This is in fact a Nichiren inscribed Gohonzon possessed by the Kempon Hokke. All the jewels on land and sea, all SGI's riches, can not match the fortune of possessing this Gohonzon.
Traditionally, a Gohonzon is bestowed on another. Today, some people are downloading, enhancing, framing, or mounting Gohonzon and bestowing it on themselves. I think that this latter method is not the method of Nichiren. Nichiren knew very well those to whom he bestowed Gohonzon. He knew the strength of their faith and practice.
Of course, you may download the Gohonzon, print it on fine rice, acid free, or parchment paper and frame it or mount it on a blank wall scroll or have a professional do it for you.
Bestowing a Gohonzon on another is a whole different animal. You must form a relationship with that person and there still is no guarantee that person will bestow upon you a Gohonzon even after a relationship lasting years. One might receive a gohonzon after days or months. It depends solely on the thickness or thinness of one's faith.
If Nichiren didn't open the eyes of this Gohonzon, Then who did ? It is said that even if the inscription and meaning is the same as nichiren's description in the gosho [The Real Aspect of the Gohonzon] it will be different depending on the eye opener ! Hopefully our faith in the meaning/inscription will give us the benefit of the doubt overwho is the eye opener. This could override any doubts of the fear of the unknown.
Just one question if you really would posses this wondrous gohonzon as you claim but still your collected writings reveals nothing but an envious world of anger. Unfortunately It doesn't any reveal any impression fortune or spiritual advice. Just endless tirades,... zzzzzz. Anyway, The object of devotion Gohonzon inscribed by Nichiren Daishonin, as you claim is indeed wonderful and this magnificent mandala obviously resembles from where the nichikan inscribed Gohonzon has derived. Although Im not impressed by this way of distributing such a Gohonzon. Hence I beliveve it's sacred object. I also enjoy the mere symbolization of having it enshrined like a treasure tower in my living room enhancing the sacral atmosphere of buddhist practice.
Dear Mikael Kjellman, I'm pretty sure one day you will come to understand these words on you'r own:
"Anger understands both evil and virtue.'
"Become one hundred times angrier, my friend! Those who gave $10,000 should become a hundred times angrier. Those who gave $20,000 should be two hundred times angrier"
Extract from "The Last Will and Testament of Tsugio Ishida is a 700 page remonstration to Daisaku"
You would be wise to study the teachings of Nichiren Daishonin on the forceful methods of propagation.
The nature of this Gohonzon, the spirit, is hardly that of the Nichikan No-honzon. The Nichikan No-Honzon has the nature of a devil since it opposes the Master of Teachings, Lord Shakya of the Essential Teachings.
Hey doc, first of all I it's incredibly childish to claim that any Gohonzon would be superior and it reveals a misconception that the Gohonzon would be a talisman or charm. (Im sure you will deny this by reflex, because this is something Im sure you would like to accuse s.g.i members so please use the Gohonzon as a mirror and hopefully you will) "he power of any Gohonzon, including the Dai-Gohonzon, can be tapped only through the power of faith. In other words, we should be clear that it is wrong to think that the Dai-Gohonzon alone has some kind of unique mystic power that no other Gohonzon possesses. The Dai-Gohonzon and our own Gohonzon are equal."
“Soka Spirit,” has a “featured article of the month” by Dave Baldschun (SGI-USA Study Dept) entitled: “Are All Gohonzons the same?” In that article, Baldschun arrogantly asserts, “At a time when copies of Gohonzon, some inscribed in Nichiren Daishonin’s own hand, are available over the counter or from the Internet, these examples offer a valuable lesson. Even though a Gohonzon is a Gohonzon, the source is important. We should be aware of those offering Gohonzon and teachings under the guise of Nichiren Buddhism but who are, in fact, propagating views that distort Daishonin’s teachings. In Letter to the Lay Priest Ichinosawa, the Daishonin states, If [sic!] the source is muddy, the stream will not flow clear…”
Nichiren Daishonin himself as the source is muddy? Are they mad? Nichikan and his Gohonzon is pure dirt that causes the SGI believer to cultivate the Three Poisons of Anger, Avarice and Stupidity. Look at those like Top Senior Leader and Etoro. If you want to be like Top Senior Leader, Etoro, or Danny “DONT YOU THINK SO” Nagashima, continue to chant to a Nichikan no-Honzon
In an April 30th 2001 memo, “Distribution of Gohonzons” the SGI teaches that distribution of Gohonzon by any means outside of SGI [for example, via the internet, the Nichiren Shu, or the Kempon Hokke] is detrimental to the true spirit of Nichiren’s teachings which is only propagated within the SGI. Dave Baldshun, drunk with the arrogance of SGI, asserts that receiving, revering, or chanting to such a Gohonzon “would only create confusion and disharmony within SGI’s community of believers and thus may serve to undermine one’s own faith and that of other’s.” He then reafirms the policy of “the conferral of Gohonzon only as within the SGI, “the correct body of believers upholding the Daishonin’s teaching today. We do not support or condone the distribution, receipt, or reproduction of any Gohonzon in any other manner.”
The irony is that Dave Baldshun is correct, not all Gohonzons are the same. The Nichikan Gohonzon is flotsum on the Great Ocean of Life and Death. Chanting to it is an offering of offal to the Buddha and the Great Direct Way to the Hell of Incessant Suffering. Being a brainwashed Ikedabot and unthinking member of SGI, is the least of their problems.
The true object of devotion is described by Nichiren as follows:
"The treasure tower sits in the air above the sahā world that the Buddha of the essential teaching [identified as the pure and eternal land]; Myoho-renge-kyo appears in the center of the tower with the Buddhas Shakyamuni and Many Treasures seated to the right and left, and, flanking them, the four bodhisattvas, followers of Shakyamuni, led by Superior Practices. Manjushrī, Maitreya, and the other bodhisattvas, who are all followers of the four bodhisattvas, are seated below. All the other major and minor bodhisattvas, p.367whether they are disciples of the Buddha in his transient status or of the Buddhas of the other worlds, are like commoners kneeling on the ground in the presence of nobles and high-ranking court officials. The Buddhas who gathered from the other worlds in the ten directions all remain on the ground, showing that they are only temporary manifestations of the eternal Buddha and that their lands are transient, not eternal and unchanging"
If SGI's Gohonzon fits this this description which I'm pretty sure it does ,well then it's OK. If the Gohonzon is OK, it doesn't mean that the SGI is OK, it all depends on the correctness of faith that is based on Nichiren's wisdom and what we subjectively experience from it in life
The Vimalakīrti Sutra states that,if the minds of living beings are impure, their land is also impure, but if their minds are pure, so is their land. There are not two lands, pure or impure in themselves. The difference lies solely in the good or evil of our minds.
In reflection of the above passage Nichikan's Gohonzon or any other Gohonzon for that matter can appear pure or impure. As long as Nichirens description of the Gohonzon in Kanjinhonzonsho incorporates the true object of devotion described by Nichiren as follows:
"The treasure tower sits in the air above the sahā world that the Buddha of the essential teaching [identified as the pure and eternal land]; Myoho-renge-kyo appears in the center of the tower with the Buddhas Shakyamuni and Many Treasures seated to the right and left, and, flanking them, the four bodhisattvas, followers of Shakyamuni, led by Superior Practices. Manjushrī, Maitreya, and the other bodhisattvas, who are all followers of the four bodhisattvas, are seated below. All the other major and minor bodhisattvas, whether they are disciples of the Buddha in his transient status or of the Buddhas of the other worlds, are like commoners kneeling on the ground in the presence of nobles and high-ranking court officials. The Buddhas who gathered from the other worlds in the ten directions all remain on the ground, showing that they are only temporary manifestations of the eternal Buddha and that their lands are transient, not eternal and unchanging"
If the above remains evident, even though other aspects have been added or taken away, we can hpoefully strike a balance of the oneness of good and evil that enables us to transform delusion into enlightenment. We could spend the rest of our lives in search of the true Gohonzon, like being in search of the holy grail. And when we think that we have found it, how do you really know if it is the real McCoy.
"Again, in the sixth volume of the Nirvana Sutra, it is recorded: “The Buddha announced to Kāshyapa: ‘After I have passed into nirvana... this devil king Pāpīyas will in time try to destroy the correct teaching of mine.... He will change his form into that of an arhat or a Buddha. The devil king, though still subject to illusion, will assume the form of one who has been freed from illusion, and will try to destroy the correct teaching of mine.’” [Repaying Debts of Gratitude]
"...And the devil king of the sixth heaven could imitate all the thirty-two features of a Buddha and manifest himself in the form of a Buddha in such a convincing manner that even the Venerable Ānanda could not tell whether it was the devil or the Buddha...." [The Relative Merit of Reciting the Daimoku and Amida's Name] --- Story in the Nirvana Sutra that even Ananda could not see through the disguises of devils who assume the form of a Buddha.
“If now some other Buddha should appear and declare that the Lotus Sutra is not suitable for persons in this latter age of ours, he would obviously be contradicting the sutra itself. We know, therefore, that he would be the sort of ‘devil Buddha’96 that the Nirvana Sutra has predicted will appear after the Buddha has entered extinction and hence not worthy to be trusted. And, needless to say, the same applies of course to the sort of bodhisattvas, voice-hearer disciples, and monks previously mentioned. These would without doubt be devils appearing in the form of bodhisattvas, and so forth, just as the Nirvana Sutra predicted they will after the Buddha has passed into extinction." [On the Protection of the Nation
I assert that the Nichikan Gohonzon is just such a devil assuming the form of a Buddha. How else to explain the mistaken faith, practices, and behavior of those of the Soka Gakkai?
Do you think that the previous Gohonzon of the Gakkai before the excommunication was any better ?. Has their behaviour worsened, practices more obscure, faith become more mistaken?
Still, all their [SGI and NST] Gohonzons are based on Taisekeji false doctrines and inscribed and eye opened by evil monks. Therefore, their behavior and practices have been, are, and will be [until they adopt a correct view] false. Even their former forceful [shakubuku] practices were lame because it was no different than the forceful practices of the non-Buddhist religions [conversion to a false religion].
You brought up a very important point yesterday, whom and what can we trust? The Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha, and Nichiren, for sure and those like minded individuals who place their trust in them, to a greater or lesser extent be they priest or layman. In a sense, the same goes in the secular realm. For the most part we can trust our parents, our sovereigns [as long as they don't persecute the votaries], and our wives and children but even here, trusting unconditionally may be a cause for regret. Never a cause for regret, faith in the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha, and Nichiren Daishonin. What do you think?
your question; I assert that the Nichikan Gohonzon is just such a devil assuming the form of a Buddha. How else to explain the mistaken faith, practices, and behaviour of those of the Soka Gakkai?
your answer; Kempon Hokke's connection to Japanese right wing nationalists, Nichirenists, and especially Tanaka Chigaku's Kokuchukai.
2. Doctrinal errors by Shamon Tsuchiya and other Kempon Hokke priests, for example, promoting the Dhammapada, silent meditation, and their extreme anti-Original Enlightenment stance [failing to distinguish between Nichiren's Original Enlightenment teachings and Chuko Tendai Original Enlightenment].
3). Reverend Tsuchiya's siding with Islam and its brutal stance against homosexuals and against his own fellow member and my shakubuku, Israell Isaac.
4). Modern Kempon Hokke's practice of interfaith, intimate association with the Nichiren Shu, in particular, and its practice of selling the Dharma.
5). Reverend Tsuchiya's ill treatment of Jerry whose arguments and eye witness account of the reality of the modern Kempon Hokke opened my eyes to their errors.
6). Refusal to be complicit in slander.
If we judge the behaviour of the SGI/NST by their Gohonzon , then the same standard can be applied to Nichiren Shu and Keppon Hokke who you say have the correct Gohonzon yet they have mistaken faith, practices, and behaviour
The reason why I think most of us come to NB is because we want to change our karma that changes our tendencies that change our behaviour
"If we judge the behaviour of the SGI/NST by their Gohonzon , then the same standard can be applied to Nichiren Shu and Keppon Hokke who you say have the correct Gohonzon yet they have mistaken faith, practices, and behaviour"
And the Muslims, the Hindu's, the Christians, the Jews, the secularists... Everyone has a Gohonzon, something to which they devote themselves: Some whose Gohonzon without [external Gohonzon] is warped, some whose Gohonzon within [internal Gohonzon] is warped, and some whose internal and external Gohonzon is warped. In the case of the Soka Gakkai, both internal and external Gohonzon are mistaken. In the case of the Kempon Hokke, it is their internal Gohonzon..
“If it is not the proper Object of Worship (gohonzon), even though there be no falsehood [even if the practitioner is sincere] it will not form the seed [of Buddhahood]. The Daimoku of the Hommon [Doctrine of the Original, found in the Lotus Sutra] is the seed of Buddhahood. This is because the Eternal Shakyamuni of the Honmon has put his Causal Practices (his myriad practices that lead to enlightenment) and his Virtues of the Effect (the merits of the effect, which is Buddhahood) into the seven characters of Namu Myo Ho Renge Kyo.” (The True Object of Worship)
Does this statement that you made on the 13th of Oct 2013 still sstand true "This is in fact a Nichiren inscribed Gohonzon possessed by the Kempon Hokke. All the jewels on land and sea, all SGI's riches, can not match the fortune of possessing this Gohonzon " Would this Gohonzon be one to download. Could you give me some tips about the best way to go about it as I don't want to have to join a sect
This is a beautiful one to download. Nikke Shonin [Jerry Marcheso] has a very high resolution copy [8 mb] that would be better for printing. Not sure if he can send this to you via e-mail or already printed. Please e-mail him at jerryxberry@yahoo.com or call him. e-mail me at illarraza@yahoo.com and I will give you his phone number.
Do you acknowledge the following Gosho as authentic, from Nichiren's own hand
The Real Aspect of the Gohonzon
I HAVE received your offerings to the Gohonzon of five thousand coins, one horseload of polished rice, and fruit. To begin with, this Gohonzon was revealed in the last eight years of the fifty that the Buddha preached in this world, and in this period of eight years, in eight chapters [of the Lotus Sutra], from the "Emerging from the Earth" chapter through the "Entrustment" chapter. Now, during the three periods following the Buddha's passing, in the two thousand years of the Former and Middle Days of the Law, not even the term "object of devotion of the essential teaching" yet existed. How then could the object of devotion have been revealed? Moreover, there was no one who was able to give it expression. T'ien-t'ai, Miao-lo, and Dengyō perceived it in their hearts, but for some reason never put it into words, just as Yen Yüan1 realized the true meaning of Confucius's teaching, but never gave it expression. Yet the sutra itself and the commentaries of T'ien-t'ai and Miao-lo explicitly state that the Gohonzon will appear after two thousand years have elapsed following the Buddha's passing, in the first five hundred years of the Latter Day of the Law.
How wondrous it is that, around two hundred years and more into the Latter Day of the Law, I was the first to reveal as the banner of propagation of the Lotus Sutra this great mandala that even those such as Nāgārjuna and Vasubandhu, T'ien-t'ai and Miao-lo were unable to express. This mandala is in no way my invention. It is the object of devotion that depicts Shakyamuni Buddha, the World-Honored One, seated in the treasure tower of Many Treasures Buddha, and the Buddhas who were Shakyamuni's emanations as perfectly as a print matches its woodblock. Thus the five characters of the Lotus Sutra's title are suspended in the center, while the four heavenly kings are seated at the four corners of the treasure tower. Shakyamuni, Many Treasures, and the four leaders of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth are side by side at the top. Seated below them are the bodhisattvas, including Universal Worthy and Manjushrī, and the voice-hearers, including Shāriputra and Maudgalyāyana. [Beside them are] the gods of the sun and moon, the devil king of the sixth heaven, the dragon king, and an asura. In addition, the wisdom kings Immovable and Craving-Filled take up their stations to the south and north. The evil and treacherous Devadatta and the ignorant dragon king's daughter form a group. Not only the Mother of Demon Children and the ten demon daughters, who are evil demons that sap the lives of people throughout the major world system, but also the Sun p.832Goddess, Great Bodhisattva Hachiman, and the seven reigns of the heavenly gods and five reigns of the earthly gods, who are the guardian deities of Japan-all the various great and small gods, that is, the main gods, are ranged in rows. How then could the remaining subordinate gods be left out? The "Treasure Tower" chapter states, "[Shakyamuni Buddha used his transcendental powers to] lift all the members of the great assembly up into the air."
Without exception, all these Buddhas, bodhisattvas, great sages, and, in general, all the various beings of the two worlds and the eight groups2 who appear in the "Introduction" chapter of the Lotus Sutra dwell in this Gohonzon. Illuminated by the light of the five characters of the Mystic Law, they display the dignified attributes that they inherently possess. This is the object of devotion.
This is what is meant when the sutra says "the true aspect of all phenomena."3 Miao-lo stated: "The true aspect invariably manifests in all phenomena, and all phenomena invariably manifest in the ten factors. The ten factors invariably manifest in the Ten Worlds, and the Ten Worlds invariably manifest in life and its environment."4 It is also stated that the profound principle of the true aspect is the originally inherent Myoho-renge-kyo.5 The Great Teacher Dengyō said, "A single moment of life comprising the three thousand realms is itself the Buddha of limitless joy; this Buddha has forsaken august appearances."6 Therefore, this Gohonzon shall be called the great mandala never before known; it did not appear until more than 2,220 years after the Buddha's passing.
A woman who makes offerings to such a Gohonzon invites happiness in this life, and in the next, the Gohonzon will be with her and protect her always. Like a lantern in the dark, like a strong guide and porter on a treacherous mountain path, the Gohonzon will guard and protect you, Nichinyo, wherever you go. Therefore, you should take every care to ward off slanderers of the Law in the same way that you would never wish a courtesan even to come near your home. This is the meaning of "Thrust aside evil friends and associate with good companions."7
The twenty-third day of the eighth month in the third year of Kenji (1277)
I thought that this description of the real aspect of Gohonzon is similar to the Denpo [Gohonzon for the Transmission of the Dharma], Shutei Gohonzon. As their are fake gosho's I was just checking with you about it's authenticity
I was referring to 'The Real Aspect of the Gohonzon' gosho that I copied and pasted from nichireblibarary.org. on October 24, 2014 at 9:04 PM. It is good to have a reliable description from Nichiren only 5 years before his death. If the explanation matches with the Gohonzon ,then hopefully they should both be legitimate
And, of course, as you highlighted, depending on the faith, correct or incorrect, of the eye opener. Less clear, depending on the faith of the inscriber. Who would want to chant to a Gohonzon inscribed by a slanderer who teaches and acts contrary to Nichiren? Who would benefit? Only the king devil.
This will be the SGI then - "Even though a Gohonzon is a Gohonzon, the source is important. We should be aware of those offering Gohonzon and teachings under the guise of Nichiren Buddhism but who are, in fact, propagating views that distort Daishonin’s teachings. In Letter to the Lay Priest Ichinosawa, the Daishonin states, If [sic!] the source is muddy, the stream will not flow clear…"
Propagating views like:
"Buddhism is a teaching conveyed through the mentor-disciple relationship. The oneness, or shared commitment, of mentor-disciple forms the essence of Buddhist practice. If we forget the mentor-disciple relationship, we cannot attain Buddhahood. Nor can we achieve eternal happiness or realise kosen rufu. For it is through the bond if mentor and disciple that the Law is transmitted. Buddhism is the Law of life; and the Law of life cannot be transmitted through words and concepts alone." (Daisaku Ikeda - Lectures on the Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life - SGI Malaysia 2009 page 115)"
Which contrasts sharply with and distorts The Lotus Sutra and Nichiren's teaching of "entry is through faith alone"; either embracing, encountering or even slandering the Sutra guarantees attainment of buddhahood (though the latter, poison drum, relationship is not recommended); That the Law is transmitted through the scrolls of the Sutra and the words and concepts of the Sutra.
This lecture is in itself designed to distort the very Gosho that is it's subject, no doubt because it's central premise, correct faith and the inheritance of the ultimate Law is so threatening to the SGI and the religious marketing brand loyalty it is seeking to establish.
Like all products, if one can do it simply, effectively and cheaply oneself, why bother to buy in at inflated prices, unless there's actually some value added? Of course that costs and it requires people who have the wisdom to know what value to add without detracting from the focus of faith, and who have the skill, commitment, knowledge and most importantly integrity and care to deliver that added value.
There are no signs that the business end that runs SGI operations has any intention of adding any value at all, let alone the qualities that would allow it to should it so desire. Plus it's managed to get rid of the increasing numbers of sincere people who actually could and did.
So the effort goes into heading off the threats to the business rather than developing something of value.
This Gosho is one such threat, so a lecture is given that "interprets it" to make the SGI product indispensable to success. And to do that it has to distort it.
"Shakyamuni Buddha who attained enlightenment countless kalpas ago, the Lotus Sutra that leads all people to Buddhahood, and we ordinary human beings are in no way different or separate from one another. To chant Myoho-renge-kyo with this realization is to inherit the ultimate Law of life and death. This is a matter of the utmost importance for Nichiren’s disciples and lay supporters, and this is what it means to embrace the Lotus Sutra.
"For one who summons up one’s faith and chants Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with the profound insight that now is the last moment of one’s life, the sutra proclaims: “When the lives of these persons come to an end, they will be received into the hands of a thousand Buddhas, who will free them from all fear and keep them from falling into the evil paths of existence.”
Ibid
"My followers are now able to accept and uphold the Lotus Sutra because of the strong ties they formed with it"
Once again you are not correct to say the least, offcourse you will always find different, diverging views in sgi, it's the reality of such a diverse grassroots movement. This another striking example of your selective and dishonest way of arguing. My quote was also from Soka spirit even an earlier there are plenty of later issues that support my claims regarding the Gohonzon. as Nichiren stated the the gohonzon is also expressed in the two characters of faith alone. You mentioned forceful propagation! Dont flatter yourself, your biased prejudice and arrogant self conceit. I realize this is a wasteland, I will leave this barren soil, I it's not right of me to provide fuel to for internet trolls obsession. All I can declare is a remonstration and leave this wasteland forever... Desolate!
Hi Richard! I could be wrong but the last Koan era "expanded style" Gohonzon is the Shutei Gohonzon used by the Nichiren Shu. And although this Gohonzon is similar, it is not the Shutei Gohonzon.
Benefit is not derived from the "Gohonzon" but rather from faith in it as a reflection of the Buddha nature inherent in all human beings otherwise people without Gohonzons would be wasting time chanting and yet they still receive benefits of chanting NMRK. This attitude of Mark Rogow, claiming to posses what he does not is fairly amusing but the negative karma he creates trying to float between criticizing the truth of the "Bodhisattva's of the Earth" and the organization it has manifested as is silly at best. His lack of understanding ruptures out at you as 10 jealous women reading "elle" magazines. Swooning over concepts he has no understanding of and then regurgitating his own half baked ideas like a dog barking at the moons brightness. I would suggest more study before continuing on these poorly substantiated rants on the SGI.
Our Supreme Court justice weighs in. Faithless and unlearned member of the judiciary is he. Certainly he is no Abundant Treasures Buddha. Appearing, he comes here not to validate and praise the teachings, Shakyamuni Buddha, the True Votary of the Lotus Sutra, and their disciples but to destroy the true teachings of Ichinen Sanzen and Dependent Origination and to slander the votaries.
Could you perhaps translate the characters on this Gohonzon for us, it would be lovely to see what Nichiren inscribed here? With respect and sincere appreciation for your showing this to us.
Hi. Nikke Jerry is validating this Gohonzon and then he will attempt to translate it. Unfortunately, it is not in the Gohonzon Shu so the investigation into it's authenticity is taking time.
Hi Robin. They are very very close but not the same. Is this a disciple's rendition of the Shutei Gohonzon or a distinct Nichiren Gohonzon? If it is a Nichiren Gohonzon, it rivals the beauty and complexity of the Shutei Gohonzon.
Also The omandala Issued to Shimotsuke-bo Nisshu: {?????-1329}; one of the three leading Priests of Ryusenji in Atsuhara Village of Suruga Province who converted to the early Hokke Shu.. Later, he would found Rikyo-bo lodging temple at Taisekiji. He was one of Nikko’s 6 Elder Disciples at Taiseiji. http://nichirenscoffeehouse.net/GohonzonShu/105.html
Also, the controversial Nichizen Mannen Kugo Daimandara of 1280. http://fraughtwithperil.com/rbeck/2010/08/06/the-nichizen-mannen-kugo-great-mandala-of-1280-at-kitayama/
Hi Noel. The reasons that the Nichikan Gohonzon is not a true Gohonzon is myriad and I will answer fully this evening. Appearance, nature, entity. Though the Nichikan Gohonzon has the appearance of true Gohonzon, its nature and entity differ from a true Gohonzon. Also, Nichikan opened the eyes of the Nichikan Gohonzon. Who better than Nichiren to have opened the eyes of a Gohonzon, let alone compared to the slanderer Nichikan.
"Unless one who has grasped the essence of the Lotus Sutra conducts the eye-opening ceremony for a wooden or painted image, it will be as if a masterless house were to be occupied by a thief, or as if, upon death, a demon were to enter one’s body."
In order to reveal the great beneficent power of the Gohonzon we must become ones who grasp the essence of the Lotus Sutra every time we chant the Daimoku.
There is the power of self, the power of others, the power of the environment, and the power of the Law. They all derive from the power of the Law because the great power of self is the self that believes in Myoho renge kyo [the power of faith in the Mystic Law]. The great power of others is the power of Buddha to save all sentient beings. The great power of the environment is the Gohonzon, the manifest reality of the Law and the Buddha. Initially, not even faith nor practice is necessary thanks to the wonderful power of the Law and the Buddha. This is known as receiving the Daimoku. Buddhahood lies in keeping or recollecting the great power of the Law and the Buddha. The for powers of the Law, the Buddha, faith, and practice are at once independent and inextricably bound. Nichiren teaches:
“The ninth is called the perfection of benefits because Myoho-renge-kyo is endowed with the benefits of all practices, and possesses the superlative effectiveness of the three powers [the power of the Law, the power of the Buddha, and the power of faith]. [Hence the benefits are called lotus.]"
You say: "All the jewels on land and sea, all SGI's riches, can not match the fortune of possessing this Gohonzon." What utter nonsense. All Gohonzons are merely pieces of paper and have no intrinsic value, and certainly no supernatural power, which is what you seem to be claiming. Gohonzons are simply mirrors for observing our lives, but even without a Gohonzon, one can manifest Buddhahood simply by chanting NMRK anywhere. If that is not true, then Nichiren lied.
Buddhism is a philosophy nam myoho renge kyo was a way for lay people to access Buddhism in Japan to bestow a gohonzon to someone is that really the point I don't think so.
Buddhism is a religion, especially, the Lotus Sutra Buddhism of Nichiren. The Gohonzon of Namu Myoho renge kyo (not Nam Myoho renge kyo) was bestowed on those Nichiren disciples who demonstrated unwavering faith. Shijo Kingo, for example, received Gohonzon from Nichiren after almost 20 years of unwavering faith. However, in this digital age, one may bestow Gohonzon on oneself. Not sure this practice of bestowing Gohonzon on oneself is beneficial in the long run but it can't be worse than the record of Nichiren Shoshu and Soka Gakkai who bestowed ~ 600,000 Gohonzons whereby only 35,000 believers remain. Probably, the retention rate of those who bestow Gohonzons on themselves is superior.
Nichiren wasn't the buddha he was a messenger in my eye bodi superior practice at best I love his teachings and message I would have never heard of nichiren if it wasn't for the Internet. Love to all beings
I've heard that this Unknown is called the White Lotus Gohonzon that Kempon Hokke has released recently!
Had a conversation about the copy of the White Lotus a few years ago with Sinyou:
Sinyou Tsuchiya 13 August 21:24 This is a Mandara which Kempon Hokke presents. It is a copy of Dempoo Honzon by one of priests of Kempon Hokke. Only I know who he is.
Original post Noel Panton Noel Panton 13 August 20:21 http://nichirenshubrasil.com.br/gohonzon/
Hi Sinyou
I came across this article that seems to have been put together by Nichiren Shu and was wondering what you may know about this Gohonzon that has been displayed.
Is it an inscription from Nichiren or a transcription from someone else.
I couldn't find it on this site http://juhoukai.la.coocan.jp/mandara/081.html
I have heard there are 128 Gohonzons of Nichiren. There are only 123 here. Could it be one of the missing ones
Just as well we have Nichiren's Gohonzon that we can be sure about. Just read REPLY TO KYO'O which is encouraging. Sent ot to my work friend who rang me up from the cancer ward as they just found a 28cm by 10cm lymphoma between his organ sack and his back. We have been using glysophate for arround 20 years as a means of control of invasive exotic species in natural bushland environment.
Strangely enough Gohonzon #72 which was inscribed Koan 3 to Nichiganyo, Shijokingo's wife has the same description of the same protective beings in it as the REPLY TO KYO'O gosho that was written 7 years earlier 1273!
You also keep safe Mark. I am more serious and more grateful than ever that my wife and l can chant to Nichiren Koan expanded 10 world Gohonzons . Feeling great strength to face with what lays ahead!
Had a conversation about the copy of the White Lotus Gohonzon a few years ago with Sinyou Tsuchiya a Former Kempon Hokke Priest at 顕本法華宗
I've heard that this Unknown is called the White Lotus Gohonzon that Kempon Hokke has released recently!
Sinyou Tsuchiya 13 August 21:24 This is a Mandara which Kempon Hokke presents. It is a copy of Dempoo Honzon by one of priests of Kempon Hokke. Only I know who he is"
Read the latest findings about the White Lotus: I have found out that its a genuine holograph that wasn't included in Nichiren's Mandara Chart and I thank Ken Mandara who is a Nichiren Buddhist researcher for sharing that with me!
Had a conversation about the origins of the White Lotus Gohonzon a few years ago with Sinyou Tsuchiya a Former Kempon Hokke Priest at 顕本法華宗
"When there was no copy machine, Gohonzon was hand-written by Hokke practitioner. Beautiful copied Gohonzon which is bestowed by the head temple was hand-written by one of the past top priests of Kempon Hokke, who was also famous as a calligrapher". Sinyou tsuchiya (sin)
The White Lotus Gohonzon was inscribed the same day as Nichirens Gohonzon http://juhoukai.la.coocan.jp/mandara/105.html they were inscribed Koan 4 April 5th 1281. They have the same dates and look really different.
I'm sure that transcribed Gohonzon layouts don't always match the originals. This can happen from calligraphy, mechanical, electronic reproductions but the White Lotus could be a perfect reproduction . Haven't seen the holograph so can't say . http://juhoukai.la.coocan.jp/mandara/mandaraitiran.html
The reason why the White Lotus isnt the same is because as 105 on the Gohonzon chart that was inscribed Koan 4 April 5th 1281 is because it musn't of been the only Gohonzon inscribed on that day. That was my mistake thinking that there was only one.
Some days Nichiren inscribed 2 Gohonzons on the same day. The White Lotus was "not photographed and hence not included in the collection.
However it was kept in Kyoto and also in Minobu for some time. On this occasion copies were made. This printed one stems from those copies. The actual holograph is in Tokyo and if you want to know more about please refer to the volume two of the mandala book 📖" - Ken Mandara" A spot on calligrapher could probably produce the Gohonzon with the same precision as a camera. Also the copies were made by tracing techniques as Japanese "washi" paper can be made very thin and copyists were extremely skilled so those copies would also probably be as good as a camera. So all reproductions/transcriptions of originals are formatted Gohonzons. It would then be a matter of size even if it was photographed for distribution but its the contents and where the idea of it originated would have to be the most important as the Gohonzon is a representative or materialisation of Namu Myoho Renge Kyo the Original Shakyamuni Buddha 3 bodied Tathagatta Thus Come One of the Juryo chapter which is source of it all🙏
Just received the following information regarding the name of the calligrapher of White Lotus Gohonzon: "It was written by Hasegawa Tohaku, a famous calligrapher and poet that was a member of what became the Kempon Hokke Shu. Re the person that inscribes a honzon - 「日興が云はく、聖人御立ての法門に於ては全く絵像木像の仏菩薩を以て本尊と為さず、唯（ただ）御書の意に任せて妙法蓮華経の五字を以て本尊と為すべし、即ち自筆の本尊是なり。」（御書１８７１） と仰せであります。 Anonoymous
Craig Roy Hickman-Halvorson Yes he is known for having written the O-daimoku especially in Ippen -shudai form and he went on to establish a school and artistic style known as the Hasegawa school in Japan he is very well known...i have posted some of his work here in the past a few years ago." ***********************************************************
"If you are interested in gohonzon history Kens's books and research are with out doubt the best available there is nothing around that covers the scope and detail and history like his work...it has enabaled me to understand Nichiren from a perspective free of sectarian bias and myths that fill so much of what you see about Nichirens life and work and with this understanding i have come to a much deeper understanding of my own practice...we all owe a massive debt to Ken in what he deos because i can assure you there in no one around who has done as much as he has in providing this amazing feat in helping us understand the Great Master Nichiren...his works have pride of place in my library and my understanding .🙏"
Ken is a researcher and author who has written the definitive work on all of Nichiren's mandalas in three volumes , plus a life of Nichiren in 4 volumes , a pictorial life of Nichiren, a whole series of books about the major and middle tier disciples and a catalogue of all known existing works...he has done a service that none of us can repay" Craig Roy Hickman-Halvorson
I messaged Sinyou Tsuchiya a Kempon Hokke priest, on his face book page about the White Lotus Gohonzon in 2015:
"When there was no copy machine, Gohonzon was hand-written by Hokke practitioner. Beautiful copied Gohonzon which is bestowed by the head temple was hand-written by one of the past top priests of Kempon Hokke, who was also famous as a calligrapher". Sinyou tsuchiya (sin)
"You can't find it because it was not photographed and hence not included in the collection. However it was kept in Kyoto and also in Minobu for some time. On this occasion copies were made. This printed one stems from those copies. The actual holograph is in Tokyo and if you want to know more about please refer to the volume two of the mandala book 📖" - Ken Mandara
So it's fair to say that the printed White Lotus is a copy that may have come from one of the past top priests of Kempon Hokke, who was also famous as a calligrapher and not directly from Nichiren's hand but in a sence none of the copies are because they have all been formatted somehow by various mediums from an original unless they are the original unalterd Nichiren Gohonzons as in the head Temples so in the end it doesn't matter where your copies of the originals come from and how they were done!
THE LAST MANDALA INSCRIBED BY THE LATE MASTER IS A MISLEADING STATEMENT UNLESS IT CAN BE PROVEN OTHERWISE HOW CAN IT BE ACCEPTED OR IS IT TO BE ACCEPTED AS BLIND FAITH! https://pounceatron.dreamhosters.com/.../Gohonzo.../001.html NICHIREN'S LAST GOHONZON KOAN 4 APRIL 5TH 1281 AND THE WHITE LOTUS ARE INSCRIBED WITH THE SAME INSCRIPTION DATE OF KOAN 4 APRIL 5TH 1281 ARE MORE SIMILIAR TO EACH OTHER THAN ANY OF THE OTHER GOHONZONS IN THE GOHONZON SHU. IT SEEMS THAT THE WHITE LOTUS GOHONZON WAS TRANSCRIBED FROM WHAT IS KNOWN AS NICHIREN'S LAST GOHONZON!
HTTP://JUHOUKAI.LA.COOCAN.JP/MANDARA/MANDARAITIRAN.HTML Gohonzon #105 WAS INSCRIBED KOAN 4 APRIL 5TH 1281 HAS THE SAME INSCRIPTION DATE AS WHAT IS CALLED NICHIREN'S LAST GOHONZON WHICH IS A DECEPTIVE TERM BECAUSE ACCORDING TO THE ABOVE MANDARA LIST NICHIREN INSCRIBED 18 MORE GOHONZONS UNTILL HIS DEATH 18 MONTHS LATER!
I don't know what to say. The Law, Lord Shakya of the Original Doctrine, and Nichiren Daishonin, our the teacher, deserve all the credit. That you and I have found the true teachings is due to auspicious causation. Many other have had enough of intermediary Buddhism. That we go to the source is due to our awakening. Thank you Noel, you too have helped me immensely.
This is in fact a Nichiren inscribed Gohonzon possessed by the Kempon Hokke. All the jewels on land and sea, all SGI's riches, can not match the fortune of possessing this Gohonzon.
ReplyDeleteHi Mark, than you for putting this up. Is there any way that I can receive this Gohonzon?
DeleteAll the best to you
Traditionally, a Gohonzon is bestowed on another. Today, some people are downloading, enhancing, framing, or mounting Gohonzon and bestowing it on themselves. I think that this latter method is not the method of Nichiren. Nichiren knew very well those to whom he bestowed Gohonzon. He knew the strength of their faith and practice.
DeleteOf course, you may download the Gohonzon, print it on fine rice, acid free, or parchment paper and frame it or mount it on a blank wall scroll or have a professional do it for you.
Bestowing a Gohonzon on another is a whole different animal. You must form a relationship with that person and there still is no guarantee that person will bestow upon you a Gohonzon even after a relationship lasting years. One might receive a gohonzon after days or months. It depends solely on the thickness or thinness of one's faith.
Thank you for your reply Mark, I appreciate what you have said.
DeleteAll the best to you.
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DeleteIf Nichiren didn't open the eyes of this Gohonzon, Then who did ? It is said that even if the inscription and meaning is the same as nichiren's description in the gosho [The Real Aspect of the Gohonzon] it will be different depending on the eye opener ! Hopefully our faith in the meaning/inscription will give us the benefit of the doubt overwho is the eye opener. This could override any doubts of the fear of the unknown.
DeleteI think that if the inscription is the same as Nichiren's description anyone who believes in it through faith can open the eye of the Gohonzon
DeleteJust one question if you really would posses this wondrous gohonzon as you claim but still your collected writings reveals nothing but an envious world of anger. Unfortunately It doesn't any reveal any impression fortune or spiritual advice. Just endless tirades,... zzzzzz.
ReplyDeleteAnyway,
The object of devotion Gohonzon inscribed by Nichiren Daishonin, as you claim is indeed wonderful and this magnificent mandala obviously resembles from where the nichikan inscribed Gohonzon has derived. Although Im not impressed by this way of distributing such a Gohonzon. Hence I beliveve it's sacred object. I also enjoy the mere symbolization of having it enshrined like a treasure tower in my living room enhancing the sacral atmosphere of buddhist practice.
Dear Mikael Kjellman, I'm pretty sure one day you will come to understand these words on you'r own:
Delete"Anger understands both evil and virtue.'
"Become one hundred times angrier, my friend! Those who gave $10,000 should become a hundred times angrier. Those who gave $20,000 should be two hundred times angrier"
Extract from "The Last Will and Testament of Tsugio Ishida is a 700 page remonstration to Daisaku"
Shukan Shincho, 9/22/94
You would be wise to study the teachings of Nichiren Daishonin on the forceful methods of propagation.
ReplyDeleteThe nature of this Gohonzon, the spirit, is hardly that of the Nichikan No-honzon. The Nichikan No-Honzon has the nature of a devil since it opposes the Master of Teachings, Lord Shakya of the Essential Teachings.
Hey doc, first of all I it's incredibly childish to claim that any Gohonzon would be superior and it reveals a misconception that the Gohonzon would be a talisman or charm. (Im sure you will deny this by reflex, because this is something Im sure you would like to accuse s.g.i members so please use the Gohonzon as a mirror and hopefully you will)
ReplyDelete"he power of any Gohonzon, including the Dai-Gohonzon, can be tapped only through the power of faith. In other words, we should be clear that it is wrong to think that the Dai-Gohonzon alone has some kind of unique mystic power that no other Gohonzon possesses. The Dai-Gohonzon and our own Gohonzon are equal."
You have been taught poorly. Please see: http://markrogow.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-nichiren-and-nichikan-gohonzons.html
ReplyDeleteHi Mark,
DeleteIs there a spelling mistake with this link, has it been renamed or did you just decide to delete the post?
I must have removed it either inadvertently or purposefully. Can I help you with something.
Deletehttp://markrogow.blogspot.com/2014/05/thoughts-on-nichikan-gohonzon.html
Your SGI leaders disagree with you...
ReplyDelete“Soka Spirit,” has a “featured article of the month” by Dave Baldschun (SGI-USA Study Dept) entitled: “Are All Gohonzons the same?” In that article, Baldschun arrogantly asserts, “At a time when copies of Gohonzon, some inscribed in Nichiren Daishonin’s own hand, are available over the counter or from the Internet, these examples offer a valuable lesson. Even though a Gohonzon is a Gohonzon, the source is important. We should be aware of those offering Gohonzon and teachings under the guise of Nichiren Buddhism but who are, in fact, propagating views that distort Daishonin’s teachings. In Letter to the Lay Priest Ichinosawa, the Daishonin states, If [sic!] the source is muddy, the stream will not flow clear…”
Nichiren Daishonin himself as the source is muddy? Are they mad? Nichikan and his Gohonzon is pure dirt that causes the SGI believer to cultivate the Three Poisons of Anger, Avarice and Stupidity. Look at those like Top Senior Leader and Etoro. If you want to be like Top Senior Leader, Etoro, or Danny “DONT YOU THINK SO” Nagashima, continue to chant to a Nichikan no-Honzon
In an April 30th 2001 memo, “Distribution of Gohonzons” the SGI teaches that distribution of Gohonzon by any means outside of SGI [for example, via the internet, the Nichiren Shu, or the Kempon Hokke] is detrimental to the true spirit of Nichiren’s teachings which is only propagated within the SGI. Dave Baldshun, drunk with the arrogance of SGI, asserts that receiving, revering, or chanting to such a Gohonzon “would only create confusion and disharmony within SGI’s community of believers and thus may serve to undermine one’s own faith and that of other’s.” He then reafirms the policy of “the conferral of Gohonzon only as within the SGI, “the correct body of believers upholding the Daishonin’s teaching today. We do not support or condone the distribution, receipt, or reproduction of any Gohonzon in any other manner.”
The irony is that Dave Baldshun is correct, not all Gohonzons are the same. The Nichikan Gohonzon is flotsum on the Great Ocean of Life and Death. Chanting to it is an offering of offal to the Buddha and the Great Direct Way to the Hell of Incessant Suffering. Being a brainwashed Ikedabot and unthinking member of SGI, is the least of their problems.
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DeleteThe true object of devotion is described by Nichiren as follows:
Delete"The treasure tower sits in the air above the sahā world that the Buddha of the essential teaching [identified as the pure and eternal land]; Myoho-renge-kyo appears in the center of the tower with the Buddhas Shakyamuni and Many Treasures seated to the right and left, and, flanking them, the four bodhisattvas, followers of Shakyamuni, led by Superior Practices. Manjushrī, Maitreya, and the other bodhisattvas, who are all followers of the four bodhisattvas, are seated below. All the other major and minor bodhisattvas, p.367whether they are disciples of the Buddha in his transient status or of the Buddhas of the other worlds, are like commoners kneeling on the ground in the presence of nobles and high-ranking court officials. The Buddhas who gathered from the other worlds in the ten directions all remain on the ground, showing that they are only temporary manifestations of the eternal Buddha and that their lands are transient, not eternal and unchanging"
If SGI's Gohonzon fits this this description which I'm pretty sure it does ,well then it's OK. If the Gohonzon is OK, it doesn't mean that the SGI is OK, it all depends on the correctness of faith that is based on Nichiren's wisdom and what we subjectively experience from it in life
The Vimalakīrti Sutra states that,if the minds of living beings are impure, their land is also impure, but if their minds are pure, so is their land. There are not two lands, pure or impure in themselves. The difference lies solely in the good or evil of our minds.
DeleteIn reflection of the above passage Nichikan's Gohonzon or any other Gohonzon for that matter can appear pure or impure. As long as Nichirens description of the Gohonzon in Kanjinhonzonsho incorporates the true object of devotion described by Nichiren as follows:
"The treasure tower sits in the air above the sahā world that the Buddha of the essential teaching [identified as the pure and eternal land]; Myoho-renge-kyo appears in the center of the tower with the Buddhas Shakyamuni and Many Treasures seated to the right and left, and, flanking them, the four bodhisattvas, followers of Shakyamuni, led by Superior Practices. Manjushrī, Maitreya, and the other bodhisattvas, who are all followers of the four bodhisattvas, are seated below. All the other major and minor bodhisattvas, whether they are disciples of the Buddha in his transient status or of the Buddhas of the other worlds, are like commoners kneeling on the ground in the presence of nobles and high-ranking court officials. The Buddhas who gathered from the other worlds in the ten directions all remain on the ground, showing that they are only temporary manifestations of the eternal Buddha and that their lands are transient, not eternal and unchanging"
If the above remains evident, even though other aspects have been added or taken away, we can hpoefully strike a balance of the oneness of good and evil that enables us to transform delusion into enlightenment. We could spend the rest of our lives in search of the true Gohonzon, like being in search of the holy grail. And when we think that we have found it, how do you really know if it is the real McCoy.
"Again, in the sixth volume of the Nirvana Sutra, it is recorded: “The Buddha announced to Kāshyapa: ‘After I have passed into nirvana... this devil king Pāpīyas will in time try to destroy the correct teaching of mine.... He will change his form into that of an arhat or a Buddha. The devil king, though still subject to illusion, will assume the form of one who has been freed from illusion, and will try to destroy the correct teaching of mine.’” [Repaying Debts of Gratitude]
Delete"...And the devil king of the sixth heaven could imitate all the thirty-two features of a Buddha and manifest himself in the form of a Buddha in such a convincing manner that even the Venerable Ānanda could not tell whether it was the devil or the Buddha...." [The Relative Merit of Reciting the Daimoku and Amida's Name] --- Story in the Nirvana Sutra that even Ananda could not see through the disguises of devils who assume the form of a Buddha.
“If now some other Buddha should appear and declare that the Lotus Sutra is not suitable for persons in this latter age of ours, he would obviously be contradicting the sutra itself. We know, therefore, that he would be the sort of ‘devil Buddha’96 that the Nirvana Sutra has predicted will appear after the Buddha has entered extinction and hence not worthy to be trusted. And, needless to say, the same applies of course to the sort of bodhisattvas, voice-hearer disciples, and monks previously mentioned. These would without doubt be devils appearing in the form of bodhisattvas, and so forth, just as the Nirvana Sutra predicted they will after the Buddha has passed into extinction." [On the Protection of the Nation
I assert that the Nichikan Gohonzon is just such a devil assuming the form of a Buddha. How else to explain the mistaken faith, practices, and behavior of those of the Soka Gakkai?
Do you think that the previous Gohonzon of the Gakkai before the excommunication was any better ?.
DeleteHas their behaviour worsened, practices more obscure, faith become more mistaken?
Still, all their [SGI and NST] Gohonzons are based on Taisekeji false doctrines and inscribed and eye opened by evil monks. Therefore, their behavior and practices have been, are, and will be [until they adopt a correct view] false. Even their former forceful [shakubuku] practices were lame because it was no different than the forceful practices of the non-Buddhist religions [conversion to a false religion].
DeleteYou brought up a very important point yesterday, whom and what can we trust? The Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha, and Nichiren, for sure and those like minded individuals who place their trust in them, to a greater or lesser extent be they priest or layman. In a sense, the same goes in the secular realm. For the most part we can trust our parents, our sovereigns [as long as they don't persecute the votaries], and our wives and children but even here, trusting unconditionally may be a cause for regret. Never a cause for regret, faith in the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha, and Nichiren Daishonin. What do you think?
your question; I assert that the Nichikan Gohonzon is just such a devil assuming the form of a Buddha. How else to explain the mistaken faith, practices, and behaviour of those of the Soka Gakkai?
Deleteyour answer; Kempon Hokke's connection to Japanese right wing nationalists, Nichirenists, and especially Tanaka Chigaku's Kokuchukai.
2. Doctrinal errors by Shamon Tsuchiya and other Kempon Hokke priests, for example, promoting the Dhammapada, silent meditation, and their extreme anti-Original Enlightenment stance [failing to distinguish between Nichiren's Original Enlightenment teachings and Chuko Tendai Original Enlightenment].
3). Reverend Tsuchiya's siding with Islam and its brutal stance against homosexuals and against his own fellow member and my shakubuku, Israell Isaac.
4). Modern Kempon Hokke's practice of interfaith, intimate association with the Nichiren Shu, in particular, and its practice of selling the Dharma.
5). Reverend Tsuchiya's ill treatment of Jerry whose arguments and eye witness account of the reality of the modern Kempon Hokke opened my eyes to their errors.
6). Refusal to be complicit in slander.
If we judge the behaviour of the SGI/NST by their Gohonzon , then the same standard can be applied to Nichiren Shu and Keppon Hokke who you say have the correct Gohonzon yet they have mistaken faith, practices, and behaviour
The reason why I think most of us come to NB is because we want to change our karma that changes our tendencies that change our behaviour
Noel, you write:
Delete"If we judge the behaviour of the SGI/NST by their Gohonzon , then the same standard can be applied to Nichiren Shu and Keppon Hokke who you say have the correct Gohonzon yet they have mistaken faith, practices, and behaviour"
And the Muslims, the Hindu's, the Christians, the Jews, the secularists... Everyone has a Gohonzon, something to which they devote themselves: Some whose Gohonzon without [external Gohonzon] is warped, some whose Gohonzon within [internal Gohonzon] is warped, and some whose internal and external Gohonzon is warped. In the case of the Soka Gakkai, both internal and external Gohonzon are mistaken. In the case of the Kempon Hokke, it is their internal Gohonzon..
How about some with [internal Gohonzon] that is not warped and an [external Gohonzon] that is warped
DeleteThat is not possible if we believe Nichiren:
Delete“If it is not the proper Object of Worship (gohonzon),
even though there be no falsehood [even
if the practitioner is sincere] it will not form the seed
[of Buddhahood]. The Daimoku of the Hommon [Doctrine
of the Original, found in the Lotus Sutra] is the seed of
Buddhahood. This is because the Eternal Shakyamuni of the
Honmon has put his Causal Practices (his myriad practices
that lead to enlightenment) and his Virtues of the Effect
(the merits of the effect, which is Buddhahood) into the
seven characters of Namu Myo Ho Renge Kyo.”
(The True Object of Worship)
Does this statement that you made on the 13th of Oct 2013 still sstand true "This is in fact a Nichiren inscribed Gohonzon possessed by the Kempon Hokke. All the jewels on land and sea, all SGI's riches, can not match the fortune of possessing this Gohonzon " Would this Gohonzon be one to download. Could you give me some tips about the best way to go about it as I don't want to have to join a sect
DeleteThis is a beautiful one to download. Nikke Shonin [Jerry Marcheso] has a very high resolution copy [8 mb] that would be better for printing. Not sure if he can send this to you via e-mail or already printed. Please e-mail him at jerryxberry@yahoo.com or call him. e-mail me at illarraza@yahoo.com and I will give you his phone number.
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DeleteDomo arigatou gozaimasu どうもありがとうございます
DeleteDo you acknowledge the following Gosho as authentic, from Nichiren's own hand
DeleteThe Real Aspect of the Gohonzon
I HAVE received your offerings to the Gohonzon of five thousand coins, one horseload of polished rice, and fruit. To begin with, this Gohonzon was revealed in the last eight years of the fifty that the Buddha preached in this world, and in this period of eight years, in eight chapters [of the Lotus Sutra], from the "Emerging from the Earth" chapter through the "Entrustment" chapter. Now, during the three periods following the Buddha's passing, in the two thousand years of the Former and Middle Days of the Law, not even the term "object of devotion of the essential teaching" yet existed. How then could the object of devotion have been revealed? Moreover, there was no one who was able to give it expression. T'ien-t'ai, Miao-lo, and Dengyō perceived it in their hearts, but for some reason never put it into words, just as Yen Yüan1 realized the true meaning of Confucius's teaching, but never gave it expression. Yet the sutra itself and the commentaries of T'ien-t'ai and Miao-lo explicitly state that the Gohonzon will appear after two thousand years have elapsed following the Buddha's passing, in the first five hundred years of the Latter Day of the Law.
How wondrous it is that, around two hundred years and more into the Latter Day of the Law, I was the first to reveal as the banner of propagation of the Lotus Sutra this great mandala that even those such as Nāgārjuna and Vasubandhu, T'ien-t'ai and Miao-lo were unable to express. This mandala is in no way my invention. It is the object of devotion that depicts Shakyamuni Buddha, the World-Honored One, seated in the treasure tower of Many Treasures Buddha, and the Buddhas who were Shakyamuni's emanations as perfectly as a print matches its woodblock. Thus the five characters of the Lotus Sutra's title are suspended in the center, while the four heavenly kings are seated at the four corners of the treasure tower. Shakyamuni, Many Treasures, and the four leaders of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth are side by side at the top. Seated below them are the bodhisattvas, including Universal Worthy and Manjushrī, and the voice-hearers, including Shāriputra and Maudgalyāyana. [Beside them are] the gods of the sun and moon, the devil king of the sixth heaven, the dragon king, and an asura. In addition, the wisdom kings Immovable and Craving-Filled take up their stations to the south and north. The evil and treacherous Devadatta and the ignorant dragon king's daughter form a group. Not only the Mother of Demon Children and the ten demon daughters, who are evil demons that sap the lives of people throughout the major world system, but also the Sun p.832Goddess, Great Bodhisattva Hachiman, and the seven reigns of the heavenly gods and five reigns of the earthly gods, who are the guardian deities of Japan-all the various great and small gods, that is, the main gods, are ranged in rows. How then could the remaining subordinate gods be left out? The "Treasure Tower" chapter states, "[Shakyamuni Buddha used his transcendental powers to] lift all the members of the great assembly up into the air."
Without exception, all these Buddhas, bodhisattvas, great sages, and, in general, all the various beings of the two worlds and the eight groups2 who appear in the "Introduction" chapter of the Lotus Sutra dwell in this Gohonzon. Illuminated by the light of the five characters of the Mystic Law, they display the dignified attributes that they inherently possess. This is the object of devotion.
DeleteThis is what is meant when the sutra says "the true aspect of all phenomena."3 Miao-lo stated: "The true aspect invariably manifests in all phenomena, and all phenomena invariably manifest in the ten factors. The ten factors invariably manifest in the Ten Worlds, and the Ten Worlds invariably manifest in life and its environment."4 It is also stated that the profound principle of the true aspect is the originally inherent Myoho-renge-kyo.5 The Great Teacher Dengyō said, "A single moment of life comprising the three thousand realms is itself the Buddha of limitless joy; this Buddha has forsaken august appearances."6 Therefore, this Gohonzon shall be called the great mandala never before known; it did not appear until more than 2,220 years after the Buddha's passing.
A woman who makes offerings to such a Gohonzon invites happiness in this life, and in the next, the Gohonzon will be with her and protect her always. Like a lantern in the dark, like a strong guide and porter on a treacherous mountain path, the Gohonzon will guard and protect you, Nichinyo, wherever you go. Therefore, you should take every care to ward off slanderers of the Law in the same way that you would never wish a courtesan even to come near your home. This is the meaning of "Thrust aside evil friends and associate with good companions."7
The twenty-third day of the eighth month in the third year of Kenji (1277)
Reply to Nichinyo
Yes. Why?
DeleteI thought that this description of the real aspect of Gohonzon is similar to the Denpo [Gohonzon for the Transmission of the Dharma], Shutei Gohonzon. As their are fake gosho's I was just checking with you about it's authenticity
DeleteHi Noel. Could you elaborate. Not sure of your question. Not sure to which gosho[s] you are referring.
DeleteI was referring to 'The Real Aspect of the Gohonzon' gosho that I copied and pasted from nichireblibarary.org. on October 24, 2014 at 9:04 PM. It is good to have a reliable description from Nichiren only 5 years before his death. If the explanation matches with the Gohonzon ,then hopefully they should both be legitimate
DeleteAnd, of course, as you highlighted, depending on the faith, correct or incorrect, of the eye opener. Less clear, depending on the faith of the inscriber. Who would want to chant to a Gohonzon inscribed by a slanderer who teaches and acts contrary to Nichiren? Who would benefit? Only the king devil.
DeleteThis will be the SGI then - "Even though a Gohonzon is a Gohonzon, the source is important. We should be aware of those offering Gohonzon and teachings under the guise of Nichiren Buddhism but who are, in fact, propagating views that distort Daishonin’s teachings. In Letter to the Lay Priest Ichinosawa, the Daishonin states, If [sic!] the source is muddy, the stream will not flow clear…"
DeletePropagating views like:
"Buddhism is a teaching conveyed through the mentor-disciple relationship. The oneness, or shared commitment, of mentor-disciple forms the essence of Buddhist practice. If we forget the mentor-disciple relationship, we cannot attain Buddhahood. Nor can we achieve eternal happiness or realise kosen rufu. For it is through the bond if mentor and disciple that the Law is transmitted. Buddhism is the Law of life; and the Law of life cannot be transmitted through words and concepts alone." (Daisaku Ikeda - Lectures on the Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life - SGI Malaysia 2009 page 115)"
Which contrasts sharply with and distorts The Lotus Sutra and Nichiren's teaching of "entry is through faith alone"; either embracing, encountering or even slandering the Sutra guarantees attainment of buddhahood (though the latter, poison drum, relationship is not recommended); That the Law is transmitted through the scrolls of the Sutra and the words and concepts of the Sutra.
This lecture is in itself designed to distort the very Gosho that is it's subject, no doubt because it's central premise, correct faith and the inheritance of the ultimate Law is so threatening to the SGI and the religious marketing brand loyalty it is seeking to establish.
Like all products, if one can do it simply, effectively and cheaply oneself, why bother to buy in at inflated prices, unless there's actually some value added? Of course that costs and it requires people who have the wisdom to know what value to add without detracting from the focus of faith, and who have the skill, commitment, knowledge and most importantly integrity and care to deliver that added value.
There are no signs that the business end that runs SGI operations has any intention of adding any value at all, let alone the qualities that would allow it to should it so desire. Plus it's managed to get rid of the increasing numbers of sincere people who actually could and did.
So the effort goes into heading off the threats to the business rather than developing something of value.
This Gosho is one such threat, so a lecture is given that "interprets it" to make the SGI product indispensable to success. And to do that it has to distort it.
Here's what the Gosho actually says:
Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life
http://www.nichirenlibrary.org/en/wnd-1/Content/29
"Shakyamuni Buddha who attained enlightenment countless kalpas ago, the Lotus Sutra that leads all people to Buddhahood, and we ordinary human beings are in no way different or separate from one another. To chant Myoho-renge-kyo with this realization is to inherit the ultimate Law of life and death. This is a matter of the utmost importance for Nichiren’s disciples and lay supporters, and this is what it means to embrace the Lotus Sutra.
"For one who summons up one’s faith and chants Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with the profound insight that now is the last moment of one’s life, the sutra proclaims: “When the lives of these persons come to an end, they will be received into the hands of a thousand Buddhas, who will free them from all fear and keep them from falling into the evil paths of existence.”
Ibid
"My followers are now able to accept and uphold the Lotus Sutra because of the strong ties they formed with it"
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteOnce again you are not correct to say the least, offcourse you will always find different, diverging views in sgi, it's the reality of such a diverse grassroots movement. This another striking example of your selective and dishonest way of arguing. My quote was also from Soka spirit even an earlier there are plenty of later issues that support my claims regarding the Gohonzon. as Nichiren stated the the gohonzon is also expressed in the two characters of faith alone. You mentioned forceful propagation! Dont flatter yourself, your biased prejudice and arrogant self conceit. I realize this is a wasteland, I will leave this barren soil, I it's not right of me to provide fuel to for internet trolls obsession. All I can declare is a remonstration and leave this wasteland forever... Desolate!
ReplyDeleteThe saving grace is that an aspect of our Buddha nature has the quality of infinite compassion
DeleteA little late reply from my side, but i recognise this gohonzon as "the Last gohonzon inscribed by Nichiren Shonin".
ReplyDeleteThis is at least what i found on the net before i committed myself fully to the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteHi Richard! I could be wrong but the last Koan era "expanded style" Gohonzon is the Shutei Gohonzon used by the Nichiren Shu. And although this Gohonzon is similar, it is not the Shutei Gohonzon.
ReplyDeleteBenefit is not derived from the "Gohonzon" but rather from faith in it as a reflection of the Buddha nature inherent in all human beings otherwise people without Gohonzons would be wasting time chanting and yet they still receive benefits of chanting NMRK. This attitude of Mark Rogow, claiming to posses what he does not is fairly amusing but the negative karma he creates trying to float between criticizing the truth of the "Bodhisattva's of the Earth" and the organization it has manifested as is silly at best. His lack of understanding ruptures out at you as 10 jealous women reading "elle" magazines. Swooning over concepts he has no understanding of and then regurgitating his own half baked ideas like a dog barking at the moons brightness. I would suggest more study before continuing on these poorly substantiated rants on the SGI.
ReplyDeleteOur Supreme Court justice weighs in. Faithless and unlearned member of the judiciary is he. Certainly he is no Abundant Treasures Buddha. Appearing, he comes here not to validate and praise the teachings, Shakyamuni Buddha, the True Votary of the Lotus Sutra, and their disciples but to destroy the true teachings of Ichinen Sanzen and Dependent Origination and to slander the votaries.
ReplyDeletehttp://markrogow.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-opening-of-eyes-confucianism.html
Could you perhaps translate the characters on this Gohonzon for us, it would be lovely to see what Nichiren inscribed here? With respect and sincere appreciation for your showing this to us.
ReplyDeleteHi. Nikke Jerry is validating this Gohonzon and then he will attempt to translate it. Unfortunately, it is not in the Gohonzon Shu so the investigation into it's authenticity is taking time.
ReplyDeleteMuch appreciation Mark, thank you.
DeleteMark, Richard Huigen is likely referring to:
ReplyDeletehttp://nichirenscoffeehouse.net/GohonzonShu/NichirensLast.html
Hi Robin. They are very very close but not the same. Is this a disciple's rendition of the Shutei Gohonzon or a distinct Nichiren Gohonzon? If it is a Nichiren Gohonzon, it rivals the beauty and complexity of the Shutei Gohonzon.
ReplyDeleteIt is also similar to Nissho’s Denpo Honzon of 1280 and a few others from the Koan period.
ReplyDeleteThank you. Do you perhaps have any information on what the Kempon Hokke tradition says about this Gohonzon?
ReplyDeleteHi again Nichiren Path. All I can say is Nikke Jerry is investigating and as soon as I know anything, I will let you know.
ReplyDeleteThank you, I'm real excited about this.
ReplyDeleteThe Gohonzon side inscription is So-Honzon Myomanji [Head Temple Myomanji}, where this Gohonzon is found?
ReplyDeleteThank you, I was wondering what the side inscription was. It would make sense for the location/residence signature to be on the Omandala.
DeleteIt appears to be a Koan era style Omandala kept at Kyoto so-honzan Myoman-ji.
ReplyDeleteSimilar to:
Denpo Honzon 伝法本尊
http://fraughtwithperil.com/rbeck/2006/02/26/nisshos-denpo-honzon-of-1280/
Also The omandala Issued to Shimotsuke-bo Nisshu: {?????-1329}; one of the three leading Priests of Ryusenji in Atsuhara Village of Suruga Province who converted to the early Hokke Shu.. Later, he would found Rikyo-bo lodging temple at Taisekiji. He was one of Nikko’s 6 Elder Disciples at Taiseiji.
http://nichirenscoffeehouse.net/GohonzonShu/105.html
Also, the controversial Nichizen Mannen Kugo Daimandara of 1280.
http://fraughtwithperil.com/rbeck/2010/08/06/the-nichizen-mannen-kugo-great-mandala-of-1280-at-kitayama/
Hi Noel. The reasons that the Nichikan Gohonzon is not a true Gohonzon is myriad and I will answer fully this evening. Appearance, nature, entity. Though the Nichikan Gohonzon has the appearance of true Gohonzon, its nature and entity differ from a true Gohonzon. Also, Nichikan opened the eyes of the Nichikan Gohonzon. Who better than Nichiren to have opened the eyes of a Gohonzon, let alone compared to the slanderer Nichikan.
ReplyDeleteGood evening Noel!
ReplyDeleteHi Mark,
ReplyDeleteCan one pray to an image of this Gohnzon (on laptop screen)?
Regards
I don't see why not. I just did. You may want a second opinion, however. Why don't you ask Shinkei?
ReplyDeleteNichiren teaches,
ReplyDelete"Unless one who has grasped the essence of the Lotus Sutra conducts the eye-opening ceremony for a wooden or painted image, it will be as if a masterless house were to be occupied by a thief, or as if, upon death, a demon were to enter one’s body."
In order to reveal the great beneficent power of the Gohonzon we must become ones who grasp the essence of the Lotus Sutra every time we chant the Daimoku.
The power of the Law is generated through Faith and practice, there is no greater eye opening ceremony than this
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThere is the power of self, the power of others, the power of the environment, and the power of the Law. They all derive from the power of the Law because the great power of self is the self that believes in Myoho renge kyo [the power of faith in the Mystic Law]. The great power of others is the power of Buddha to save all sentient beings. The great power of the environment is the Gohonzon, the manifest reality of the Law and the Buddha. Initially, not even faith nor practice is necessary thanks to the wonderful power of the Law and the Buddha. This is known as receiving the Daimoku. Buddhahood lies in keeping or recollecting the great power of the Law and the Buddha. The for powers of the Law, the Buddha, faith, and practice are at once independent and inextricably bound. Nichiren teaches:
ReplyDelete“The ninth is called the perfection of benefits because Myoho-renge-kyo is endowed with the benefits of all practices, and possesses the superlative effectiveness of the three powers [the power of the Law, the power of the Buddha, and the power of faith]. [Hence the benefits are called lotus.]"
Thanks Mark, that's really powerful.
ReplyDeleteYou say:
ReplyDelete"All the jewels on land and sea, all SGI's riches, can not match the fortune of possessing this Gohonzon."
What utter nonsense.
All Gohonzons are merely pieces of paper and have no intrinsic value, and certainly no supernatural power, which is what you seem to be claiming.
Gohonzons are simply mirrors for observing our lives, but even without a Gohonzon, one can manifest Buddhahood simply by chanting NMRK anywhere.
If that is not true, then Nichiren lied.
No Anonymous. Nichiren didn't lie. You misunderstand Ichinen Sanzen and his teachings on self and "other power".
ReplyDeleteI would also like to refer you to the following argument:
ReplyDeletehttp://markrogow.blogspot.com/2016/01/refuting-core-sgi-doctrne.html
Buddhism is a philosophy nam myoho renge kyo was a way for lay people to access Buddhism in Japan to bestow a gohonzon to someone is that really the point I don't think so.
ReplyDeleteBuddhism is a religion, especially, the Lotus Sutra Buddhism of Nichiren. The Gohonzon of Namu Myoho renge kyo (not Nam Myoho renge kyo) was bestowed on those Nichiren disciples who demonstrated unwavering faith. Shijo Kingo, for example, received Gohonzon from Nichiren after almost 20 years of unwavering faith. However, in this digital age, one may bestow Gohonzon on oneself. Not sure this practice of bestowing Gohonzon on oneself is beneficial in the long run but it can't be worse than the record of Nichiren Shoshu and Soka Gakkai who bestowed ~ 600,000 Gohonzons whereby only 35,000 believers remain. Probably, the retention rate of those who bestow Gohonzons on themselves is superior.
ReplyDeleteNichiren wasn't the buddha he was a messenger in my eye bodi superior practice at best I love his teachings and message I would have never heard of nichiren if it wasn't for the Internet. Love to all beings
ReplyDeleteLove to you too.
ReplyDeleteMark Rogow thank you kindly. Do you have a you tube.
ReplyDeleteNo you tube
ReplyDeleteI've heard that this Unknown is called the White Lotus Gohonzon that Kempon Hokke has released recently!
ReplyDeleteHad a conversation about the copy of the White Lotus a few years ago with Sinyou:
Sinyou Tsuchiya 13 August 21:24
This is a Mandara which Kempon Hokke presents. It is a copy of Dempoo Honzon by one of priests of Kempon Hokke. Only I know who he is.
Original post
Noel Panton
Noel Panton 13 August 20:21
http://nichirenshubrasil.com.br/gohonzon/
Hi Sinyou
I came across this article that seems to have been put together by Nichiren Shu and was wondering what you may know about this Gohonzon that has been displayed.
Is it an inscription from Nichiren or a transcription from someone else.
I couldn't find it on this site http://juhoukai.la.coocan.jp/mandara/081.html
I have heard there are 128 Gohonzons of Nichiren. There are only 123 here. Could it be one of the missing ones
Thanks
Gohonzon - Nichiren Shu Brasil
I'm still not absolutely sure after all these years; If you here something let me know. Stay safe
ReplyDeleteJust as well we have Nichiren's Gohonzon that we can be sure about. Just read REPLY TO KYO'O which is encouraging. Sent ot to my work friend who rang me up from the cancer ward as they just found a 28cm by 10cm lymphoma between his organ sack and his back. We have been using glysophate for arround 20 years as a means of control of invasive exotic species in natural bushland environment.
ReplyDeleteStrangely enough Gohonzon #72 which was inscribed Koan 3 to Nichiganyo, Shijokingo's wife has the same description of the same protective beings in it as the REPLY TO KYO'O gosho that was written 7 years earlier 1273!
Hi Noel; Thanks for the comment. Will check out the description.
ReplyDeleteYou also keep safe Mark. I am more serious and more grateful than ever that my wife and l can chant to Nichiren Koan expanded 10 world Gohonzons . Feeling great strength to face with what lays ahead!
ReplyDeleteThanks
Noel
Stay well and happy. So great is the Daimoku and Gohonzon!
ReplyDeleteHad a conversation about the copy of the White Lotus Gohonzon a few years ago with Sinyou Tsuchiya a Former Kempon Hokke Priest at 顕本法華宗
ReplyDeleteI've heard that this Unknown is called the White Lotus Gohonzon that Kempon Hokke has released recently!
Sinyou Tsuchiya 13 August 21:24
This is a Mandara which Kempon Hokke presents. It is a copy of Dempoo Honzon by one of priests of Kempon Hokke. Only I know who he is"
Read the latest findings about the White Lotus: I have found out that its a genuine holograph that wasn't included in Nichiren's Mandara Chart and I thank Ken Mandara who is a Nichiren Buddhist researcher for sharing that with me!
ReplyDeleteHad a conversation about the origins of the White Lotus Gohonzon a few years ago with Sinyou Tsuchiya a Former Kempon Hokke Priest at 顕本法華宗
"When there was no copy machine, Gohonzon was hand-written by Hokke practitioner. Beautiful copied Gohonzon which is bestowed by the head temple was hand-written by one of the past top priests of Kempon Hokke, who was also famous as a calligrapher". Sinyou tsuchiya (sin)
The White Lotus Gohonzon was inscribed the same day as Nichirens Gohonzon http://juhoukai.la.coocan.jp/mandara/105.html they were inscribed Koan 4 April 5th 1281.
They have the same dates and look really different.
I'm sure that transcribed Gohonzon layouts don't always match the originals. This can happen from calligraphy, mechanical, electronic reproductions but the White Lotus could be a perfect reproduction . Haven't seen the holograph so can't say .
http://juhoukai.la.coocan.jp/mandara/mandaraitiran.html
The reason why the White Lotus isnt the same is because as 105 on the Gohonzon chart that was inscribed Koan 4 April 5th 1281 is because it musn't of been the only Gohonzon inscribed on that day. That was my mistake thinking that there was only one.
Some days Nichiren inscribed 2 Gohonzons on the same day. The White Lotus was "not photographed and hence not included in the collection.
However it was kept in Kyoto and also in Minobu for some time. On this occasion copies were made. This printed one stems from those copies.
The actual holograph is in Tokyo and if you want to know more about please refer to the volume two of the mandala book 📖" - Ken Mandara"
A spot on calligrapher could probably produce the Gohonzon with the same precision as a camera. Also the copies were made by tracing techniques as Japanese "washi" paper can be made very thin and copyists were extremely skilled so those copies would also probably be as good as a camera.
So all reproductions/transcriptions of originals are formatted Gohonzons. It would then be a matter of size even if it was photographed for distribution but its the contents and where the idea of it originated would have to be the most important as the Gohonzon is a representative or materialisation of Namu Myoho Renge Kyo the Original Shakyamuni Buddha 3 bodied Tathagatta Thus Come One of the Juryo chapter which is source of it all🙏
Just received the following information regarding the name of the calligrapher of White Lotus Gohonzon:
ReplyDelete"It was written by Hasegawa Tohaku, a famous calligrapher and poet that was a member of what became the Kempon Hokke Shu.
Re the person that inscribes a honzon -
「日興が云はく、聖人御立ての法門に於ては全く絵像木像の仏菩薩を以て本尊と為さず、唯（ただ）御書の意に任せて妙法蓮華経の五字を以て本尊と為すべし、即ち自筆の本尊是なり。」（御書１８７１）
と仰せであります。 Anonoymous
Craig Roy Hickman-Halvorson
Yes he is known for having written the O-daimoku especially in Ippen -shudai form and he went on to establish a school and artistic style known as the Hasegawa school in Japan he is very well known...i have posted some of his work here in the past a few years ago."
***********************************************************
"If you are interested in gohonzon history Kens's books and research are with out doubt the best available there is nothing around that covers the scope and detail and history like his work...it has enabaled me to understand Nichiren from a perspective free of sectarian bias and myths that fill so much of what you see about Nichirens life and work and with this understanding i have come to a much deeper understanding of my own practice...we all owe a massive debt to Ken in what he deos because i can assure you there in no one around who has done as much as he has in providing this amazing feat in helping us understand the Great Master Nichiren...his works have pride of place in my library and my understanding .🙏"
Ken is a researcher and author who has written the definitive work on all of Nichiren's mandalas in three volumes , plus a life of Nichiren in 4 volumes , a pictorial life of Nichiren, a whole series of books about the major and middle tier disciples and a catalogue of all known existing works...he has done a service that none of us can repay"
Craig Roy Hickman-Halvorson
I messaged Sinyou Tsuchiya a Kempon Hokke priest, on his face book page about the White Lotus Gohonzon in 2015:
ReplyDelete"When there was no copy machine, Gohonzon was hand-written by Hokke practitioner. Beautiful copied Gohonzon which is bestowed by the head temple was hand-written by one of the past top priests of Kempon Hokke, who was also famous as a calligrapher". Sinyou tsuchiya (sin)
"You can't find it because it was not photographed and hence not included in the collection. However it was kept in Kyoto and also in Minobu for some time. On this occasion copies were made. This printed one stems from those copies. The actual holograph is in Tokyo and if you want to know more about please refer to the volume two of the mandala book 📖" - Ken Mandara
So it's fair to say that the printed White Lotus is a copy that may have come from one of the past top priests of Kempon Hokke, who was also famous as a calligrapher and not directly from Nichiren's hand but in a sence none of the copies are because they have all been formatted somehow by various mediums from an original unless they are the original unalterd Nichiren Gohonzons as in the head Temples so in the end it doesn't matter where your copies of the originals come from and how they were done!
THE LAST MANDALA INSCRIBED BY THE LATE MASTER IS A MISLEADING STATEMENT UNLESS IT CAN BE PROVEN OTHERWISE HOW CAN IT BE ACCEPTED OR IS IT TO BE ACCEPTED AS BLIND FAITH!
ReplyDeletehttps://pounceatron.dreamhosters.com/.../Gohonzo.../001.html
NICHIREN'S LAST GOHONZON KOAN 4 APRIL 5TH 1281 AND THE WHITE LOTUS ARE INSCRIBED WITH THE SAME INSCRIPTION DATE OF KOAN 4 APRIL 5TH 1281 ARE MORE SIMILIAR TO EACH OTHER THAN ANY OF THE OTHER GOHONZONS IN THE GOHONZON SHU. IT SEEMS THAT THE WHITE LOTUS GOHONZON WAS TRANSCRIBED FROM WHAT IS KNOWN AS NICHIREN'S LAST GOHONZON!
HTTP://JUHOUKAI.LA.COOCAN.JP/MANDARA/MANDARAITIRAN.HTML
Gohonzon #105 WAS INSCRIBED KOAN 4 APRIL 5TH 1281 HAS THE SAME INSCRIPTION DATE AS WHAT IS CALLED NICHIREN'S LAST GOHONZON WHICH IS A DECEPTIVE TERM BECAUSE ACCORDING TO THE ABOVE MANDARA LIST NICHIREN INSCRIBED 18 MORE GOHONZONS UNTILL HIS DEATH 18 MONTHS LATER!
105４年４月５日僧日春92.1×49.13岡宮光長寺106４年４月17日若宮本尊俗真広54.2×33.31京都本圀寺107４年４月25日比丘尼持円97.9×59.43京都本満寺108４年４月26日比丘尼持淳67.0×44.21鎌倉妙本寺109４年８月23日摩尼女50.0×31.81鎌倉妙本寺110４年９月 日俗日常94.2×49.73山梨勝沼立正寺111４年９月 日俗守常不詳1不明112４年10月 日削損50.3×30.91千葉隨喜文庫113４年10月 日俗守綱49.7×31.11京都本法寺114４年10月 日俗真永55.5×33.01高知要法寺115４年10月 日俗近吉50.9×32.41京都本能寺116４年12月 日優婆夷一妙不詳1不明117５年正月 日95.5×47.03茂原市鷲津鷲山寺118５年正月 日俗安妙65.5×47.02天城湯ケ島妙本寺119５年正月 日俗日専94.5×53.03沼津妙海寺120５年４月 日沙門天目93.0×50.94京都本隆寺121５年４月 日俗藤三郎日金93.6×48.83堺妙国寺122５年６月 日67.9×45.82茂原市鷲津鷲山寺123５年６月 日67.6×44.52京都本圀寺
Thank you, for the most up to date information regarding Gohonzon.
ReplyDeleteThankyou Mark for being real! You and my wife have helped me more than anyone else on this path!
ReplyDeleteI don't know what to say. The Law, Lord Shakya of the Original Doctrine, and Nichiren Daishonin, our the teacher, deserve all the credit. That you and I have found the true teachings is due to auspicious causation. Many other have had enough of intermediary Buddhism. That we go to the source is due to our awakening. Thank you Noel, you too have helped me immensely.
ReplyDelete