What is the true Kempon Hokke sect by Graham Lamont

"KEMPON HOKKE" means "revealing the Original Buddha of the Lotus Sutra." It is the orthodox Hokke (Lotus Sutra) sect, as established by Nichiren Daishonin in Japan.

The Kempon Hokke-USA is the overseas lay organization of the Kempon Hokke of Japan. Kempon Hokke of Japan derives its teachings directly from Nichiren, and was officially founded by Nichi-ju, (originally named Gemmyo), a Tendai priest who had converted to the exclusive teachings of the Lotus Sutra and Nichirenwhen he was sixty-six years old after reading two writings of Nichiren, The Opening of the Eyes and Practicing According to the Preachings. He founded the head temple, Myomanji, in Kyoto and various other temples. Kempon Hokke is known for it's orthodox approach to Nichiren's teachings and for it's emphasis on scholastic study of the Lotus Sutra and the works of Nichiren. It discourages viewpoints that depart from the true intentions of Nichiren and those that minimize the study of the Lotus Sutra. Even as early as Nichi-juu's time, there were many distortions of Nichiren's basic doctrines. There were many forgeries attributed to Nichiren and there were other traditions based on "secret transmissions" that had no basis in historical or doctrinal reality.

Kempon Hokke means, "revealing the Original Buddha of the Lotus Sutra" and this teaching derives from the "Hokkekyo" (Lotus Sutra), the works of T'ien-t'ai(538-597 AD) of China, Dengyo (767-822 AD) of Japan, and especially by Nichiren Daishonin (1222-1282) of Japan. Nichiren Daishonin distilled the teaching into the formula "Namu myo ho renge kyo" (the title of the Lotus Sutra), established the supreme mandala called the "Gohonzon", and wrote many treatises on the teachings of the Lotus Sutra, especially as it relates to the present age.

There are many sects and organizations that invoke Nichiren's name and adopt aspects of his teachings, but few keep his doctrines intact and actually try to practice them, just as Nichiren mandated.

For example, the Taisekiji (Fuji Ha) sect and the modern day Soka Gakkai utilize the "daimoku" in a truncated form (they have abbreviated the chant by changing "Namu" to "Nam") and they have replaced the Original Buddha Shakyamuni, as described in the 16th Chapter of the Lotus Sutra, with Nichiren himself, something that Nichiren never advocated. This idea did not appear until the 17th century, hundreds of years after Nichiren's death. Likewise, they have created an "ita Mandala" (board or plank mandala) to replace all authenticated Nichiren Gohonzons (written in Nichiren's own hand).

The so-called "dai-Gohonzon" did not appear until 1488, more than two centuries after Nichiren's death. The handwriting and composition of the "dai-Gohonzon" is highly suspect. Taisekiji bases it's teachings on "secret oral transmissions" and many forged documents. During and after Nichiren's death, many Buddhist teachers used the principle of "secret oral transmissions" to justify their teachings. It has led to many twisted interpretations of Nichiren's doctrine.

In the Kempon Hokke, there are no such secret transmissions. The true transmission or succession lies in the scrolls of the Lotus Sutra and is transmitted directly from the Original Buddha, found in the Lotus Sutra, to the believer. This principle is called "kyokan sojo".

There is no special secret doctrine handed to one disciple alone. There is no intermediary between the believer and the Lotus Sutra. When one takes faith in the Lotus Sutra, as elucidated by Nichiren himself (and we must base this on his authentic writings, rejecting all forgeries) then we have the true succession from the eternal Original Buddha Shakyamuni of the 16th Chapter of the the Lotus Sutra, to the believer directly. Those who place their faith in "secret transmissions" outside of the words of Nichiren and the Lotus Sutra are likely to be fooled by spiritual tyrants. Any faith in an external hierarchy or "succession" (Taisekiji and Soka Gakkai are the best examples) places the teaching and the benefits outside of the individual practitioner. Nichiren admonished his followers to "never seek this teaching outside of yourself". He often quoted the Nirvana Sutra ("Daihatsu-nehan-gyo") which says "Rely on the Dharma: do not rely on human beings. Rely on (innate Buddha) wisdom: do not rely on consciousness alone." Likewise, Dengyo Daishi (founder of the Tendai school in Japan and Nichiren's predecessor in transmitting the teachings of the Lotus Sutra) said, " Place reliance on the Buddhas's preaching: do not believe in oral transmissions" (Hokke Shuku, DDZ, V. 3, 245.)

Nichiren's teachings are especially relevant for this time period ("Mappo" or "Age of Degeneration") in which secular and religious struggles are rampant and Buddhist teachings, apart from the ultimate teachings of the Lotus Sutra, lose their efficacy to lead to Buddhahood. This degeneration was predicted in the "Daijikkyo Sutra" (the Great Collection Sutra) where the decline was laid out in the five "five-hundred-year" periods.

"Mappo" will exist until the coming of the next historical Buddha, Maitreya (also called "Ajita"). In these subsequent "five-hundred- year" periods, all buddhist sutras preached before the Hokkekyo (Lotus Sutra) will degenerate and whatever is left of these pre- Hokkekyo teachings and their accompanying practices will be just an empty shell. If these"provisional" sutras are followed and the Lotus Sutra is discarded or disparaged, then the provisional teachings will lead to "hell" in future lifetimes. In such simplistic terms this kind of karmic retribution seems too apocalyptic, but the predictions are rooted in the deepest realms of Buddhist introspections, far beyond the meditative capacity of people in a degenerate age. Truly, the ultimate reality can only be shared between Buddhas because common mortals are swayed by the illusions that create the matrix of mundane life.

The Lotus Sutra is the only vehicle to cross the sea of suffering and end the cycle of birth-and-death. By faith in this ultimate teaching of the Original Buddha, one is assured of Buddhahood, even though understanding is not yet developed. Buddhahood is "ceded" by the Original Buddha to the believer in the Lotus Sutra, one who practices the chanting of the "daimoku" (great title) of "Namu myo ho renge kyo". Since the illusions of the age is great and the shallowness of the beings is inherent, the "medicine" of the Lotus Sutra is profound yet simple.

The Lotus Sutra and, more particularly, the essence of the Lotus Sutra or the "daimoku" ("Namu myo ho renge kyo") will spread at the time of struggle and destruction, precisely when other Buddhist teachings have lost their curative powers. The text of the Lotus Sutra clearly indicates that even when the other buddhist teachings disappear, the Great Pure ("White") Dharma of the Lotus Sutra will be propagated over the world, according to the principle of "correct time" (i.e. our present age). It is the "medicine" to cure the ills of this time period.

In this Degenerate age, Buddhahood is only assured through faith in the Lotus Sutra. Faith in the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings can only lead to the hell realm and less frequently to the realm of hunger and animality (the Three Lower Worlds). The One Vehicle of the Lotus Sutra is the path to rapidly lessen our karmic hindrances accumulated from countless lifetimes of ignorance, anger and stupidity.

In all other sutras, the historical Shakyamuni is shown to have first attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree in India three thousand years ago and is the one who preaches the provisional teachings and who answers questions according to the capacities of the audience.

In the Lotus Sutra, the historical Shakyamuni reveals his true identity as the Original Buddha, enlightened since before time without beginning. This transcendent Original Buddha declares that his enlightenment under the Bodhi tree was a "skillful means" to lead people to universal enlightenment. Likewise, the Buddha's death ("Nirvana") too, is a "skillful means" to bring people to the ultimate teaching found only in the depths of the Lotus Sutra. In reality, the Buddha has always been enlightened and he never dies but exists even now and forever. The cycle of life-and-death is an illusion that imprisons sentient beings in the "Saha" (triple) world, our world of, endurance and suffering.

The ultimate reality (which is depicted in Nichiren's mandala, the "Gohonzon") is a transcendent, timeless and deathless enlightenment that is the legacy of all sentient beings. Faith in the Lotus Sutra immediately gives us the "cause and effect" accumulation of the Buddha's merits and practice. Since it is the teaching of the Original Buddha, it is "difficult to believe and difficult to accept", unlike the provisional sutras, which where preached according to the capacities of the listeners. However, it is the direct path to Buddhahood.

Taisekiji (the Fuji Sect) has spawned Nichiren Shoshu and Soka Gakkai. The latter is a lay organization that has separated itself from Nichiren Shoshu (the official sect name of Taisekiji). The "theology" of Taisekiji and Soka Gakkai is far removed from the original teachings of Nichiren. In truth, they derive their doctrines from later teachers. These later abbots of Taisekiji adopted the popular trends of the Muromachi Period. These were the trends of "chuko Tendai" (medieval Tendai). These schools, therefore, possess a particular vocabulary and doctrine that set it apart from the Kempon Hokke, the Buddha founded sect. Heavily influenced by the Muromachi ideas of "original enlightenment" and "you are the Buddha just as you are", they developed several peculiar teachings, like the unenlightened worldling is the Original Buddha, the teacher of Shakyamuni Buddha. Although, the idea of "original enlightenment" was used by Dengyo and Nichiren, it was used in an extemelly cautious manner. By the time of the late Muromachi, these terms had come to mean someting quite different and to set itself apart from the traditional Nichiren sects, Taisekaji readily adopted them.

In short, these ideas that form the basis of Taisekiji and Soka Gakkai "theology" were developed long after Nichiren and his immediate successors died. These cunning abbots of Taisekiji not only came up with viewpoints that reflected their own opinions, rather than Nichiren's, but when those opinions conflicted with Nichiren's words, Taisekiji would either re-interpret or alter Nichiren Daishonin's words. The 9th abbot, Nichi-u who died of white leprosy first revealed the "dai-Gohonzon" to the world, in 1488. The 26th abbot, Nichikan wrote many works stating, in effect, "Nichiren said this, but he really meant something else". He re-interpreted Nichiren's words to conform to his viewpoint.

A modern example of something like this, in the Western context, is Emanuel Swedenborg who claimed to have experienced supernaturalvisions, and, according to the "instructions" that he received, he wrote sweeping allegorical interpretations of the scriptures. Joseph Smith and the Mormon Church is another example of such "latter day" re-interpretation of earlier scripture.

Taisekaji's departure from Nichiren's true teachings is as follows:

They replaced the Original Buddha Shakyamuni of the Lotus Sutra, with Nichiren or in the case of the Soka Gakkai who confuses the Buddha and the Law, with Namu Myoho renge kyo. In the authentic Gosho ("writings" ), Nichiren identifies the True Original Eternal Buddha as Shakyamuni Buddha. Nichiren carried a statue of Shakyamuni with him until the day he died. Taisekiji attempts to overcome the teaching of Nichiren on the identity the "Eternal Buddha" by stating that he really meant himself but was too humble to come out and say it. There is not even a hint of this in the Lotus Sutra or the writings of Nichiren.

Neither can they be found in the writings of his immediate disciples, even Nikko who founded Taisekiji and only spent 18 months there. He spent the next 36 years of his life at Kitayama Hommonji, where most of his authentic works are kept. He died there in 1333, the same year his disciple, Nichimoku, died. Nikko never returned to Taisekiji once he departed.

If the so-called "dai-Gohonzon" existed at that time, then Nikko never mentioned it nor did he return to Taisekiji to view it again. Nikko is buried at Kitayama Hommonji and his grave faces Minobu, the resting place of Nichiren Daishonin.

In the "Rissho Ankoku Ron" and the other major writings, Nichiren stated repeatedly that the troubles of Japan stemmed from having abandoned the Original Buddha Shakyamuni and having replaced him with other Buddhas, such as Dainichi, Yakushi, and Amida Buddha. It is inconceivable that Nichiren would warn against abandoning the Eternal Shakyamuni, only to later have Taisekiji abbots replace this Eternal Shakyamuni with Nichiren himself! One only has to read the words of Nichiren to realize how inconsistent this idea is with Nichiren's most basic beliefs.

The first mention of the idea of "Nichiren as True Buddha" surfaces in the 17th Century, by Nissho. A great many forgeries have been created within Taisekiji to bolster their claims which go against the words of Nichiren. Even in the "Major Works of Nichiren", translated by Soka Gakkai, the constant references that Nichiren makes to the "Eternal Shakyamuni" are heavily footnoted or altered to claim Nichiren was really referring to himself.

"Casting off" the Eternal Shakyamuni Buddha pollutes the Nichiren faith. It stems the flow of benefit and cuts off the rewards of the Lotus Sutra. What is left is a imitation of what Nichiren actually believedand practiced. When the Eternal Shakyamuni is re-introduced into the practice of the believer, the real benefits and "profound joy" of chanting is brought back to life. Altering this this key component developed by Nichiren, the faith and practice of Taisekiji and Soka Gakkai becomes a counterfeit ritual that merely gives the illusion of benefit.

Likewise, the tendency to "deify" either the current High Priest, or Daisaku Ikeda is a crutch to keep people attached to Taisekiji and the Soka Gakkai. It has nothing to do with the faith and practice of the Lotus Sutra as Nichiren intended it.

The glorification of the "fake mandala", the "dai-Gohonzon", which, according to the Taisekaji priests, "renders all authentic Nichiren Gohonzons worthless" (the exact words of Nichi-u, the 9th High Priest who first introduced it, two hundred years after Nichiren's death), is doubly pernicious because it cuts off the connection between the believer, the real Nichiren and his authentic representation of the Gohonzon.

If you wish to experience authentic Nichiren Buddhism based firmly on the Lotus Sutra and the writings of Nichiren Daishonin and rapidly attain Buddhahood, I encourage you to try the practice for ninety days. I will assist you any way I can. I will send you sutra books, and the Tradition of Nichiren Doctrine for free, and will help you to receive a Gohonzon.

(An essay based on the writings of Graham Lamont and edited by Bruce Maltz).