Nichiren-shū

Nichiren Shū, meaning "School of Nichiren," is a special group of Buddhist traditions that started a long time ago. It comes from the teachings of a man named Nichiren and his followers. This group includes four of the original schools that grew from Nichiren's first students, and also part of a fifth school.

These schools share similar beliefs and practices, focusing on the teachings of Nichiren, who lived in Japan many years ago. People who follow Nichiren Shū believe in chanting and studying special Buddhist writings to find peace and meaning in life.

Today, Nichiren Shū continues to be an important part of Buddhist life in Japan and around the world, helping people understand important lessons about kindness, patience, and respect.

Overview

This Buddhist group is often called the Minobu Sect because it is mainly found around Mount Minobu. Its main temple, Kuon-ji, is on Mount Minobu, where the Buddhist teacher Nichiren lived and asked to be buried. Another important temple is Ikegami Honmon-ji, where Nichiren passed away. Many of Nichiren's important items and writings, considered National Treasures of Japan, are kept there.

This group is known for being more open and friendly to other Buddhist traditions. They sometimes mix in beliefs and practices from other Buddhist and Shinto traditions. This includes using different religious statues, a special red stamp called Shuin, and combining some Buddhist and Shinto ideas.

Unlike some other groups, Nichiren Shū does not believe Nichiren picked just one person to lead after him. Instead, they believe he chose six senior disciples who were all equally important.

Practices and beliefs

The Nichiren-shū sect encourages five main practices: keeping the Sutra in mind and heart, reading it, saying it out loud, teaching it to others, and copying it as a sign of respect.

Believers are also expected to chant Odaimoku as a secondary practice. Other activities include quiet meditation, singing praises, beautifully copying the Odaimoku, and studying important ideas taught by Shakyamuni Buddha such as the Four Noble Truths, Threefold Training, Noble Eightfold Path, and Taking Refuge.

Object of worship

Nichiren Shū gives its members special handwritten scrolls called Gohonzons, but they may also use statues to represent the Gohonzon. These can include:

• A statue of the Shakyamuni Buddha as the Eternal Buddha, sometimes with four important helpers called the Four Bodhisattvas of the Earth
• A special stone with the words Namu-myōhō-renge-kyō written on it, with the Buddhas Shakyamuni and Prabhutaratna on either side
• A single written phrase called the Odaimoku (Ippen Shudai)
• A special scroll known as the Rin-metsu gohonzon, now called the Shutei Gohonzon of Nichiren Shu

Only fully trained Nichiren Shū ministers can create and bless these special scrolls, but most often they give members a copy of a scroll that Nichiren himself wrote, called the Shutei Gohonzon.

Holidays

Nichiren Shū observes several important holidays throughout the year. On 15 February, they celebrate Nirvana Day, marking the passing of Shakyamuni Buddha. 16 February is Nichiren's birthday. Other key dates include the Higan Equinox festival on 21 March, Buddha's Birthday on 8 April, and the Urabon ancestry festival from 13–15 July and August. The death anniversary of Nichiren, called Oeshiki, is observed on 13 October, and Bodhi Day is celebrated on 8 December.

Historic temples

Here are some important temples linked to Nichiren and his teachings:

• Hokekyo-ji keeps a special book called the Rissho Ankoku Ron, written by Nichiren.
• Ikegami Honmon-ji stands where Nichiren lived and was honored after he passed away.
• Kuon-ji was started by Nichiren himself.
• Kyōnin-ji marks where Nichiren faced a hard time in 1281.
• Ryūkō-ji is where Nichiren was meant to face a serious challenge.
• Seichō-ji used to follow other Buddhist groups but joined Nichiren-shū in 1949 because of its big role in Nichiren-Buddhism. It was originally a temple of the Tendai-shū and later Shingon-shū.
• Tanjō-ji is close to where Nichiren was born, though the exact spot is now underwater.

Nichiren Shū today

Nichiren Shū began spreading outside Japan with immigrants to the United States, then to the Kingdom of Hawaii, Brazil, and other places in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Today, there are Nichiren Shū temples and Sanghas in many countries including the United States, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, South America, India, Korea, Southeast Asia, and Europe.

The group welcomes people of all backgrounds and continues to grow around the world. In 2010, Nichiren Shū reported having about 5,000 temples, 8,000 ministers, and 3.8 million members globally.

Differences and similarities with other schools

Nichiren Shu has some different ideas compared to other schools. It does not believe the Dai-Gohonzon is better than other Gohonzons, and it thinks the idea that it was written by Nichiren is not true.

The sect teaches that Nichiren was a very important teacher, called Visistacaritra, and that Shakyamuni Buddha was special because he was the first Buddha in history to show others how to follow Buddhism.

Nichiren Shu also has its own ideas about three important teachings: "Odaimoku" (a special chant), the Lotus Sutra (a holy book), and "Kaidan" (a place for practice). These ideas are different from what other schools believe.