The Teachings of nichiren Shōnin

What kind of image appears in your mind when you hear the name "Nichiren"? There are usually a few lines in history textbooks or books about general Buddhism mentioning him which you may have come across. They might have said something like, "a radical monk who criticised other schools of Buddhism." However, if you are only trapped by the image of him as a "radical monk," you will not be able to see what Nichiren Shōnin really wanted to convey.

The founder of the Nichiren School (Nichiren Shu), Nichiren Shōnin was born in the latter half of the Kamakura period in Japan and was determined to rebuild a country that was extremely confused, using the Lotus Sutra to save many people. His thoughts are broad, deep, and multifaceted. Some people see him as radical, while others consider him as a deeply compassionate person. He was a great master of the Dharma and as meticulous as a scholar, but on the other hand he lived an active life which was always under threat. What makes Nichiren Shōnin so intriguing is that his teachings and character cannot be adequately captured by taking a simplistic approach.

Here, we would like to explain Nichiren Shōnin’s teachings in an easy-to-understand manner, focusing on the “Go-ibun” (literary remains) left by him, and touching on his allure which captures the hearts of many people to this day.