36. Conviction as the Root Buddha in the latter days of the Law. (2)

Japanese Edition

There is the existence of Nichiren in the essence of these difficult problems.

Who is Nichiren? What kind of existence is he? Nichiren himself should answer this.

Nichiren who had proved that "the saint did not meet an expected death" by encountering the scene beheaded at Tatsunokuchi. He was convinced that he was the fundamental Buddha in the Latter-Day of the Law.

The fundamental Buddha is a person who embraces the three virtues of a sovereign, a parent, and the teacher to himself. Nichiren made a vow; "to become a pillar" means a virtue of a sovereign, "to become the eyes" means a virtue of a teacher, and "to become a large ship" means a virtue of a parent.

Respecting mercy of Shakyamuni Buddha of the teachings' master and blaming brutality of Honen, Nichiren declares loudly that he is the root Buddha of the Latter-Day of the Law.

“When we see the ‘Treasure Tower’ chapter of the Lotus Sutra, we find there are Shakyamuni Buddha, Taho Buddha, and the ten directions' Buddha who are incarnations. Why had they gathered? ‘Came here to let the Law continue for a long time’. When we guess three Buddha minds trying to propagate the Lotus Sutra and give to all the children of the Buddha of the future, we understand that their concern and compassion are even greater than those of a father and mother who see their only child inflicted with big suffering. Honen, however, shows not the least concern about their compassion, and he had tightly shut the gates of the Lotus Sutra so that no one the Latter-Days of the Law would have access to it. Like a person who tricks a demented child into throwing away a treasure, he tries to let them discard the Lotus Sutra. How cruel this mind is! If someone is about to kill your father and mother, don't you try to inform your father and mother? If an unfilial son who got drunk is about to kill his father and mother, shouldn't you try to stop him? If an evil person is about to set fire to the temples and pagodas, shouldn't you try to stop him? If your only child is gravely ill, shouldn't you try to cure a child with moxibustion? The people who leave Japanese Zen and Nembutsu followers as it is will be said as follows. ‘If the person feigns oneself and gets familiar without the mercy, namely this person is his enemy’. I, Nichiren, am ruler, teacher, and father and mother for all the people of Japan”.

Why does "a sovereign, a teacher, and a father and mother for many people of Japan" mean declaring as the fundamental Buddha?

By the way, Shakyamuni Buddha has never declared 'I am Buddha' while preaching the Lotus Sutra. Preaching he 'became a father of all creatures' in the Lotus Sutra, he often preaches that he is 'father of all creatures'. In the other words' father of all creatures is the other name of the fundamental Buddha.

In addition, in the Lotus Sutra, there is no scene where bodhisattvas preach it that they are the father of all creatures.

Places preaching that Buddha himself is a father of all creatures exist many places in the Lotus Sutra as follows.

“My disciple Sariputra, Buddha finished watching this and held this thought. 'I am the father of all creature'”. ‘The 3th chapter of simile and parable in the Lotus Sutra’.

“Disciple Sariputra, there is a Nyorai also in this way. In other words, he is the father of all world”. ‘The 3th chapter of simile and parable in the Lotus Sutra’.

“I, too, am the father of the world. I save people who suffer troubled. I said that I had a nirvana in spite of existing to help an ordinary mortal falling down.” ‘The 16^th chapter of the life span of the Nyorai in the Lotus Sutra’.

Then, Nichiren shouts fervently.

"Abandoning all difficulties, I wish to demonstrate it for people who earnestly ask faiths. You must understand that it is rarer than the peaches that grow only once in 3000 years in the garden of the West Queen Mother, or the udumbara flower that blooms only when the sacred king of the golden wheel appears. Moreover, the eight years that the duke of P'ei and Hsiang Yu battled for China. The seven years that Yoritomo and Munemori fought in the land of Japan. The struggles between Shakra and the asuras. And the battle in the Anavatapta Lake between the dragon king and the grand golden bird. The degree of these fights cannot surpass my vehemence. This doctrine has appeared twice in the country of Japan. Should Know that it was preached by the Dengyo Daishi and Nichiren!". 'Opening the eyes. Part Two'.

Continues to 37. Sailing to Sado island of the banishment place.

Life of Nichiren. Vol. 2. Contents