Nichiren, founder of the Nichiren school of Buddhism, was born on February 16, 1222, in Kominato, Japan. Nichiren Daishonin ("great priest") was a man of firm conviction who often butted heads with "the Establishment." This caused him to spend much of his life in prison or in exile. He attracted a significant number of followers in spite of his predicaments, and today Nichiren Buddhism has millions of followers worldwide.
Part of what motivated Nichiren was his belief that Buddhism in Japan had degenerated. He was certain a series of earthquakes and other natural disasters came about because the Japanese people were following corrupted forms of Buddhism. In retrospect, Buddhism in 13th century Japan -- part of the Kamakura period (1185-1333) -- was going through a time of dynamic change but also a time of renewal. In the Muromachi period that followed (1336-1573) Japanese Buddhism reached a peak of cultural and religious influence in Japan.
Buddhism reached Japan in the 6th century. The Empress Suiko and her regent, Prince Shotoku, made Buddhism the official state religion. At the time of Nichiren's birth, "establishment" Buddhism was dominated by the Tendai and Shingon schools, which were supported by the aristocracy. But in Nichiren's day these schools may have gotten stale. Or, at least, Nichiren wasn't the only Kamakura period Buddhist monk who was dissatisfied with the status quo.
At the time of Nichiren's birth, Pure Land Buddhism had been recently introduced and was becoming popular with the common people. In 1224, when Nichiren was two years old, Shinran (1173 - 1263) wrote his most important text, called Kyogyoshinsho, which set forth the principles of the Jodo Shinshu school of Pure Land Buddhism. I understand Jodo Shinshu is the largest school in Japan today. And in 1227, when Nichiren was five years old, Dogen (1200 - 1253) established Soto Zen in Japan.
These are two of the most significant events in Japanese Buddhist history, and the young Nichiren grew up in a time when their impact was fresh.
Nichiren began formal Buddhist study in a Tendai temple at the age of 11. One suspects the elders of long-established Tendai were unsettled by the growing influence the new sects, Jodo Shinshu and Zen. Later, the adult Nichiren would be particularly critical of Jodo Shinshu and other Pure Land schools, Zen, and Shingon Buddhism.
But instead of withering away, Buddhism became more popular and influential during the Kamakura period. And Buddhism flourished in the Muromachi period that followed. Many of the great temples of Japan were built. The tea ceremony and other uniquely Japanese expressions of Buddhism developed primarily in the Muromachi period. However, in the Momoyama period (1573-1603), Japanese Buddhism began a long decline, from which it never recovered.
The moral may be that when you're living through a volatile period of history it's hard to tell how things will turn out.
Hi Barbara, Thanks for the interesting article.
I believe it was actually Honen and his ‘Senchakushu’ manifesto that Nichiren criticised. As far as I know he never mentions Shinran or Jodo Shinshu (I would be happy to be proved wrong on this if someone has any textual evidence). This is not to say he would have approved of them but Jodo Shinshu and Shinran’s teachings had yet to attain a distinct profile from the other Jodo teachings in the consciousness of those outside the senjaku nembutsu movement.
His harshest criticism seems to have been of the Shingon or True Word school, but it was the Pure Land school that caused him the most trouble. His exiles and near-beheading were due to his opposition to Pure Land.