Reverend Greg

Will it never end, I mean seriously?!

Greg; I am rather astounded at your hostility towards me...
Be that as it may.
You are very wrong as far this insistence of yours is concerned.
It is not a "new" thing to have statues in Nichiren Shoshu Temples but a rather it is something which has been in use for hundreds of years.
If you visited Temples such as Myorenji, Myoenji, Josenji et al you would know...
Even at Taiskeji the Kyakuden which is one of the main buildings (Ushitora Gongyo is performed there nightly) has the Gohonzon flanked by two statues.
The Mieido which is the oldest extant building at Taisekiji has a large statue of the Daishonin at centre of the altar.
The three statues together form one Gohonzon (the 3 Treasures are displayed as separate entitities forming one) according to Nichiren Shoshu traditional doctrines.
It is not Nichiren Shoshu's fault if you have gotten the wrong end of the stick based on what you have been taught in Soka Gakkai.

Jussi.

I agree, interesting blog (as usual) Greg. I can only imagine how beautiful the sight must have been. Very jealous!

However, I just don't get the "issues" regarding this topic either way. Whatever works for the individual, I say. I did personally have an experience where an individual came over and presumed to politely and sweetly re-arrange my alter for me (without asking); I know it was meant well, but how presumptuous!

As for myself, the whole thing makes me want to put a big garish statue on my alter and invite all my local members over just to see their reaction. But then, I'm a bit of *%@#-head anyways.

Interesting blog Greg. After two moves in the last four months, I find myself giving away lots of stuff (donating, sharing). I try to keep my altar clear of a lots of extra stuff. I am one of those who gets distracted by photos, pretty statues,patterns and the like. My brain is easily distracted by background noise (mostly the kind that my own head creates) so it has been a challenge to focus when practicing. So lately I have been visualizing white light coming from my 1st and 2nd Chakras. No longer chanting to the Gohonzon but chanting from my center out to the Gohonzon in front of me and beyond. Subtle difference but has made all the difference in the world with my life condition and practice.

Best,

Mimi

"If you actually had the courage to visit Nichiren Shoshu Temples you would find that many have a statue of the Daishonin along with the statue of Nikko Shonin enshrined flanking the Gohonzon in the middle."

Dude, I was married in a NSS temple in 1989. My discussions with you in the past have convinced me that it is *you* that doesn't really know what your own sect and HP teaches.

If Nichiren Shoshu is using statues, and giving them out, then that is a very new thing since I was last at a NSS temple.

You've proven yourself to be clueless Jussi, and worse, now you sound like an elitist.

Rev. Greg

Greg wrote: "Most SGI members would be uncomfortable with this vision, but that is merely due to our Taiseki-ji programming."

I think you find that this is a SGI thing rather than Nichiren Shoshu. If you actually had the courage to visit Nichiren Shoshu Temples you would find that many have a statue of the Daishonin along with the statue of Nikko Shonin enshrined flanking the Gohonzon in the middle.
Many Hokkeko families have received a small Nichiren Daishonin statue to enshrine in front of the GOhonzon as well. That however is quite rare now as you and your family would have had to practise a very very long time to be granted that.
This is mainly due to making sure believers do not misunderstand and start focusing on the statue instead of the Gohonzon.
Please do not invent "facts" about Nichiren Shoshu unless you are actually sure about what you write...

Jussi.

Greg, how do I email you? I couldn't find your address anywhere online. I read your post about the old 1961 NSA sutra book, I would really like to obtain a copy (or even some scans would be fine). I remember when someone showed me an old sutra book from the 1970s (I think) and I was shocked to see the final prayer was for conversion of The Emperor to NS, and this was how kosen rufu was defined. Since then I've often wondered about older sutra books and how they changed over the years.

Anyway, getting back on topic.. as to crowded butsudan and the obscuring of parts of the Gohonzon with statues and stuff.. From my experience, it seems to be merely sufficient that everything is present and "in the right place" even if it's not directly visible. That never made much sense to me, but after seeing many personal altars in Japan, in some cramped homes, it is plainly evident that some people have collected a lot of butsugu over the years (and over generations) and they just cram stuff together. I think that looks cluttered and is a distraction, but then, this isn't Zen or Calvinism.

Hi, Greg - Here in LA, the Nichiren Shu temple has a mandala which is almost completely obscured by a statue of Shakyamuni, then in front of that is a painted statue of Nichiren. And from November to sometime in the Spring, the Nichiren statue sports what looks like a red sleeping bag folded up on its head (I was told that this represents the bloody kerchief a believer used to bandage Nichiren's head when he was wounded at Matsubagayatsu). There's a gohonzon room in the back which has a lot of kami-type little statues crowding the altar. I asked what was up with those, and was told they were protective spirits or something like that.

Anyway, my training and many years in the Gakkai certainly lead me to be inclined toward a focus on the mandala. Having too much stuff up there makes it harder for me to focus and reminds me of my need to clean my closets. One thing I do like about the temples, though, are the chandelier-like dropping/dripping sculpture things that hang from the ceiling and are supposed to represent mandarava blossoms falling from the sky. Those are very cool to me. Thanks for an interesting blog, Byrd in LA

Rev. Greg -

BTW, I just remembered that we will be visiting Kamakura this fall on our pilgrimage trip. I will try to remember and visit Hongakuji; it sounds like a very interesting temple.

My wife visited another interesting temple earlier this year, in which the floor of the main hall is made of crystal, to remind folks of being in the Assembly in the Sky. Apparently it was a bit too realistic, as they have had to cover it with mats; people were getting vertigo, or otherwise becoming ill. This is Myokenji, the Nine-Star temple, on Mt. Myoken. It is about ten years old, and it architecturally fascinating as well. The entire building is built in the shape of a star, both in plan and in elevation. Our temple here in Houston is also named for Bodhisattva Myoken, hence the visit.

Namaste, Engyo Mike Barrett

I second Engyo's comments.

I do know that there is at least one Japanese Nichiren Shu minister who doesn't like the Nichiren statues - he thinks it makes it seem like we are worshipping Nichiren rather than the Gohonzon. This is ironic since it is Nichiren Shu which does not view Nichiren as the Gohonzon. For us the Gohonzon is the Wonderful Dharma/Eternal Shakyamuni Buddha; whereas it is the Nichiren Shoshu (which does regard Nichiren as the Gohonzon) which forbids using statues of Nichiren. You would think it would be the reverse, that we would forbid the Nichiren statues whereas the Shoshu would be the ones to place them front and center.

For my part, I also prefer to keep the Omandala unobscured. But that is just my preference, nothing doctrinal about it as Engyo has said. I like to focus on the calligraphy, and in fact I really like Omandala inscribed in gold on a dark background like the one you described.

However, I do have a particular impression of the typical temple arrangements wherein the large statue of Nichiren is front and center and then rising behind it will usually be the Odaimoku inscribed Treasure Tower flanked by Shakyamuni Buddha and Many Treasures Buddha. Usually the statue of Nichiren is either a dark color or is actually painted. The Treasure Tower and the Buddhas are almost always gold. My impression is that when I am practicing in front of such an arrangement I am face to face with Nichiren and that coming out of his mind is this golden vision of the Ceremony in the Air that he is sharing with me. So he is the historic person who actualized and shared this vision, and the golden statues above and behind him is the vision that is shared and is in fact within my life also. So that is my reaction to these arrangements.

Namu Myoho Renge Kyo,
Ryuei

Rev. Greg -

I don't think there is any "theology" or doctrinal reason to recommend either for or against this. I think it's more a matter of understanding what the purpose of an altar is, and whether this particular situation interferes with the performance of that function.

Does one need to see each character of the odaimoku to understand that it is there? Does the fact that the statue covers some of the characters interfere with some sort of "reception" of the radiated Odaimoku we recite? Does the Omandala somehow either not work, or work less well, like a satellite reciever with a tree or raincloud between it and the signal source (satellite)?

Personally I think it is much more a matter of taste than anything else. I don't believe that the placement of such a statue could possibly affect the "functioning" of either the Omandala or the Odaimoku chanted, but that's my opinion. That said, though, my altar isn't set up with a statue blocking the Omandala; it wasn't necessarily planned so, that just happened to be the way things worked out.

To me, the function of the altar is to aid us in our meditation; to help us place ourselves as part of the Assembly in the Sky, and to aid in our realisation that we are part of that assembly and that we ourselves have been assured of future attainment of enlightement. Nichiren is there to help us understand/realize that this can be accomplished in this lifetime, using the methods he taught. If a particular arrangement of statue(s) and Omandala is less conducive to this understanding/realization for me, then I won't set up my personal altar that way, and I may not want to attend a temple whose altar is configured so. Then again, I could try to remember that altars, statues and Omandalas are all skillful means, and that the specific minute details of each are not really important to my attainment of enlightenment, compared with the fact of my practicing at all, and my sincerity in doing so.

Again, all of this is just my own opinion. I am sure others wil have differing ones.

Namaste, Engyo Mike Barrett