Annual Events

Nichiren Buddhism has many religious and commemorative events which reveal the richness of its religious and spiritual culture.  The following annual events are observed by Nichiren Buddhists.

New Years’ Day (January 1)

January 1 is the start of the New Year.  We should reflect on the previous year and appreciate that a new year is beginning.

Nirvana Day (Buddha Memorial Day – February 15)

Shakyamuni Buddha became ill while on his preaching tour and stopped at Kushinagara, India where he passed away on February 15th about 2,500 years ago after giving final instructions to his disciples.

Nichiren Shonin Birthday (February 16)

Nichiren Shonin was born in the province of Awa (in Chiba Prefecture today) on February 16, 1222.

Higan (March and September)

Higan is observed during the equinox weeks in spring and autumn.  The word “Higan” means to cross from “this shore” to the “other shore,” that is , from this world of suffering to the Buddha Land.  This is the day we should spend to reflect on our daily life, vow to practice our Buddhist faith, and to observe memorial services for our deceased family members and ancestors.

Buddha Day (Buddha’s Birthday – April 8)

On April 8, about 2,500 years ago, the infant Buddha was born as a prince of the Shakya Clan in the Lumbini Garden, which is located in Nepal today.  This is the day we celebrate the birth of Siddharta Gautama who later became the Buddha.  We pour sweet tea over the baby Buddha statue in the flower altar (hana mido).

Kaishu E (Founding Day of Nichiren Buddhism – April 28)

On the morning of April 28, 2053, Nichiren Shonin stood on the top of the hill at the Seichoji Temple and for the first time, chanted the Odaimoku, Namu Myoho Renge Kyo, to the rising sun.  We commemorate this day as the founding day of Nichiren Buddhism.

Obon & Shin Bon

Obon and Shin Bon services are conducted one week apart in mid-July, on a Sunday and the following Saturday evening, for family to share their gratitude with ancestors. 

Oeshiki (Nichiren Shonin’s Memorial Day – October 13)

Nichiren Shonin passed away on October 13, 1282 at the Ikegami residence in what is Tokyo today.  It is said that the Cherry blossoms bloomed at the time; thus we make paper cherry blossoms (seen in white and pink at both sides of the picture below) to commemorate the occasion.

Bodhi Day (Buddha’s Enlightenment Day – December 8)

Prince Siddhartha Gautama left his castle seeking the truth.  After a long and severe practice, he meditated under the Bodhi tree.  He attained Enlightenment on the morning of December 8 and became the Buddha.

Daily Prayer At Home

Nichiren Shonin said that prayer should be an important part of our daily lives.  In Nichiren Buddhism, the Odaimoku, Namu Myoho Renge Kyo, is the most important prayer.  If you are new to Nichiren Buddhism, you may begin by chanting the Odaimoku every morning and evening while facing your family altar with your hands held together in gassho.

  It is customary to chant Chapter II and Chapter XVI of the Lotus Sutra every morning and evening followed by Odaimoku.  After chanting the Odaimoku, you may express gratitude for all the blessing you and your family received, and mention the names of all whom you wish to remember with prayer and blessings.

Let’s go to the Temple

It is important to pray at home, but it is also important to attend services at your temple.  Rather than praying alone, it is easier to learn the various sutras properly by praying together with ministers and the entire congregation.  You also enjoy the fellowship of members attending the services at the temple.

             Attending services at the temple encourages personal spiritual growth.  Chanting the Odaimoku and the Lotus Sutra during the temple service blesses you with good karma.  Also listening to the Dharma talk or sermon often helps to strengthen your faith and instill thoughts and values that improve the quality of life for you and your family.  Your presence at the temple may help inspire others and likewise, you may be inspired by others.

Gohonzon

What is the Gohonzon?

BY SHODA DOUGLAS KANAI, SHONIN. Published in Lion's Roar September 16, 2019

In Nichiren Shu Buddhism, the gohonzon is a calligraphic scroll that can guide Buddhist practitioners toward enlightenment.  Gohonzon means “object of devotion.” There are many forms of the gohonzon in Japanese Buddhism, depending on the sect — some are statues, calligraphic writings, paintings, mandalas and artistic interpretations. In Nichiren Buddhism, the gohonzon represents the Eternal Buddha who transmitted the Lotus Sutra to everyone, and is most commonly represented as a calligraphic mandala.

Nichiren Shonin, the founder of Nichiren Buddhism, sought an object of devotion for his followers because the statues and mandalas that existed at the time did not represent the Eternal Buddha. To do this, he created a calligraphic description that incorporated concepts from the Lotus Sutra to help guide practitioners on their path to enlightenment. It also represented the ten spiritual realms: buddhahood, bodhisattvahood, pratyekabuddha (realization), sravakas (learning), heaven, humanity, asura (arrogance or anger), animality (brutality), hunger, and hell.

The gohonzon is a tool to help us focus our minds on the realization that we are all buddhas. As humans, we have a hard time concentrating due to the world’s many distractions. An object, such as the gohonzon, can help reel in our “monkey mind” and motivate us to concentrate on the dharma. It will not bestow special powers upon us or grant all our wishes, and it is not a source of idol worship. It is a mirror that reflects our inner-most thoughts.

Unless you know kanji characters, most people cannot read what is written on the gohonzon. There may be other similar calligraphic mandalas with slight differences, but here is a brief description of what is written on the gohonzon of Nichiren Shu, which was established in 1280.

Down the middle is the odaimoku, which is the sacred title of the Lotus Sutra (Namu Myoho Renge Kyo), written in a stylized form with the lines extending out like sun rays. Nichiren’s signature is visible underneath. To the immediate left is Sakyamuni Buddha, and to the immediate right is Many Treasures Buddha. Next to them are the Four Bodhisattva Leaders from Underground, who are said to be an infinite number of bodhisattvas who emerged from a fissure in the ground, as mentioned in the 15th chapter of the Lotus Sutra. Below them are many bodhisattvas, pratyekabuddhas (buddhas who achieved enlightenment without teachers or guides), and deities. The gohonzon also lists previous expounders of the Lotus Sutra, such as Tendai Daishi, Nagarjuna, Myoraku Daishi, and Dengyo Daishi. Included are two of Japan’s main deities: Tensho Daijin, the Shinto sun goddess, and Hachiman Great Bodhisattva, the god of war or the guardian deity.

Surrounding the four corners of the scroll are the four heavenly gods, representing each of the cardinal directions of the world. Finally, rounding out the outer-middle portion of the gohonzon are the vidyaraja (esoteric deities) with the Sanskrit symbol for Ragaraja in the middle left and the Sanskrit symbol for Acalanatha Vidyaraja in the middle right.

If you visit a Nichiren Shu temple, you may not see the familiar calligraphic gohonzon. Instead, statues that depict each of the buddhas, bodhisattvas, and deities will often be on display. In some cases, the statues are limited to only Sakyamuni Buddha, along with the Four Bodhisattvas from Underground. Temples also display statues of Sakyamuni Buddha seated on the left with the odaimoku stupa down the middle and Many Treasures Buddha seated on the right. Occasionally, there will either be a statue of the Eternal Buddha or just the inscription of the odaimoku itself.

In Nichiren Shu practice, we do not bestow gohonzons to anyone and everyone. The recipient must show their faith in the Lotus Sutra through their actions and willingness to study. In order to receive a gohonzon, one must pledge to become a member of Nichiren Shu and take refuge in the three treasures: buddha, dharma, and sangha. A special ceremony is held where the person makes their vows and the priest conducts an eye-opening ceremony to bring life to the scroll.

To display the gohonzon in your home, it would be best to place it in a butsudan (buddhist altar) where one could also place smaller statues and ancestor tablets. The box shape of the butsudan is similar to a stupa, which is said to be where the Buddha and deities reside. If a butsudan is not available, any respectable place in the home will do — somewhere anyone can sit to chant and focus on their inner buddha.

Odaimoku – The Title - Namu Myoho Renge Kyo

Saddharma Pundarika Sutra is the Sanskrit title of the Buddhist sutra properly translated in English as “Wonderful Dharma of the Lotus Flower Sutra” or Lotus Sutra for short.  In Japanese, the translation of the sutra title is pronounced Myoho-Renge-Kyo, or Myoho (wonderful dharma), Renge (lotus flower) and Kyo (sutra or writing).

“Daimoku” in Japanese means “title” and in the honorific form, O-daimoku, refers to the sacred title Myoho Renge Kyo (妙法蓮華經).  Odaimoku also refers to the phrase Namu Myoho Renge Kyo.  The term Namu is derived from the Sanskrit and Hindi term “Namaste” which is a respectful greeting that literally means, “I bow to you” or “I bow to the divine in you.”

Thus, Odaimoku refers to the title Myoho Renge Kyo.  Odaimoku also refers to the phrase Namu Myoho Renge Kyo which means, “I devote myself to the Lotus Sutra” or “Glory be to the Lotus Sutra.”  The Odaimoku, Namu Myoho Renge Kyo (often phonetically shortened to Nam Myoho Renge Kyo), is the central mantra chanted by all Nichiren Buddhists to profess our faith in the Lotus Sutra.

Nichiren Shonin taught us that the whole of the Lotus Sutra is concentrated in the Odaimoku, its title, Namu Myoho Renge Kyo.  Further, when we chant the Odaimoku, all the merits and virtues of the Buddha are naturally transferred to us.

Teachings of Nichiren Buddhism

Nichiren Buddhism is based upon teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha who lived in India about 2,500 years ago.  Over 750 years ago in Japan, Nichiren Shonin, the founder of our denomination, restored the true teachings of the Buddha for all of us after carefully studying more than 84,000 of the Buddha’s teachings called sutras.

            Nichiren Buddhism states that the essence of the Buddha’s teachings is concentrated in the Lotus Sutra, and through our faith and practice in chanting the sacred prayer, the Odaimoku, we can achieve salvation and true and eternal happiness.

Before Nichiren Buddhism was founded, there were many other Buddhist denominations that taught different interpretations of Buddha’s teachings thus causing much confusion and turmoil among Buddhists in Japan.  However, after intense study for more than twenty years, Nichiren Shonin declared his conclusion that the supreme teaching of the Buddha is the Lotus Sutra and its essence is concentrated in its title, or Odaimoku, “Myoho-Renge-Kyo.”

Nichiren Shonin taught us to practice our faith by chanting the Odaimoku, Namu Myoho Renge Kyo, which means to profess our deep faith in the Lotus Sutra.  Nichiren Shonin also explained that by believing in and chanting the Odaimoku, we will be blessed with all the merits and virtues of the Buddha.  Nichiren Buddhism teaches us that by spreading the Odaimoku to others, we can bring happiness to all people, maintain peace in society and realize the Buddha Land in our lives.

The Lotus Sutra Equality and Eternity

The Lotus Sutra is the supreme teaching of the Buddha and is the ultimate doctrine which reveals the truth of Enlightenment which the Buddha attained.  It has two great themes, equality and eternity.  Equality means that all living beings are worthy of respect because they can become buddhas.  Eternity means that the Buddhas life is eternal and ever present and he is always trying to guide us to become buddhas.

            Of the many sutras, only the Lotus Sutra clearly states that all living beings, not only humans, but also animals and plants, have what is called buddha-nature and every living being has the potential to become a buddha.  The Buddha taught that our true purpose in life is to fulfill our full potential of becoming a buddha.  By doing so, we can help others discover their buddha-nature together with us, so that our whole society can become the Buddha Land.

            The second great teaching is that the Buddha is eternal throughout past, present and future.  He is always trying to help us.  He is always living within us, teaching us and expounding the Lotus Sutra to save us.  It is very important to remember that the Buddha did not abandon us after teaching the Lotus Sutra 2,500 year ago.  He continues to guide all living beings to attain Enlightenment and to fulfill their true potential of becoming buddhas.