Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism/Part 1

Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism – Info at a Glance

Name: Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism / Nichiren Shoshu of America (NSA).

Purpose: To receive material benefits and find happiness.

Founder: Nichiren Daishonin (1222-1282 A.D.)

Source of Authority: The Lotus Sutra and Nichiren Daishonin’s writings (Gosho), personal experience

Claim: To represent the only true Buddhism.

Revealed Teachings: Yes

Theology: Polytheistic.

Occult Dynamics: Altered states of consciousness, ritual, psychic powers, spiritism.

Key Literature: The Lotus Sutra, the writings of Nichiren Daishonis, Daisku Ikeda and principal periodicals–The Seikyo Times, The World Tribune, NSA Quarterly(defunct)

Attitude Toward Christianity: Rejecting

Summary: Nichiren Shoshu (NS) claims to represent true Buddhism and to offer the world a scientifically enlightened form of religious practice. It teaches that by chanting before and worshipping the Gohonzon, a sacred mandala, believers can bring their lives into harmony with ultimate reality, producing wealth, health, and success–sort of a Buddhist form of “name it and claim it,” or “blab it and grab it.” However, NS constitutes a late form of Buddhism whose emphasis upon materialism would have been repudiated by the Buddha. Furthermore, its claim to be compatible with Christianity is contradicted by its Buddhist philosophy and basic approach to life.

Quote: “The demon of worldly desires is always seeking chances to deceive the mind.”^[1] — The Buddha

Note: NS is among the most influential of the new religions that have come on the scene in recent decades. Overall, the movement claims 17 million members in over 117 countries.^[2] As a mystical faith with a materialistic emphasis (one that constantly stresses its “scientific” nature), it is uniquely suited for success in America.

Notes

1. ↑ Last Teachings, Bukko Dendo Kyoki (Buddhist Promoting Foundation) The Teaching of Buddha, Tokyo, Japan, Rev., 1988 p. 24.
2. ↑ William M. Alnor, “Name It and Claim It Style of Buddhism Called America’s Fastest Growing Religion,” Christian Research Institute Journal, Winter/Spring, 1989, p. 26.