TagKey Highlights

Background Nichiren Daishonin wrote this letter from Sado Island in May 1273 and addressed it to Sairen-bo, who was also in exile there. In the beginning of the letter, Nichiren writes about “the true aspect of all phenomena,” a phrase from the Lotus Sutra’s “Expedient Means” chapter. He writes that “all beings and environments in

Background At the time Nichiren wrote “Letter from Sado,” in March 1272, persecutions targeting his disciples in Kamakura were intensifying, and a growing number of people were abandoning their faith. Despite his own dire circumstances, Nichiren wrote this letter to encourage others. He urged them to summon up the heart of a lion king like

Background Written on November 6, 1279, this letter was addressed to Nanjo Tokimitsu, a key disciple in Suruga Province. Like his late father, Tokimitsu looked up to Nichiren as his mentor and strove in faith under Nikko Shonin’s instruction. When he received this letter, he had already become a young leader among the believers in

Background The date and the recipient of this letter are unknown, and there is a possibility that the first and second halves are from two different letters. At the start of the letter, both Nikko Shonin (Hoki-bo) and the “believers in Atsuhara” are mentioned, leading to the belief that the letter was written to the

Background Nichiren Daishonin wrote this letter in January 1266. The letter’s content suggests the recipient was a woman who lived in Amatsu of Awa Province who had formerly believed in the Pure Land (Nembutsu) teachings and was relatively new to faith in Nichiren Buddhism. In the letter, Nichiren explains in plain terms the rewards of

Background Nichiren Daishonin addressed this letter in February 1272 to Sairen-bo, a former priest of the Tendai school of Buddhism, when both were exiled on Sado Island. It seems this letter was a response to a question Sairen-bo had asked about the heritage of the ultimate Law of life, an important principle in the Tendai

Background This letter details the figures represented on the Gohonzon and their significance. It was written in 1277, when Nichiren was living at Mount Minobu. Details are unknown about the recipient, Nichinyo, but it is thought that she was an educated person with strong faith. She deeply appreciated having received the Gohonzon and sent Nichiren

Background Nichiren wrote “The Strategy of the Lotus Sutra” to Shijo Kingo, who had, some years prior, incurred the wrath of his feudal lord, Ema, after trying to convert him to Nichiren Buddhism. He eventually regained his lord’s trust by continuing to serve him sincerely and by following Nichiren’s advice in the matter. But some

Background The two brothers to whom this letter was written were sons of Ikegami Yasumitsu, who held an important post in the government’s Office of Construction and Repairs. Yasumitsu was an earnest supporter of Ryokan, an eminent priest in Kamakura who plotted against Nichiren. For more than twenty years, Yasumitsu strongly opposed his sons’ practice

Background Nichiren Daishonin wrote this treatise, one of his major works, upon learning of the death of Dozen-bo, the priest at Seicho-ji temple who had been his teacher when he first went to school there as a boy of 12. He wrote it to express his gratitude to Dozen-bo and sent it to two senior

Key highlights from this writing

Key highlights from the Gosho

Key highlights from the Gosho

The lion’s roar (shishi ku) is the preaching of the Buddha. The preaching of the Law means the preaching of the Lotus Sutra, or the preaching of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo in particular. The first shi [which means “teacher”] of the word shishi, or “lion,” is the Wonderful Law that is passed on by the teacher. The second

Key highlights from the Gosho