November 07, 2006
Nichiren on Honen and Japanese Pure Land
The Four Dictums
Nichiren's First Sermon April 28 1253
Rikkyo Kaishu-e or Risshu-e
Life and legends of Nichiren
(1) "Nembutsu {Jodo} leads to the hell of incessant suffering."
The spread of popular Pure Land Buddhism in China had coincided with a decline of the Chinese Tiantai-Lotus and Flower Garland Schools. Nichiren concurred with the Tiantai view that the Flower Garland & Lotus Sutras represented the finest teachings of Buddhism.
"Shan-tao and Honen, displaying a variety of majestic powers, deceived ignorant priests and lay believers and schemed to destroy the Thus Come One's correct teaching." -- Nichiren
If I understand correctly, Nichiren saw the decline of the Lotus Sutra and ascendancy of Shan-tao's Pure Land teaching as leading to the general decline of Chinese Culture. It appears that he observed a parellel between that and the rapid spread of Honen's Pure Land School in Kamakura Era Japan.
For details on Honen {(Honen-no Genku) ( 1133-1212)}, the spread of the Pure Land School in Kamakura Era Japan, and the official response; please refer to: Living the Rissho Ankoku Ron: The Prophetic Call of Nichiren for Today, by the Rev. Ryuei Michael McCormick Link.
For present purposes, the following are especially useful:
The Life and Teachings of Honen
The Pure Land School after Honen
Nichiren's critiques of Honen and popular Nembutsu were not without precedent. In 1204 Enryakuji, the Head Temple of the mainstream Tendai School, petitioned the retired Emperor Gotoba (1180-1239) (r. 1186-1198) to have Honen’s movement suppressed. In 1205 Kofukuji; one of the seven great temples of Nara, the family temple of the Fujiwara clan, and a head temple of the Hosso School, submitted a similar petition.
"The enemies of the Pure Land movement finally got their wish in 1207 as the court ordered the execution of Juren, Junsai, and two other disciples, and the laicization followed by exile of Honen and seven of his disciples. Thanks to his influential friends, like the former regent Kujo Kanezane, Honen’s exile was comparatively mild." -- Ryuei
After Honen's passing, there were more scholarly works denouncing Honen and the popular Nembutsu. Nichiren would later write:
" Many books have been written with the aim of refuting this evil doctrine ... [but] they have not thoroughly revealed the fundamental reason ... [it] discredits the True Dharma. Contrary to their intention, therefore, they only helped to propagate the book. They are like a light drizzle during a severe drought, that helps to kill the trees and grasses instead of reviving them, or like cowardly soldiers placed in the front lines of a battle, who only serve to encourage the powerful enemy.". -- Nichiren
I may be 'reading in,' but Nichiren seems to imply that the use of force had only backfired. The correct way to refute a teaching is with the three proofs; documentary evidence, sound reasoning, and actual results.
Posted by rbeck at November 7, 2006 07:35 AM