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The Buddha, Siddartha Gautama was born in Southern Nepal approximately 2500 years ago. His mother, Queen Maya, having suffered problems during childbirth, died seven days after He was born. Siddartha was a prince, the son of the tribal leader of the Sakya Clan. He was married. He had one son, Rahula, and was lived the life of a nobleman in his country. At the age of 29, having been educated and trained as a prince, Siddartha left his family. He felt the unsatisfactory qualities of life and sought to answer them. He decided to become bhikshu, and began ascetic practices. Studying under many teachers, Siddartha mastered arduous yogic practices, starving himself and enduring the elements for many years. However, this still offered no release from the suffering and he realised that despite all he had learned he still had not gained what he had sought for so long.
Having abandoned the ascetic way, much to the dismay of his peers, he sat down under a Bodhi tree near Uruvela and started meditation vowing not to leave the spot until he attained enlightenment. During his meditation under the Bodhi tree, Mara the King of Illusion confronted the prince, trying desperately to dissuade the Buddha from what he had gained. Mara tempted the prince and threatened him, but the prince remained steadfast and refused to bow to the Devil King's illusions. Siddartha achieved his goal and became the Buddha, the Awakened One. Upon enlightenment,
After his enlightenment, the Buddha returned to his colleagues that he had left as a Holy Man. Realising that he had reached his goal they praised him and became his faithful students. Sakaymuni began to explain to them what he had come to realise through his awakening and guided them through his teachings on their own paths to becoming the Buddha. He continued preaching the Dharma until his death. He was eighty years old.
The formal name of the Lotus Sutra is the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma, and is composed of twenty eight chapters. We believe that the Lotus Sutra is the Sutra to respect, protect and transmit the Buddhadharma and represents the essence of Sakyamuni Buddha's teachings. Compared with other sutras the content of the Lotus Sutra is more like a dramatic story, than a set of teachings. This is because Sakyamuni Buddha uses many skilful ways to bring understanding to listeners according to their circumstances and sensitivities – as expounded in Chapter 2 of the Lotus Sutra various gates of the path to Buddhahood open for those who awaken devotion to the true Dharma.
The first fourteen chapters of the Lotus Sutra are referred to as the theoretical section and the remaining fourteen chapters are known as the essential section. The first half section of the Lotus Sutra explains "Obtaining Buddhahood by Two Vehicles". The Two Vehicles are the ways of the sravaka and pratyekabuddha. These two practitioners were taught that they didn't possess the ability to attain Buddhahood in pre-Lotus sutras. They were taught this because they were arrogant, and believed that they had achieved the supreme already. However, in the Lotus Sutra, Sakyamuni Buddha reveals that with the way of the Bodhisattva, sravakas and pratyekabuddhas do possess the ability assures them obtaining Buddhahood. Furthermore, the Buddha also assures many monks, nuns, and lay people of their Buddhahood. -In chapter 12 of the Lotus Sutra, Devadatta, the cousin of the Buddha who tried more than once to destroy the Buddha and take over the Sangha can attain enlightenment. Pre-Lotus sutras taught that Devadatta could never attain enlightenment. In the same chapter, the daughter of a Dragon King also achieves Buddhahood. It was believed that the only way women could obtain enlightenment was to reborn as men in their next lifetime. The Lotus Sutra reveals that women are also able to attain Buddhahood in their present lifetime. The Dragon King's daughter is not merely a woman, but also non-human - showing that all living beings possess the ability to attain Buddhahood. The Lotus Sutra teaches absolute equality among all living beings.
In Chapter 16 of the Lotus Sutra, "the Duration of the Life of the Tathagata" chapter a major revelation is made by the Buddha. Until that point, people believed that Sakyamuni Buddha was the Buddha who attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree at Gaya, India. However, he reveals that he is the eternal Buddha who attained enlightenment in the remotest past. Sakyamuni Buddha has led all living beings in this real world since, and will always lead all living beings. The Lotus Sutra explains that the Buddha had appeared in this world under various names in the past and entered into Nirvana – Knowing that people would become lazy and sinful, thinking that they could be saved and protected by the Buddha all the time. This is the reason why Sakyamuni Buddha entered into Nirvana. In order to awaken our hearts and have us realise the difficulty of meeting the Buddha. Chapter 16 closes with the Buddha saying “that I am always thinking: How shall I cause all living beings to enter into the unsurpassed way and quickly become Buddha?" Sakyamuni Buddha himself vows with great compassion to save and lead all living beings all the time.
Nichiren Shonin (1222-1282), the founder of Nichiren Shu (the Nichiren School) was a Buddhist monk in 13th Century Japan. Nichiren Shonin sought to find the quintessence of the Buddha’s teachings. He was ordained at age 15, and studied greatly, travelling across Japan to read Buddhist scriptures, and learn from various teachers.
Having studied all the Buddhist schools in Japan at the time, Nichiren Shonin came to the conclusion that the Lotus Sutra was the teaching from the Buddha's highest teaching, or heart, and that by chanting the Odaimoku (Namu-myoho-renge-kyo or Adoration to the Wonderful Dharma of the Lotus Flower Sutra) all people could attain enlightenment.
Throughout his life, Nichiren Shonin worked for the happiness of all people, and many of his writings survive to this day. They include letters of encouragement to followers and disciples of his, and also remonstrations with the government at that time. He was a truly great reformer of Buddhism, bringing many people to the Lotus Sutra.
Nichiren Shu is a confederation of lineages from Nichiren Shonin’s major disciples. Our basic practice consists of chanting Odaimoku, and also reciting the Lotus Sutra.
Supporting practices such as silent meditation and copying of the Lotus Sutra (shakyo) are also practiced. We belive in the Lotus Sutra, and Nichiren Shonin’s teachings.
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