"The Gosho Zenshu is NOT an excellent compilation of Nichiren's writings. NO ONE in any scholastic circles uses it because it is so sectarian and unreliable. It also recklessly mixes forged letters with authentic letters of Nichiren, so there is no way of knowing which is which. In fact, the Gosho Zenshu has a disclaimer in the preface, which says, "This collection includes virtually all the writings that have since of old been treated as Gosho, WHETHER THEIR AUTHENTICITY HAS BEEN CONFIRMED OR NOT."
My copy of "The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings", translated by Burton Watson, published by Soka Gakkai (2004) contains these two paragraphs written by Daisaku Ikeda, in the Foreward:
ReplyDelete"In the later years, when Nichiren retired to Mount minor, he delivered a series of lectures on the Lotus sutra for the instruction of his disciples. He revealed the hidden meanings of the sutra passages, that were so familiar to him, the meanings that earlier authorities on the sutra such as the Great Teacher T'ien-t'ai and the Great Teacher Miao-lo had not fully brought to light. Nichiren utilizing the work of these earlier commentaries, in his own lectures on the sutra, proceeded to make clear these hidden meanings." (xi)
Is there any reference to these lectures in Nichiren's own writings? I am curious about the "hidden meanings of the Lotus Sutra passages that Nichiren is credited with sharing in a lecture format. It strikes me as odd that Nichiren would eventually claim to have wisdom that surpassed the Great Teachers T'ien-t'ai and Miao-lo.
But here is the real clincher-- next paragraph of the Foreward, Ikeda goes on to declare:
"His [Nichiren's] lectures were recorded and compiled by Niko, one of his closest disciples. Nichiren gave his approval to the work, whose completion is recorded as the first day of the first month of the first year of the Koan er, which corresponds to the year 1278. It later came to be known as the *Ogni Kuden*, or *The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings"
I have made several attempts to read Nikko's *lecture notes*. They are tedious and often times seminally irrelevant to the crux of the practice Nichiren had taught through his letters to disciples and his own behavior as a votary of the Lotus Sutra. Here, I am reminded of senior SGI USA leaders giving Gosho lectures that are embellished with tangential trivia , like, the significance of the fruit sent to Nichiren as an offering with regard to the season, or the deep significance of mentioning every item a believer had sent as an offering. Side bar lessons on indigenous fruit production & its relation to the growing season, is the analogy both describes Nikkos *work* and my aversion to it.
Authenticity is beside the point.
~Katie
watson is bought and paid for. sign, sealed and delivered.
ReplyDeleteHi Greg,
DeleteHave you read Niko's notes on the Daishonin's *alleged* lectures on the Lotus sutra? (Ongi kuden) Just curious.
Correction last sentence: Niko, not Nikko
hey katie, not throughly. the reason why i have not is because almost everything that comes from the shoshu, or is attached to them is considered by other sects as well as independent scholars as not truly authentic. in a few writings by nikko(i think it was nikko), the way he refers to shakyamuni, nichiren and the lotus sutra, was as nichiren taught, as well as how nichiren described himself(bodi jogyo). the shoshu long ago began teaching things that did not even come close to what nichiren taught. the shoshu seems to be a mixture of tendai, shingon, youi-yoga balogne. as the sgi in america and europe is a blend of one part buddhism and one part japanese culture and two parts christian-judeo monkey business. sgi/ikeda do not care about the real teachings, they care about how they can sell their org. for profit and gain/power, and in this country christianity is the best way to go. sad.my dealings with the membership of the sgi and nst is that they can speak all day about ikeda, or the high priest/dai gohonzon, but very, very few, if any, really know the teachings. very strange indeed. i am no scholar, but i have been around for a very long time and i know the teachings pretty well. i know when something is wrong. thanks for all your good input. continue to read the posts here and i am sure it will help a lot. here we are all equal and we do our best to follow nichiren. mark will post something here that will help. he is very organized. best wishes.
ReplyDeleteHi Katie. The Ongi Kuden is a pious forgery. The evidence is overwhelming. Of course the SGI cherishes it.
ReplyDeleteThanks Greg & Mark! Do you happen to know who committed the forgery? I mean, did Niko fabricate the lecture notes?, or did another High Priest claim he "found Niko's lecture notes'?
ReplyDeleteWhat I don't understand is how anyone who has read and studied Nichiren;s writings could buy into the idea that he was giving lectures on the Lotus Sutra at Mt. Minobu . I have read Nichiren's references to reciting the Lotus Sutra there and inviting a disciple to experience the tranquility.
Again, thanks for bringing some clarity to so much of what I have been pondering day and night-- for the past 20 years!
~Katie
Nikko purportedly wrote the Ongi Kuden and Niko the Ongi Kikigakai. The real authors were priests from dueling sides of a Nichiren debate, one side from the Fuji school and the other side from the Minobu school. Both probably from the late 15th century, I believe. Shinkei might know more.
DeleteI found the answers in a link shared in by Mark in a newer post.
ReplyDeleteThank you, again...
~Katie