Wooden or Painted Images
SGI and Nichiren Shoshu members should read Establishing the Four
Bodhisattvas as the Object of Worship (MW's volume 3). Nowhere in this writing does the Daishonin specifically address painted images. He states only "statues" or "objects of worship"
Again, in, "The Unmatched Fortune of the Law (MW, vol. 7), the Daishonin uses the word "image" not specifying painted or sculpted: "In the entire land of Jambudvipa, there has never before been a hall or pagoda that produced the image of Shakyamuni Buddha of the Juryo Chapter of the Lotus Sutra."
In the Gosho, Rebuking Slander of the Law(MW vol. 6), he states:
"During this period of twenty-two hundred years and more, worthy rulers and sage rulers have honored painted images or wooden images of Shakyamuni, the lord of teachings, as their principle object of worship. But although they have made depictions of the Buddhas of the Hinayana and the Mahayana teachings; of the Kegon, Nirvana and Kammuryoju sutras; of the theoretical teaching of the Lotus Sutra and the Fugen Sutra; of the Buddha of the Dainichi and the other Shingon sutras; and of the Buddhas Shakyamuni and Taho of the Hoto chapter, the Shakyamuni of the the Juryo chapter has never been depicted in a mountain temple or monastery anywhere."
Note the phrase "painted images OR wooden images".
In the Gosho, Consecrating an Image of Shakyamuni Buddha Made by Shijo Kingo we see that the Daishonin unequivocally sanctions properly consecrated statues as correct objects of worship. Rather than quoting the significant passages therein it would be much more worthwhile to read the entire Gosho for yourselves and see if my assertions are true.
From the Kanjin Honzon Sho, we read:
"Nonetheless without the seed of Buddhahood established on the basis of the 3,000 existences contained in one thought doctrine, attainment of Buddhahood by all sentient beings or the worship of wooden statues and portraits is an empty name without reality." Kanjin Honzon Sho, page 88, NOOPA 1991.
"The true object of worship [honzon] such as this was not revealed anywhere else by Sakyamuni Buddha during the more than fifty years of his preaching in this life. ... Many wooden statues and portraits were made of Sakyamuni Buddha as he preached the Hinayana or quasi-Mahayana sutras but statues and portraits of the Eternal Sakyamuni Buddha revealed in the Duration of the Life of the Buddha chapter of the Lotus Sutra were never made. Now in the beginning of the Latter Age of the Decadent Dharma, is it not the time that such statues and portraits are made?" Kanjin Honzon Sho, page 104, NOPPA 1991.
The Name of an entire Gosho is devoted to the clarification of this point, Opening the Eyes of Wooden or Painted Images. If only painted Images were to be included the title of the Gosho would have been, Opening the Eyes of Painted Images or even Opening the Eyes of Inscribed Images. However, much to the chagrin of the Taisekaji sects, the name of the Gosho and the contents therein clearly demonstrate that wooden images(statues), if properly consecrated, are
valid objects of worship.
We of the KHK use only scroll Gohonzons because our tradition has been persecuted so severely in Japan over centuries that we had to leave our homes on a moments notice or we had to hide the object of worship and only a scroll Gohonzon would permit such quick action. This is the heritage of our sect.
Posted by markrogow at March 29, 2008 01:30 AM