A sect founded by the Japanese Buddhist reformer Nichiren (122282); sometimes called the Lotus sect, because of his claim that the Lotus Sutra contained the ultimate truth. He attacked other forms of Buddhism, and called the nation to convert to true Buddhism. There are almost 40 subsects today.
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Nichiren Buddhism (日蓮系諸宗派: Nichiren-kei sho shūha) is a branch of Buddhism based on the teachings of the 13th century Japanese monk Nichiren (1222–1282). Various forms of Nichiren
Buddhism have had great influence among certain sections of Japanese society at different times in the country's history, such as among the merchants of Kyoto in Japan's middle ages and among
some ultranationalists during the pre-World War II era. Nichiren Buddhism is generally noted for its focus on the Lotus Sutra and an attendant belief that all people have an innate Buddha
nature and are therefore inherently capable of attaining enlightenment in their current form and present lifetime. It is also noted for positioning itself in opposition to other forms of
Buddhism and an evangelical streak as evinced by some schools' practice of shakubuku, efforts to convert others by refuting their current beliefs and convincing them of the validity of
Nichiren's teachings. Nichiren Buddhists believe that the spread of Nichiren's teachings and their effect on practioners' lives will eventually bring about a peaceful, just, and prosperous
society.
The founder, Nichiren
From the age of 16 until 32, Nichiren studied in numerous temples in Japan, especially Mt. During his lifetime Nichiren stridently believed that the contemporary teachings of Buddhism taught by other sects (particularly Shingon, Nembutsu, and Zen) were mistaken in their interpretations of the correct path to enlightenment and therefore refuted them publicly and vociferously. Some Nichiren schools see the attempted beheading incident as marking a turning point in Nichiren's teaching, since he began to inscribe Gohonzon and wrote a number of major doctrinal treatises during his subsequent three-year exile on Sado Island in the Japan Sea.
Schools
Today, Nichiren Buddhism is not a single denomination (see following lists). It began to branch into different schools within several years of Nichiren's passing, before which Nichiren had named six senior priests (rokurōsō) whom he wanted to transmit his teachings to future generations: Nisshō (日昭), Nichirō (日朗), Nikō (日向), Nitchō (日頂), Nichiji (日持), and Nikkō (日興).
Kuon-ji eventually became the central temple of today's Nichiren Shu, one of the two largest branches and the one encompassing the numerous minor schools of the Minobu branch into which most of the schools started by Nisshō, Nichirō, and Nichiji have been subsumed. The other dominant branch is centered at Taiseki-ji, the head temple of today's Nichiren Shoshu school.
Other traditional Nichiren schools include several sub-schools that call themselves just Hokke Shū, the Honmon Butsuryū Shū, and the Kempon Hokke Shū. Several of Japan's new religions are also sub-sects of or otherwise based on one or another of the traditional Nichiren schools. The Reiyūkai, Risshō Kōsei Kai, and Nipponzan Myōhōji Sangha stem from one or another of the Kuon-ji/Minobu branch schools, whereas Sōka Gakkai, Shōshinkai, and Kenshōkai are breakaways from the Nichiren Shoshu school.
Major Nichiren Buddhist schools
The following lists are from the Japanese Wikipedia article on Nichiren Buddhism.
Nichiren Shū: Sozan Minobuzan Kuon-ji ja:日蓮宗 祖山身延山ja:久遠寺 Nichiren Shōshū: Sōhonzan Taiseki-ji ja:日蓮正宗 総本山ja:大石寺 Honmon Butsuryū Shū ja:本門佛立宗 大本山宥清寺 Kempon Hokke Shu|Kempon Hokke Shū]]: Sōhonzan Myōman-ji ja:顕本法華宗 総本山妙満寺 Hokkeshū, Honmon Ryū 法華宗（本門流）大本山光長寺・鷲山寺・本興寺･本能寺 Hokkeshū, Jinmon Ryū 法華宗（陣門流）総本山本成寺 Hokkeshū, Shinmon Ryū 法華宗（真門流）総本山本隆寺 Honmon Hokke Shū: Daihonzan Myōren-ji 本門法華宗 大本山妙蓮寺 Nichiren Honshū: Honzan Yōbō-ji ja:日蓮本宗 本山ja:要法寺 Nichiren Shū Fuju-Fuse-ha: Sozan Myōkaku-ji ja:日蓮宗不受不施派 祖山妙覚寺 Nichiren Hokke Shū 日蓮法華宗 大本山正福寺 Hokke Nichiren Shū 法華日蓮宗 総本山宝龍寺 Hompa Nichiren Shū 本派日蓮宗 総本山宗祖寺 Honke Nichiren Shū (Hyōgo) 本化日蓮宗（兵庫） 総本山妙見寺 Fuju-Fuse Nichiren Kōmon Shū 不受不施日蓮講門宗 本山本覚寺 Honke Nichiren Shū (Kyōto) 本化日蓮宗（京都）本山石塔寺 Shōbō Hokke Shū 正法法華宗 本山大教寺 Honmon Kyōō Shū 本門経王宗 本山日宏寺 Nichiren Kōmon Shū 日蓮講門宗Non-traditional schools
Reiyūkai ja:霊友会 Risshō Kōsei Kai ja:立正佼成会 Nipponzan Myōhōji ja:日本山妙法寺 Kokuchukai|Kokuchūkai ja:国柱会 (also 國柱会) Shōshinkai ja:正信会 Fuji Taisekiji Kenshōkai (also, just Kenshōkai) ja:富士大石寺顕正会 Honmon Shoshu|Honmon Shōshū 本門正宗Lay organizations
Sōka Gakkai ja:創価学会 (also, Soka Gakkai International (SGI))Note: Though most sources (e.g., Britannica online;
Doctrine and practices
Much of Nichiren Buddhist doctrine is, at least on the surface, a further development or adaptation of Tendai (Chinese: Tiantai) thought, especially as passed down from Saichō (also known as Dengyō; For example, as in Tendai but in contrast to many other Buddhist schools, most Nichiren Buddhists believe that personal enlightenment can be achieved in this world within the practitioner's current lifetime (即身成仏: sokushin jōbutsu). Most Nichiren schools also recite the Lotus Sutra (in Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese text) to varying degrees in their respective versions of the often daily or twice-daily gongyō service. Other details of Nichiren Buddhist practice can differ widely depending on the school. Further, Nichiren Shoshu and other schools stemming from the priest Nikkō consider Nichiren to be the True (or Original) Buddha, whereas Nichiren Shu and the others descendant from the other six senior priests see him as a saint, great teacher, or prophet.
To understand these differences, readers are urged to look for information on the particular school or schools in which they have an interest.
Nichiren's writings
Nichiren was a prolific writer.
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