Nichiren school
Nichiren school
日蓮宗 ( Jpn Nichiren-shu)
In general, any Buddhist school that regards Nichiren as its founder, or all such schools taken together. Specifically, the school whose head temple is Kuon-ji in Minobu of Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. Nichiren nominated six senior priests among his disciples to lead the propagation of his teachings after his death. They were Nissho (1221-1323), Nichiro (1245-1320), Nikko(1246-1333), Niko(1253-1314), Nitcho (1252-1317), and Nichiji (b. 1250). Among them, he specifically appointed Nikko as his successor and chief priest of Kuon-ji temple, which he had founded at Minobu. After Nichiren died, however, divergent opinions developed among the six. Most of the Nichiren schools that exist today can trace their roots to this initial division. The major Nichiren schools can be classified as follows:
(1) The Nikko school. Nikko left Kuon-ji temple on Mount Minobu and with his disciples established a temple called Taiseki-ji at the foot of Mount Fuji. Though founded by Nichiren, Kuon-ji had fallen under the influence of Niko, whom Nikko had concluded misunderstood and misrepresented Nichiren's teachings, and who had succeeded in making the steward of the Minobu area his patron. Nikko enshrined the object of devotion Nichiren inscribed in 1279 (commonly known as the Dai-Gohonzon) at the new location. Later Nikko founded a seminary at nearby Omosu and educated his disciples there. Nikko's disciples and followers spread out, while those of the other five senior priests tended to remain localized. Among the temples derived from Nikko and his disciples, seven major temples including Kitayama Hommon-ji, originally Omosu Seminary, in 1941 became affiliated with Kuon-ji temple on Mount Minobu by the order of the militarist government.
(2) The Niko school, deriving from Niko and his disciples. Also called the Minobu school. After Nikko left Mount Minobu in 1289, Niko became the chief priest of Kuon-ji temple with the support of Hakiri Sanenaga, the steward of the area. The eleventh chief priest Nitcho (1422-1500) rebuilt Kuon-ji at its present location, on the flank of Mount Minobu. During the Edo period (1600-1867) Minobu enjoyed the support of the Tokugawa shogunate and thereby extended its influence. Prior to the Second World War, many smaller Nichiren schools merged with this school as part of the government effort to consolidate and control religious groups.
(3) The Nichiro school begun by Nichiro and his disciples, which was originally based at Hommon-ji temple in Ikegami and Myohon-ji temple in Hikigayatsu in Kamakura. In the late Kamakura period (1185-1333), Nichiro's disciple Nichizo went to Kyoto for propagation. Although repeatedly expelled from that city due to the political influence of other Buddhist schools, he eventually won recognition in Kyoto and in 1321 built Myoken-ji temple there. In 1326 the emperor gave him a tract of land in Shijoin Kyoto; hence his school came to be called the Shijo school. The offshoots of the Nichiro school include the Eight Chapters (Happon) school, which is also known as the Essential Teaching Lotus (Hommon Hokke) school, the Buddha-Founded (Butsuryu) school, and the Nisshin branch of the Lotus (Hokke-shu Shimmon) school.
(4) The Nakayama school, which originally centered around three temples in Shimosa: Mama Guho-ji, Nakayama Hommyo-ji, and Wakamiya Hokke-ji. Nakayama Hommyo-ji had been Ota Jomyo's residence, and Wakamiya Hokke-ji had been Toki Jonin's family temple. Ota's son Nikko (different from Nichiren's successor) served as chief priest of both temples. Mama Guho-ji was at first a temple of the Tendai school; when Toki Jonin converted it, his adopted son Nitcho, who was one of the six senior priests designated by Nichiren, became its chief priest. Much later, a priest named Nitchu and his disciple Nichigen propagated the Nakayama school in Kyoto.
(5) The Nissho school, also known as the Hama school, deriving from Nissho and his disciples. Originally it was centered at Hokke-ji temple at Hamado, Kamakura, and Myoho-ji temple at Nase, both in Sagami Province. Later it became affiliated with the Minobu school.
(6) In addition, there is the No Alms Accepting or Giving (Fuju Fuse) school, founded by Nichio (1565-1630), a native of Kyoto, and the No Alms Accepting or Giving Nichiko (Fuju Fuse Komon) school founded by Nichiko(1626-1698).
(See; Nichiko; Nichio.
