Who was Nichiren and when did he live?
Nichiren was a Japanese Buddhist priest who lived from 1222 to 1282. He developed his teachings in 13th-century feudal Japan during the Kamakura period and is the founding figure of Nichiren Buddhism.
Questions about Nichiren Buddhism
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What is the central practice of Nichiren Buddhism?
The central practice is chanting Namu Myoho Renge Kyo, a mantra Nichiren first proclaimed on the 28th of April 1253. This chanting is directed toward an object called the Gohonzon and is understood to embody the title and essence of the Lotus Sutra.
What is the Rissho Ankoku Ron and why is it significant?
The Rissho Ankoku Ron, or "Establishment of the Legitimate Teaching for the Protection of the Country," is a treatise Nichiren submitted to the nation's de facto leader Hojo Tokiyori in 1260. It argued that natural disasters of the era reflected Japan's religious failures and predicted foreign invasion if the country did not adopt faith in the Lotus Sutra. The original document is preserved at Shochuzan Hokekyo-ji as one of the National Treasures of Japan.
How did Nichiren Buddhism split into different schools?
The splintering began within years of Nichiren's death in 1282, when the six senior priests he named to lead his community fell into disputes over doctrine and practice. Key disagreements concerned the veneration of local Shinto gods, whether all chapters of the Lotus Sutra should be equally valued, and the religious identity of Nichiren himself. These divisions eventually produced today's 37 legally incorporated Nichiren Buddhist groups.
What was the Atsuhara Affair in Nichiren Buddhism?
The Atsuhara Affair was a persecution that began in 1278 and culminated three years later, in which twenty lay peasant-farmer followers of Nichiren were arrested on questionable charges in the Fuji district of present-day Shizuoka Prefecture. Three were executed. None recanted their faith, which Nichiren interpreted as proof that they had become genuine practitioners of the Lotus Sutra.
How did Nichiren Buddhism spread globally?
Genuine global expansion began in 1960 when Soka Gakkai president Daisaku Ikeda initiated worldwide propagation efforts, growing from a few hundred transplanted Japanese to over 3,500 families by 1962. The Soka Gakkai International was formally launched in Guam in 1975 and is now practiced in many countries including Korea, Malaysia, Brazil, India, and across Europe and North America.