Robin Beck

SGI, Nichiren Shoshu, Human Revolution, & Hosshaku Kenpon

Someone asked about the concept of Hosshaku Kempon {発迹顕本}as understood by Nichiren Shoshu and Soka Gakkai. This is a good nuts & bolts Nichiren Buddhism study question on multiple levels. As some of you may recall, the Soka Gakkai, prior to 1979, taught Hosshaku Kenpon in the context of Buddhist Life Philosophy. It was the last stage in the process of Human Revolution {ningen kakumei} The Soka Gakkai concept of Human Revolution was sometimes taught as a three step or three-fold process of altaring {sic} one's destiny. The first step was Tenju Kyoju; {転重軽受} or lightening one's karmic retribution. For example, one who had the karma to die a violent death might experience a chronic illness instead.

So the next step was Hendoku Iyaku {変毒為薬}, or changing poison into medicine. In the crude example given above; the sickness was the poison. The medicine was to realize that the cause of the illness is really the three poisons of avarice, ignorance, and anger. So, one could infer that the treatment would be to cultivate generosity, wisdom, and compassion. This was viewed as a a natural outcome of chanting sincere Daimoku; with the attitude to take responsibility for, and completely overcome one's illness. Once we achieve this, and overcome the three poisons, then we are able to reveal our natural or innate Buddha Nature. That would be Hosshaku Kenpon, as exemplified by Toda's realization while in prison. "This is similar to a tarnished mirror that will shine like a jewel when polished." -- Nichiren

This application of Nichiren Shoshu theology to ourselves, to our own human revolution, was one of the main issues that led to a near split between Nichiren Shoshu and SGI. way back in 1979. After 1979, up until the actual split in 1991, SGI agreed to stick with the Taisekiji understanding, that such terms only apply to the True Buddha, Nichiren Daishonin. According to Taisekiji, Nichiren Daishonin did his Hosshaku Kenpon at / during / after the Tatsu-no-kuchi incident and his subsequent exile to Sado. Nichiren's Tenju Kyoju was getting exiled instead of having his head cut off. He changed this poison into medicine, by revealing the Gohonzon.

The problem is that Nichiren Shoshu has completely distorted the basic mythology. According to them, at Tatsunokuchi, Nichiren cast off his transient identity as Jogyo Bosatsu, and revealed his True Identity as the Original Buddha of Kuon Ganjo. However, according to the account given in Nichiren Shonin's Goibun or Gosho, this is simply not the case. Nichiren did not see himself as Jogyo prior to Tatsu-no-kuchi; and he never saw himself as Shakyamuni's Original Teacher from the Infinite Past.

If he did, he certainly did not talk about it openly. In fact, it was only after Tatsu-no-kuchi that Nichiren began referring to himself as the Votary, Messenger, Envoy, or Emissary {ie Jogyo} of the Lotus Sutra, and the disciple of Shakyamuni Buddha {of the Juryo Chapter}. So it would be correct to say that, after the Tatsunokuchi persecution, Nichiren Shonin cast off his transient identity as a Tendai Monk.

In Nichiren's own words, from 1277, as translated by SGI, "And I came to believe that, according to the teaching of the Lotus Sutra, the Sage Nichiren is the sovereign of the three- fold world, the father and mother of all living beings, and the emissary of the Thus Come One Shakyamuni— Bodhisattva Superior Practices [Jogyo Bosatsu]."

Also, "the Sage Nichiren is the envoy of the Thus Come One who attained enlightenment in the remote past, the manifestation of Bodhisattva Superior Practices, the votary of the essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra, and the great leader in the fifth five-hundred- year period [following the Buddha’s passing]."

From the same year, "The messenger of Shakyamuni Buddha, the lord of teachings, has twice been paraded through the streets, and his disciples and other supporters have been thrown into prison, killed, injured, or driven from the provinces where they lived."

I can cite dozens of similar proof texts. The Taisekiji view of Nichiren's Hosshaku Kempon, which SGI still more or less upholds, is an obvious distortion. As Nichiren Shonin wrote, " If the source is muddy, the stream will not flow clear; if the body is bent, the shadow will not be straight."

The plain reading, which even comes through SGI's glossed translations, is that Nichiren revealed his True Identity as Jogyo Bosatsu 上行菩薩, Bodhisattva Superior Practices -- the Leader of the Bodhisattvas who emerge from Underground.

In 1979, Soka Gakkai had the chance to stand up and refute the Nichiren Shoshu deviations. There was even an avenue open. Years earlier, they had persuaded Hota Myohonji Temple to leave the Honmon Shu {Hishiyama lineage} and join Nichiren Shoshu. I suspect that they could have, perhaps, convinced Hota to cede with SGI in 1979. Then, SGI could have issued copies of Nichiren's actual Dai Honzon; instead of copies of Nikko's transcriptions {which are fraudulently passed as as transcriptions of the Taisekiji Ita Mandara}.

I have heard that this, aligning with Hota, as an independent school. was even discussed. From what I gather, scrapping the three Taisekiji deviations, and switching to a very different looking Gohonzon, was deemed too radical. Of course, that is hearsay. Still, the SGI was particularly very emotionally invested in the Taisekiji Dai Gohonzon. Of course, it now looks like it is a fake, with the Daimoku copied from the Nichizen Juyo Daimandara / Mannen Kugo Gohonzon, which is now kept at Kitayama and Taisekiji.

Instead, SGI compromised with Nichiren Shoshu. The new approach was to co-opt three other Taisekiji teachings, those of Zange {Buddhist Confession & Repentance}, Kyochi Myogo Shoda {Chanting to fuse one';s life with the Mandala}, and the Nine Consciousness. One thing, these doctrines and practices are not unique to Taisekiji, it their take on them that is unique.

All this, the Soka Gakkia's dynamic application of these teachings, can be found in a series of Seikyo Times articles by VP Tsuji & Mr. Izumi. One of these was "Key to Revitalization." What we see there was not the way High Priest Reverend Nikken and Taisekiji intended for those practices & concepts to be used. Taisekiji's concept was to apologize to their take on the Three Treasures; in which they saw as themselves as the Treasure of Sangha.

Their concept was also that the Gohonzon is the very essence of the Life of Nichiren Daishonin, as the True Buddha, which they believe to be exclusively embodied in their Board Mandala Daigohonzon. The individual Mandala Gohonzon, at home or the community center, draws its power from a connection to Living Daigohonzon Taisekiji. Therefore, Reverend Nikken, as the High Priest who inherited the "Living Essence," could literally turn off our personal Gohonzons.

That was much different from the then SGI concept that we could tap our own Buddha Nature / 9th consciousness, directly, even without a Gohonzon. The practice of Zange and Kyochi Myogo Shodai {Mantra Powered Visualization} gave a concrete way to do that; and it still works. Lightening one's karma, changing the three poisons into medicine, and revealing one's true nature {luminous Citta} accurately describes the process of this Human Revolution. At any rate, Tsuji's guidance did revitalize SGI through about 1985. By then, it was obvious to me that President Ikeda and High Priest Nikken were working at cross purposes. Things were starting to get ugly; that was when I pretty much went Taiten and Independent, albeit in a very clumsy manner. .

To summarize:

1. I agreed with SGI's co-option of Tenju Kyoju, Hendoku Iyaku, and Hosshaku Kenpon. Also, of the Zange & Kyochi Myogo Shodai practices; as well as the Nine Consciousnesses theory. These form an excellent basis for practice.

2. Nichiren Shoshu's take on Nichiren's Hosshaku Kenpon is all wrong. They have distorted the myth. Nichiren Shonin pointed back to the mindfulness & insight practices taught by the Buddha, he was not superseding them. SGI still lacks the fortitude to point that out. The Buddha taught a path that enables people to awaken and reveal the Buddha Nature in this life. Mahayana started as a return to that, but became too ritualistic, and devolved into veneration of imaginary Buddhas, and so on. Nichiren pointed back to Shakyamuni and the Buddha Nature in all of us. Instead of following that, Nichiren Shoshu more or less
replaced Dainichi worship with Nichiren worship; while developing their own Mikkyo transmission outside of the Sutras.

3. SGI blew it in 1979, 1991, and 1996. They blew it with the Kawabe Memo. Instead of attacking Nikken, they could have said, "Wow, it was a fake all along."

4. From what I understand, Hota Myohonji ceded from Nichiren Shoshu in 1991 or so. Why didn't SGI follow?

5. SGI's current track of M/D relationship centering on Ikeda is yet another co-option of Taisekiji dogma; the least desirable and most non-Nichiren one, the idea that one must connect with a living master or specific lineage.

Posted by rbeck at February 18, 2008 07:51 AM