Nichiren

Nichiren (nĭch`ərən) [Jap.,=sun lotus], 1222–82, Japanese Buddhist priest, founder of Nichiren Buddhism. Of humble birth, Nichiren (whose given name was Zennichimaro) early became a monk, and traveled to many temples in search of true Buddhism. In 1253, convinced that contemporary Buddhism was inadequate for a degenerate age, he proclaimed faith in the Lotus Sutra as the only means of salvation. Conflict with both religious and civil authorities marked the remainder of his life. He condemned Zen Buddhism for stressing extrascriptural transmission, Pure Land Buddhism for devaluing the present lifetime, and civil authorities for supporting "false religions." His uncompromising evangelism led to several periods in exile as well as great mass appeal, which continues to this day (see Soka Gakkai).

Bibliography

See M. Kanko, The Nichiren Sect (1958); A. Masaharu, Nichiren the Buddhist Prophet (1966); T. Yutaka, Nichiren (1970); P. B. Yampolsky, ed., Selected Writings of Nichiren (1990).

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Nichiren

 orig. Zennichi

(born March 30, 1222, Kominato, Japan—died Nov. 14, 1282, Ikegami) Japanese Buddhist prophet, founder of Nichiren Buddhism. The son of a fisherman, he entered a Buddhist monastery at age 11. After an exhaustive study of all the major Buddhist schools in Japan, he concluded in 1253 that the Lotus Sutra was the only doctrine suitable for his age and predicted calamity for Japan if all other sects were not abandoned. This pronouncement caused him to be banished from his monastery. He also claimed that Japan was the chosen country of Buddhism, from which Buddhist salvation would spread to other lands. He was later exiled to an island in the Sea of Japan, where in 1272 he wrote his major work, Liberation from Blindness.