in the use of volition, however, in everyday life when faced with someone that wants to make you angry, do you act with volition and choose not to be angry, or let the other person influence your environment? This is the conundrum. How do we know if we are acting with volition or just acting within the confines of our own conditioning?
This conundrum leads us to the difference between theoretical Ichinen Sanzen and Actual Ichinen Sanzen, because no amount of knowledge of the theory can actually change your karma. In Buddhism there is mutable karma and immutable karma and only through practice can the mutable karma be lessoned so that a person is free to act with volition in all circumstances. Tien-t’ai stated that “even though you may perform ten thousand good deeds, you will never escape your karmic entanglements until you understand the nature of your own mind.” This points to the need for a practice and not just the act of making good causes.
It isn’t good enough to understand the nature of life when the next thing you know you get slapped down by your own karma. That is why positive thinking doesn’t work for everyone! Ichinen Sanzen is all about positive thinking and the mastering of your own mind, but karma tends to get in the way. Mastering your mind requires a practice to keep your karma in check from the start, allowing the person to become in rhythm with their environment. T’ien-t’ai provided a practice but it wasn’t suitable for the common person, and in fact, he looked toward the future when the One Vehicle of the Lotus Sutra would be the primary practice.
At this point it must be understood that in Buddhism there are Three Time Periods [the Former Day of the Law, the Middle Day of the Law, and the Latter Day of the Law]. Tien-t’ai was assumed to be the Buddha for the Middle Day of the Law and was responsible for systematizing the Three Truths and Ichinen Sanzen. Dengyo [Saicho 767-822 C.E.] did work on the precepts [Candle for the Latter Dharma] and how the precepts change in regards to the Three Time Periods, and was responsible for the Mahayana Ordination Platform at Mt. Hiei, Japan where the Ten Good Mahayana precepts replaced the 250 Hinayana precepts.
During these Three Time Periods different practices produced results. In the Former Day of the Law, the 250 Hinayana precepts were the practice that lead to enlightenment. In the Middle Day of the Law, the Mahayana practices lead to enlightenment, culminating with the introduction of the core principles associated with the practice of the Latter Day of the Law. In the Latter Day of the Law we must “Honestly discard expedient means” and only the practice of the One Vehicle of the Lotus Sutra leads to enlightenment. This is not the assumption of the author of this paper, but the assumption of many Great Masters of Buddhism. The Bottom line is Buddhism is about practice more than theory, but it is the theory based on practice that leads to the awakening.
Once there is a basis of positivity that is born from practice, leading to the person becoming in rhythm with their environment, which leads to a persons basic needs always being fulfilled; then, it is possible to undertake the task of mastering your own mind, which leads to mastery over ones environment.