Dharma Wheel

In the thread on Japanese Pure Land Buddhism vs other East Asian countries , user Sentient Light wrote the following: Some Vietnamese Pure Land Buddhists might even focus their niem phat practice primarily on Avalokitesvrara instead of Amitabha. I have a deep devotion to Kuan Yin Bodhisattva, and wo...

I watched some videos by Rev. Kanjin Cederman, currently a priest in the Nichiren Shu tradition. However, it was mentioned that before this, he was ordained as a monk in the Chinese Tiantai tradition. So there must be modern Chinese Tiantai groups in existence. A simple Google search failed to turn ...

I know most translations of the Lotus Sutra into English are done from Kumarajiva’s Chinese translation of the Sanskrit. There is a translation of a Sanskrit version by H. Kern, and 84000.co features a translation of the Sanskrit and a Tibetan translation. How much do the Chinese, Tibetan, and extan...

We are continually reborn into this Saha world. In what conditions we are born into are based upon our past causes. If we slandered the Law in our past existences, then we will encounter retribution for these causes in this lifetime and our lifetimes to come. If one falls into hell, then one's envi...

Thanks John for the detailed explanation. Quite by chance, last night I was browsing through a book I'd downloaded a while ago, Questions and Answers on Nichiren Buddhism by Senchu Murano . It contained the following questions (pp. 11-12): What happens to a person who is not a Nichiren believer when...

What is the general Nichiren Shu view of Kannon Bosatsu? The Lotus Sutra in Chapter 25 explains how Kannon Bosatsu will rescue those who call to Her for help. In spite of this though, SGI places no emphasis on Her, and I imagine the same is true about Shoshu (never seen Her mentioned in any of their...

"In the 13th Century, Japanese was pronounced as it was written, therefore we can assume that Nichiren chanted "Namu". Since the 3rd Century AD, a large number of Chinese words were incorporated into the Japanese language. These words were pronounced in Japanese approximately as they were in Chines...

Thanks, Mark, for the detailed info. So Nichiren taught that unenlightened beings are continually reborn in the six paths (hell, hungry ghosts, animals, asuras, humans and devas)? What about those who practice the Lotus Sutra? They will attain Buddhahood (presumably near or at the end of their lives...

Does anyone know if Shinran ever met Nichiren? They were alive at the same time and both studied on Mt Hiei. Is there any record of them ever meeting and discussing/debating Pure Land vs Lotus Sutra Buddhism?

If an English Nichiren Shoshu lecture or writing says "Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo", one should note that in the original Japanese lecture one would not see any difference between Nam or Namu. As we all know it is the same character. This is true. Chinese characters have no inherent pronunciation - they ar...

Is the Gohonzon written in Kanji ? Nichiren shonin said 5 6 or seven characters... did i recall that correctly ? So is there a character for Nam and a character for U ... i get how when you fast chant it blurs...i have not been able to blurr out the u... Yes, the Mandala Gohonzon is written in kanj...

These are not mutually exclusive ideas. The six realms have always been understood to be physical places, dimensions, etc., where one takes literal rebirth. Nichiren also accepted and taught this view, though he also described them in metaphorical terms, especially in the Kanjin Honzon Sho. NSA and...

Since the majority of my involvement with Nichiren Buddhism has been with SGI, I'm curious what the views of Nichiren Shu and Shoshu are with regards to rebirth and the Ten Worlds. SGI teaches that each of the worlds are states of mind. While this article seems to affirm a belief in rebirth, it does...

Minobu wrote: ↑Fri Dec 04, 2020 6:08 pm How do they chant. Do they use Namu or Nam

From their Sutra Recitation book, they appear to use 'Namu'. Which makes sense since they originate from Nichiren Shu.

I'm curious to know what the main differences are between Nichiren Shu and Rissho Kosei Kai. I know that RKK has its origins in Nichiren Shu, but what are the main differences between the two? Is RKK a lay-led organisation like SGI? Do they have priests? I am interested in Nichiren Buddhism (not tha...

Thanks for sharing! Lovely butsudan they have there!

Is the priest replacing the old Gohonzon with a new one?

Thanks for that.

I understand that Nichiren Shu temples use a mokusho - a cylindrical version of the mokugyo. Do laypeople use a mokusho (or mokugyo) for sutra chanting and odaimoku ?

I have a mokugyo, but I'm not sure if I should use it for chanting or not.

In Nichiren Shu, we typically only chant the verse section of Chapter 16 (called "Jigage," or "Verses of Eternity"). The full chapter is chanted on "special occasions." Oh, so the standard morning and evening gongyo the first part of Chapter 2 (Hoben) and the verse section of Chapter 16 (starting 自...

what do you mean removing the prose section... i recite the whole three pieces at least three times a day in full...to get full effect... Yes, but you are an independent Nichiren Buddhist, right? So your practice is up to you. I said that the SGI removed the prose section from Chapter 16 of the Lot...

Hi markatex, Thanks for your answers. I suspect it has something to do with Nichiren Shoshu's belief in the Dai-Gohonzon, which possesses some sort of mystical power, I guess. So Shoshu teaches that the Dai-Gohonzon has some sort of power that the regular Gohonzon don't? I have no idea how SGI deals...