Empowering Individuals for Lasting Peace

From Inner Change to Global Change

Nichiren
Nichiren (1222–82), the priest who established the form of Buddhism practiced by the members
of the SGI, is a unique figure in Japanese social and religious history. An outspoken critic of the
established Buddhist schools and the secular authorities, he was also a person of great warmth
and humanity, as is evident in the content of the numerous letters he sent to his followers. It
was this deep concern for the welfare of ordinary people that made him such an unrelenting
opponent of the often corrupt and oppressive social structures of his time.

In a feudal society that relied on obedience to authority, Nichiren’s life was one of
hardship and persecution. It was a life dedicated to propagating a teaching that could liberate
people from their individual sufferings and create the conditions for a society based on respect
for the fundamental dignity and equality of all people. This same aspiration inspires the
activities of the SGI and its members today.

Early Years
Nichiren was born in a small coastal hamlet to a family engaged in fishing—people on the
lowest rungs of the strict social hierarchy of 13th-century Japan. At the age of 12, he began his
schooling at a local temple called Seicho-ji and formally entered the priesthood at the age of 16.
Nichiren was moved by the plight of ordinary people, which he saw personified in the daily
hardships of the people of his village. This concern for human suffering was a profound
motivational force in his efforts to grasp the heart of Buddhist doctrine. In one of his letters he
describes how, from the time he was a small child, he had prayed “to become the wisest person
in Japan.”

Following his entry into the priesthood, Nichiren embarked on a period of intense study
of the Buddhist sutras and the various schools of Buddhism, traveling to the major centers of
Buddhist learning in Japan.

Establishing His Teaching, Encountering Persecution

At the age of 32, he returned to Seicho-ji where, on April 28, 1253, he announced the
conclusion of his studies in a lecture. He declared that the heart of Shakyamuni’s enlightenment
is to be found in the Lotus Sutra, which encapsulates the Mystic Law, or truth, to which the
Buddha had awakened. Nichiren defined this Law as “Nam-myoho-renge-kyo” and, challenging
the major Buddhist schools of his day, proclaimed this to be the sole teaching capable of leading
all people to enlightenment.

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From Inner Change to Global Change

Nichiren’s refutation of the established teachings aroused deep animosity from the
priests of those schools and their followers, among them influential government officials. From
that time on, Nichiren was subjected to constant harassment and persecution.

In 1260, in the wake of a series of devastating natural disasters, Nichiren wrote his most
famous treatise, “On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land.” In it, he
developed the idea that only by reviving a spirit of reverence for the sanctity and perfectibility
of human life through faith in the Lotus Sutra could peace and order be restored and further
disaster forestalled. He described his motivation in speaking out as follows: “How could I
observe the decline of the Buddhist Law and not be filled with emotions of pity and distress?”

A Decisive Crisis
During the years that followed, his pointed criticism of other Buddhist doctrines invited a series
of persecutions from the other schools and from the government authorities. These included
armed attacks, ambushes, further banishment and ultimately an attempt to execute him at
Tatsunokuchi. By his account, moments before the executioner’s sword was to fall, a luminous
object traversed the sky with such brilliance that the terrified officials called off the execution.
Nichiren was banished to Sado Island where, amidst extreme deprivation, he continued to share
his teachings, writing treatises and letters of encouragement to his followers.

Nichiren’s triumph over this persecution at Tatsunokuchi was extremely significant for
him. It confirmed that, while he remained an ordinary being, his true and original identity was
that of a Buddha with the mission of spreading the teaching of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo,
providing the means for people to free themselves from suffering at the most fundamental
level. It was after this that he began to inscribe the Gohonzon for his followers—a scroll
inscribed with Chinese characters that embodies the Mystic Law to which he was enlightened.

Taking Up Residence at Mount Minobu

In 1274, Nichiren was exonerated and returned to Kamakura, the political center of Japan. He
once again remonstrated with the government authorities to discontinue their reliance on
erroneous teachings, but, for a third time, they declined to heed his advice. He decided then to
leave Kamakura and took up residence in the foothills of Mount Minobu where he devoted
himself to fostering disciples who would carry out the work of spreading the teaching after his
passing.

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 Empowering Individuals for Lasting Peace
From Inner Change to Global Change

During this period, the propagation efforts of his disciples convinced many people to
begin following Nichiren’s teachings. This also provoked harassment and persecution. In 1279, in
the village of Atsuhara, 20 converts were arrested on trumped-up charges. They were harshly
interrogated to the point of torture and pressed to renounce their faith. Eventually, three were
executed.

These lay believers—peasant farmers—remained steadfast in the face of the ultimate

threat. For Nichiren, this signaled a crucial point, inspiring his confidence that his teachings
would live on and spread after his passing.

Not long after this, on October 13, 1282, at the age of 61, Nichiren died from natural
causes having fulfilled his life’s mission: to open the way for the liberation of all people from
suffering through the establishment of the teaching of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and its
philosophy of human dignity and empowerment.

[Courtesy – www.sgi.org]

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This document can be photocopied for the exclusive use of activities of Bharat Soka Gakkai. This document may not be
forwarded, circulated through email or internet or uploaded on any social media.