From the analects of the Kempon HokkePASSAGES OF PROOF WHY SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA IS THE ORIGINAL AND ETERNAL BUDDHA & NICHIREN DAISHONIN IS BODHISATTVA JOGYO
Note: These passages come from their own religious text. It is as if their adherents don't even see or hear what they are reading in their own books..
Edited and revised by Steven Polito
Here we present dozens of Nichiren's quotes in support of the identity of Shakyamuni Buddha as the Original Buddha a subject
of Nichiren's veneration. We have omitted many dozens of redundant quotes and a few that superficially contradict the overwhelming vast body of Nichiren's thought. These very few instances in the Taisekiji translations in which Nichiren fails to clarify the identity of the Original Buddha but which are clarified
in other more reliable translations of Nichiren Daishônin writings, not readily available to SGI or NST members."Present within our lives is the Lord Shakyamuni who
obtained the three enlightened properties of life before
gohyaku-jintengo, the Original Buddha since time without
beginning." (MW vol. 1, The True Object of Worship, pg. 65)"Demonstrating ten great mystic powers the Buddha
(Shakyamuni) transferred Namu Myoho renge Kyo to the
four great bodhisattvas" (Ibid. pg. 77)"Shakyamuni is the original teacher for all people as well
as their sovereign and their parent"
(MW vol. 1, Admonitions Against Slander, pg. 166)"It is the object of worship which perfectly depicts Lord
Shakyamuni in the Treasure Tower"
(MW vol. 1, The Real Aspect of the Gohonzon, pg. 212)"Shakyamuni is the father, sovereign and teacher of all
other Buddhas and all gods, of the whole assembly of men
and heavenly beings and of all sentient beings."
(MW vol. 1, Letter to Nikke, pg. 257)"But because of this book by Horen, this Senchaku Shu,
the Lord Buddha Shakyamuni is forgotten."
(MW vol. 2, Rissho Ankoku Ron, pg. 23)"The Lord Shakyamuni who declared 'I alone can save them,'
at a time even more distant than gohyaku-jintengo, is none other
than each of us." (MW vol. 2, IZU Exile, pg. 55)"One should know that the Enlightened One, the Buddha, is a
Great Teacher for all living beings, a Great Eye for them, a
Great Pillar, a Great Helmsman, a Great Field of Plenty."
(MW vol. 2, Opening of the Eyes, pg. 77)"The doctrines that the Buddha taught over a period of
fifty years number eighty thousand... The eight years during
which he preached the Lotus Sutra he called the time when he
'now must reveal the truth'. Thus Taho Buddha came forth from
the earth to testify that 'All that you have expounded is the
truth,' and the Buddhas that are emanations of the Original
Buddha gathered together and extended their tongues
up to the Brahma-heaven in testimony." (MW vol. 2, Ibid.,
pg. 79)"The Buddhas of the ten directions gathered in assembly,
Shakyamuni Buddha announced that 'all of these are
emanations of my being." (MW vol. 2, Ibid., pg. 141)"When Shakyamuni Buddha revealed that he had gained
enlightenment in the far distant past and had since then been
constantly in the world it became apparent that all the other
Buddhas were emanations of Shakyamuni."
(MW vol. 2, Ibid., pg. 149)"Since the Buddha of the Ju-ryô chapter is revealed as the
eternal Buddha, it follows that the great bodhisattvas such as Monju and Miroku and the great bodisattvas from other realms are in fact disciples of Shakyamuni Buddha."
(MW vol. 2, Ibid., pg. 150)"All these beings are disciples of Shakyamuni Buddha. Since
the various Buddhas themselves are emanations of Shakyamuni
Buddha, it goes without saying that their disciples must be disciples of Shakyamuni. And of course the various deties of the sun, moon and stars who have dwelt in the world from countless ages in the past must likewise be disciples of Shakyamuni Buddha." (MW vol. 2, Ibid., pg. 152)"The Lotus Sutra is nothing other than a scripture that
reveals that Shakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment at a
time even more distant than gohyaku-jintengo."
(MW vol. 2, Letter to the Priests of Seicho-ji, pg. 268)"but Shakyamuni [by bestowing upon us the character myo]
has granted us as many benefits as if we ourselves had fulfilled
all the practices of the six paramitas. This precisely accords with
his statement, "Now this threefold world is all my domain, the
living beings in it are all my children."
(MW vol. 3, Letter to Nichimyo Shonin, pg. 48-49)"Now the votaries of the Lotus Sutra are the children of
Shakyamuni Buddha." (MW vol. 3, Ibid., pg. 49)"All that you (Shakyamuni Buddha) have expounded is the
truth." (MW vol. 3, Ibid. pg. 51)"The Lord Shakyamuni assembled Taho Buddha as well as the
other Buddhas, who were his own emanations, from throughout
ten directions and left one great medicine-the five characters of
Myoho renge Kyo for the people of the Latter Day." (MW vol. 3,
The Mandala of the Mystic Law, pg. 58)"Lord Shakyamuni treasured this Gohonzon in mind... He
revealed it in the Ju-ryô chapter..."
(MW vol. 3, Reply to Nii-Ama, pg. 64-65)MW vol. 3, pg. 79. The selection of the Time-directly under
The title is written: Nichiren, disciple of Shakyamuni Buddha.
"Yet it was not I, Nichiren who made these important
pronouncements. Rather it was in all cases the spirit of
Shakyamuni Buddha that had entered into my body. And at
having Personally experienced this I am beside myself with joy."
(MW vol. 3, Ibid., pg. 171)"Shakyamuni Buddha, the World Honored One, declared, 'I am
the foremost throughout the threefold world."
(MW vol. 3, Ibid., pg. 176)"When I was about to be beheaded, the Lord Buddha
Shakyamuni took my place."
(MW vol. 3, The Supremacy of the Law, pg. 199)."However, they are alike in that they all abandoned
Shakyamuni Buddha," and in the next paragraph it states, "If
there is anyone among my followers who is weak in faith and goes against what I, Nichiren, say, he will meet the same fate as did the Soga family."
(MW vol. 3, The Supreme Leader of the World, pg. 237)"I have been ceaselessly praying for your sake to the Lotus
Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha and the gods of the sun and moon."
(MW vol. 3, Ibid.)"Our teacher, Shakyamuni Buddha."
(MW vol. 4, The Learned Shan-wu-wei, pg. 64)"They are monks and nuns by virtue of the Lord Shakyamuni."
(Ibid., pg. 65)"There are three reasons why Shakyamuni Buddha rather than
any of the other Buddhas has a relationship with all the people of
the world of the saha world. First of all, he is the World Honored
One, the sovereign of all the people of this saha world...
The second reason is that Shakyamuni Buddha is the father
And mother of all the persons in the saha world. It is proper
that we should first of all pay filial respect to our own father and
mother. The third reason is that Shakyamuni is the original
teacher of all persons in the saha world." (Ibid., pg. 65-66)"Yet Shakyamuni Buddha entered this saha world of ours with
the title Nonin, 'He Who Can Forbear.' He is so called because
he does not berate its people for the slanders they all commit but
shows forbearance toward them. These, then, are the special
qualities possessed by Shakyamuni Buddha, qualities that the
other Buddhas lack" (Ibid., pg. 68)"I [Shakyamuni] alone can save them." (Ibid., pg. 69)
"For this reason, all the persons in this saha world of
ours, if they detest the sufferings of birth and death and wish to
have an object of veneration to which they can pay respect, should
first of all fashion images of Shakyamuni Buddha... and make
these their object of worship." (Ibid., pg. 69)"Shakyamuni Buddha our father and mother, who is endowed
with the three virtues of sovereign, teacher and parent, is the very
one who encourages us, the people driven out by all the other
Buddhas, saying, 'I alone can save them'. The debt of gratitude
we owe him is deeper than the ocean, weightier than the earth,
vaster than the sky. Though we were to pluck out our two eyes
and place them before him as an offering until there were more
eyes there than stars in the sky, though we were to strip off our
skins and spread them out by the hundreds of thousands until
they blanketed the ceiling of heaven, though we were to give
him our tears as offerings of water and present him with flowers
for the space of a hundred billion kalpas, though we were to offer him our flesh and blood for innumerable kalpas, until our flesh piled up like mountains and our blood overflowed like vast seas, we could never repay a fraction of the debt we owe to this Buddha!" (Ibid., pg. 71-72)"All that you [Shakyamuni Buddha] have expounded is the
truth." (MW vol. 4, Teaching, Practice and Proof, pg. 120)"First, in Japan and all the other countries and throughout the
world, the object of worship should, on all cases, be the Lord
Shakyamuni of true Buddhism."
(MW vol. 4, Repaying Debts of Gratitude, pg. 271)"Our merciful father, Lord Shakyamuni, said 'Rely on the
Law and not upon persons."
(MW vol. 5, A Sage and an Unenlightened Man, pg. 65)"In the same volume in the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha says,
'for the sake of the Buddha way I have in countless different lands
from the beginning until now widely preached various sutras, but among them this Sutra is foremost'. This passage means that Shakyamuni Buddha has appeared in countless lands, taking different names and assuming varying
life spans." (Ibid., pg. 77)"I have dedicated my life to Shakyamuni Buddha and the
Lotus Sutra, extending compassion to all living beings and
rebuking slanders of the Law."
(MW vol. 5, A Sage and an Unenlightened Man, pg. 107)"When Shakyamuni Buddha in the clouds above the Sacred
Mountain, in the mists of Eagle peak, summed up the essence of the doctrine and entrusted it to the bodhisattvas of the earth, what do you suppose that teaching was? It was nothing other than these five characters, the essential
law;" (Ibid., pg. 110)"I Nichiren, humble person though I am, have received Lord
Shakyamuni's royal command and come to this country of
Japan." (MW vole 5, The Pure and Far Reaching Voice, pg. 143)"Shakyamuni Buddha is the lord of all buddhist teachings,
the leader and teacher of all human beings." (Ibid., pg. 143)
"And among the Sutras, the Lotus Sutra is a manifestation
in writing of Shakyamuni Buddha's intent; it is his voice set
down in written word." (Ibid., pg. 147)"Shakyamuni Buddha and the written words of the Lotus Sutra
are two different things but their heart is one. Therefore,
when you cast your eyes upon the words of the Lotus Sutra you should consider that you are beholding the living body of the Buddha Shakyamuni." (Ibid., pg. 147)"However the Buddha recognizes each character as a golden
Lord Shakyamuni.' This is the meaning of the statement that
'[one who is able to hold this Sutra] thereby holds the Buddha's body'. Those who practice Buddhism but adhere to distorted views destroy this loftiest of Sutras."
(MW vol. 5, Reply to Soya Nyudo, pg. 164)"The Son of Heaven utters not a single word in vain' and
'the words of the Dharma King contain no falsehood'. A wise
ruler will never lie, even if it should bring about his ruin. How much less would Shakyamuni Buddha ever speak falsely!"
(MW vol. 5, Good Fortune in This Life, pg. 185)"Only the Lotus Sutra represents the wonderful teaching
preached directly from the golden mouth of Shakyamuni Buddha, who is perfectly endowed with the three bodies."
(MW vol. 5, Letter to Myomitsu Shonin, pg. 196)"Shakyamuni, the Lord of Teachings, is the foremost sage in
the saha world." (Ibid., pg. 199)"As we see from these passages of scripture, Shakyamuni,
with his Buddha eye, observed the situation that would prevail at the beginning of the Latter Day of the Law. If, when the age has arrived, there were to be no persons of the type the Buddha describes then the World-Honored One would be guilty of false and baseless talk. [And if that were to be the case, then] who would put faith in the theoretical and essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra, and in the doctrine of the eternally inherent Buddha
Nature." (MW vol. 6, Reply to Lord Hakiri Saburo, pg. 40)"In this way, Shakyamuni Buddha cited his own practice in
the past to encourage and hearten [The Votary of the Lotus Sutra]." (Ibid. pg. 42)"Shakyamuni summoned the four bodhisattvas and entrusted
them with the five characters of Myoho renge Kyo."
(MW vol. 6, Rebuking Slander of the Law, pg. 60)"We see from the Sutra that only these four bodhisattvas
had been the disciples of Shakyamuni, the Lord of Teachings, since
the remote past." (Ibid., pg. 62)Nichiren quotes Miao-lo, referring to the relationship of
the bodhisattvas of the Earth to Shakyamuni as follows; "The
sons will disseminate the Law of the Father." (Ibid., pg. 62)"The Shakyamuni of the Ju-ryô Chapter has never been
depicted in any mountain temple or monastery anywhere."
(Ibid., pg. 63)"The nation of Japan today has turned its back on the Lotus
Sutra and cast aside Shakyamuni Buddha."
(MW vol. 6, Letter To Ichinosana Nyudo, pg. 99)"Shakyamuni Buddha is the Parent of all living beings in
this world." (Ibid., pg. 100)"The Lord Buddha Shakyamuni is the enlightened teacher for
all living beings in the country of ours. It is thanks to our
teacher that we can understand who our parents are. It is owing to
Shakyamuni that we can distinguish black from white."
(Ibid., pg. 100)"It will be hard indeed to find anyone who can preach the
Lotus Sutra just as it teaches in the Latter Day of the Law of
Shakyamuni Buddha."
(MW vol. 6, Three Tripitaka Masters, pg. 118)"The Tathagata Shakyamuni, seated in the tower adorned with
seven kinds of precious gems, entrusted the five characters of
Myoho renge Kyo to Takahashi Nyudo."
(MW vol. 6, Reply to Takashi Nyudo, pg. 124)"Were it not for Shakyamuni, the lord of teachings, how
could such blessings as these be bestowed." "The Hokke [Lotus] sect is the sect founded by Shakyamuni."
(MW vol. 6, How Those Initially Aspiring to the Way Can Attain
Buddhahood, pg. 175)"Therefore [the sect based on] the Lotus Sutra is known as
the Buddha-founded sect and is also called the Hokke Sect."
(Ibid., pg. 175)"The various other sects were founded by bodhisattvas or
teachers in the period after the Buddha had entered Nirvana. Should we now turn our backs upon the Buddha's decree and follow the sects established by the bodhisattvas and teachers? Or should we ignore the words of the bodhisattvas and teachers and follow the sect established by the Buddha."
(Ibid., pg. 176)"Now the Latter Day of the Law, is the time when the seven
characters of Namu Myoho renge kyo-the heart of the
twenty-eight chapters of the Lotus Sutra that Shakyamuni Buddha who had achieved enlightenment in the remote past, along with the bodhisattvas Jogyo, Muhengyo and the others is to propogate-will alone spread throughout the country."
(Ibid., pg. 187-188)"The messenger of the Lord Buddha Shakyamuni has twice been
paraded through the street." (MW vol. 6, A Father Takes
Faith, pg. 242)."Because Shakyamuni expounded the Lotus Sutra in order to
repay the debt of gratitude he owed to his father and mother, Taho
Buddha, who had come from the land of treasure purity, praised him as a Buddha of true filial piety. And the Buddhas of the ten directions assembled and declared him to be the most filial among all the Buddhas."
(MW vol. 6, On Filial and Unfilial Conduct, pg. 290)"Therefore, the words of this Sutra are indeed the very
soul of Shakyamuni Buddha. And since every single word constitutes the soul of the Buddha, Shakyamuni Buddha will protect persons who practice this Sutra as though he were protecting his very own eyes. He will accompany such
persons just as a shadow accompanies a body. How then could
the prayers of such persons not be answered."
(MW vol. 7, On Prayer, pg. 34)"The various Buddhas [other than Shakyamuni], since they
are known as World Honored One, may be regarded as Sovereigns. But since they do not make their appearance in this saha world, they are not teachers. Nor do they declare that '...the living beings in it (this threefold world) are all my children'. Thus, Shakyamuni Buddha alone fulfills the three functions of sovereign, teacher and parent." (Ibid., pg. 43)"The Shakyamuni Buddha who lived in a past even more
distant than gohyaku-jintengo-became enlightened to the Lotus that is the entity of the Mystic Law. Thereafter, in age after age and lifetime after lifetime, he declared that he had attained the way and he revealed the fundamental principle of wisdom and reality." (MW vol. 7, The Entity of the Mystic Law, pg. 67)"In this passage, Shakyamuni Buddha explains that he is
entrusting to the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, his original disciples,
the five characters of Myoho renge Kyo which is the essence of the Lotus Sutra. Shakyamuni, who attained enlightenment countless Kalpas in the past, says elsewhere, 'By now the original vows that I made have already been fulfilled. I have converted all living beings and caused them to enter the Buddha way'... This passage represents the ultimate purpose for which
Shakyamuni appeared in the world, the secret Law that he
attained in the place of meditation." (Ibid., pg. 70)"In the Latter Day of the Law, other than the envoy of the
Thus Come One, there can be no one who understands and produces this passage as proof of the Lotus of the Entity."
(Ibid., pg. 70)"The way in which the Lotus emerges from the muddy water is
used as a metaphor to explain that when the Thus Come One joins
the multitude of listeners, seats himself on a lotus in the same manner as the various bodhisattvas and expounds on the unsurpassed wisdom of the Thus Come One and on the enlightened state of purity, the various voice heavens, hearing
this, are able to obtain the secret storehouse of the Thus
Come One. Second, the words Myoho renge signify the lotus opening up. (This is a metaphor explaining that) ordinary beings, though exposed to the Mahayana teachings, are timid and fearful in mind and incapable of taking faith in them. Therefore the Thus Come One 'opens' or reveals his Dharma body in its purity and wonder, awakening in them the mind of faith." (Ibid., pg. 71-72)"In the entire land of Jambuduipa, there has never before
been a hall or pagoda that produced the image of Shakyamuni Buddha of the Ju-ryô Chapter of the Lotus Sutra. How could such an image fail to appear now."
(MW vol. 7, The Unmatched Fortune of the Law, pg. 160)"But he reveres Shakyamuni Buddha and puts his faith in the
teaching of the Lotus Sutra. Hence he is like a snake that
grips a jewel in its mouth, or a dragon that bears sacred relics on its head. A wisteria vine by Twining around a pine, may climb a thousand meters into the air and a crane, because it has wings to rely upon, can travel ten thousand miles. It is not their own strength that allows them to do these things."
(MW vol. 7, On The Urobon, pg. 172-173)These passages from the Gosho are crystal clear.
Nichiren's reverence for Shakyamuni Buddha knows no bounds. Why do the Taisekiji sects fail to heed them, to understand them, to embrace them. Could it be that the Devil of the Sixth Heaven has descended into their priests' and laymen's minds and bodies. Shakyamuni is the Original Buddha and only a twisted mind could read Nichiren's Gosho and perceive otherwise. Only a
most devious mind could conspire with other like-minded
individuals to attempt to destroy and distort the most sacred of teachings:
"They will tear off the first part of the Sutra and stick it on the
end, tear off the end and put it at the beginning, put the end and the beginning in the middle and the beginning at the middle or end. You must understand that these evil monks are the companions of the devil." (MW vol. 2, Opening Of The Eyes, pg. 180)"Unfilial children however are not allowed to
succeed their parents." (MW vol. 3, Letter to Nichinyo, pg. 49)"There is a difference if one chants the daimoku while acting against the intent of this Sutra."
(MW vol. 3, The Fourteen Slanders, pg. 207); and "Those who
practice buddhism but adhere to distorted views destroy this loftiest of Sutras." (MW vol. 5, Reply to Soya Nyudo, pg. 164).How can this most distressing of situations be remedied?
The answers are to be found in the Gosho: "In the same way, one
who chants the daimoku as the Lotus Sutra teaches will never have a twisted mind." (MW vol. 5, Letter to Myomitsu Shonin, pg. 196)"Those who seek the truth of buddhism, however, should reject one sided views whether they are of their own sects or other sects and should not treat others with contempt."
(MW vole 2, Opening Of The Eyes, pg. 167)"One should use the Sutras as his eyes and give precedence to the wisdom of the Buddha. Surely however, if this standard is made clear people will become enraged and harbor indignation in their minds. Let them do as they will. What matters most is that we honor the Buddha's command. As a rule people in the world
value what is distant and despise what is near, but this is the conduct of the ignorant. Even the distant should be repudiated if it
is wrong, while that which is near should not be discarded if it accords with the truth. Even though people may revere (their predecessors doctrines), if those doctrines are in error, how can we employ them today."
(MW vole 4, Reply to Hoshina Goro Taro, pg. 42-43)
