Daishonin's Buddhism Site- Glossary

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Aizen Myoo: (Skt Ragaraja) A Buddhist deity who is said to purify people's earthly desires and free them from illusions and the sufferings accruing from earthly desires. In the esoteric teaching his true identity is regarded as Dainichi (Skt Mahavairochana) Buddha or Kongosatta (Vajrasattva). Aizen is pictured on the Diamond World mandala and is depicted as being red in color with three eyes, six arms and a furious expression. In his hand he has a bow and arrows. His name is inscribed in Siddham, a medieval Sanskrit orthography, on the left-hand side of the Gohonzon as one faces it, signifying the principle that earthly desires are enlightenment (Jap bonno soku bodai).

Anryugyo: (Skt Supratishthitacharitra) One of the four bodhisattvas who are the leaders of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth. He appears in the Yujutsu (fifteenth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra . According to Tao-hsien's Hokke Mongu Fusho Ki, the four bodhisattvas represent the four virtues of the Buddha: true self, eternity, purity and happiness. Bodhisattva Anryugyo represents happiness.

Asura: (Skt) (Jap ashura) A class of contentious demons in Indian mythology who fight continually with the god Indra (Jap Taishaku). They are said to live at the bottom of the ocean surrounding Mt. Sumeru. In Buddhism they constitute one of the eight kinds of lowly beings and represent the world of Anger among the Ten Worlds.

Bishamonten: (Skt Vaishravana) Also Bishamon. One of the Four Heavenly Kings, who lives halfway down the northern side of Mt. Sumeru and protects the north, accompanied by the two classes of demons called yaksha (Jap yasha) and rakshasa (rasetsu) . Bishamon is a transliteration of the Sanskrit Vaishravana. This name is also translated as Tamon (Listening to Many Teachings). This god is said to always protect the place where the Buddha preaches and listen to the Buddha's teachings. In the Dharani (twenty-sixth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, he pledges to protect the votaries of the sutra. In Japan he is regarded as one of the seven beneficent deities (shichi-fukujin).

Bodhisattva: means one who aspires to Buddhahood and also refers to the ninth of the Ten Worlds. The ideal of the bodhisattva is one who practices for oneself and others. Compassion is the greatest characteristic of a bodhisattva. A bodhisattva is said to postpone their own enlightenment in order to save others.

Bodhisattvas of the Earth are the bodhisattvas Shakyamuni entrusted with the propagation of the Mystic Law in the Latter Day. They appear in the 15th chapter of the Lotus Sutra (at the Ceremony in the Air) after Shakyamuni tells the assembly that the bodhisattvas who will carry our the task of propagating the Mystic Law already are in the world. They are called Bodhisattvas of the Earth because they emerge from the earth when Shakyamuni mentions them.

Bonno Soku Bodai: This is a principle that literally means earthly desires are enlightenment. This principle teaches that one can attain Buddhahood by transforming illusions and earthly desires into enlightened wisdom rather than extinguishing them. Some early Buddhist teachings stated that desires had to be eliminated to attain enlightenment. From the viewpoint of the Lotus Sutra, however, earthly desires and enlightenment are not different in their fundamental essence. Therefore, enlightenment is not the eradication of desire but a state which one can experience by transforming innate desires.

Bonten: (Skt Brahma) Also Daibonten (Mahabrahman). A god said to live in the first of the four meditation heavens in the world of form above Mt. Sumeru and to rule the saha world. In Indian mythology he was regarded as the personification of the fundamental universal principle (Brahman), and in Buddhism he was adopted as one of the two major tutelary gods, together with Taishaku (Indra).

Buddha: One who perceives the true nature of all phenomena and who leads others to attain the same enlightenment. The Buddha nature is inherent in all beings and is characterized by the qualities of boundless wisdom, infinite compassion and perfect freedom.

Ceremony in the Air: is the second of three assemblies described in the Lotus Sutra. During this ceremony, the entire assembly is lifted into the air to hear the teachings. The heart of this ceremony is the revelation of the Buddha's original enlightenment and the transfer of the essence of the sutra to the Bodhisattvas of the Earth.

Daimoku: refers to Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

Dengyo: (767-822): The founder of the Tendai sect in Japan. He is also called Saicho, and his honorific name and title is Dengyo Daishi (the Great Teacher Dengyo). At the age of twelve he entered the Buddhist Order and studied under Gyohyo at the provincial temple in Omi. In April of 785 he was fully ordained at Todai-ji temple, receiving the 250 precepts. In June of the same year he went to Mt. Hiei and built a small retreat there where he devoted himself to the study of Buddhist scriptures and treatises, especially those of the T'ien-t'ai school. In 788 he named his small temple Hieisan-ji. It was renamed Enryaku-ji by Emperor Saga in 823. In 802 Dengyo was invited to Kyoto by the two brothers Wake no Hiroyo and Wake no Mazuna to lecture at their clan's temple, Takaosan-ji. There he expounded the T'ien-t'ai doctrine to eminent priests of the Kegon, Sanron, Hosso and other sects, representing the seven major temples of Nara. This event catapulted Dengyo to prominence, winning him the support of Emperor Kammu, and greatly enhanced the prestige of the T'ien-t'ai doctrine.

In 804 Dengyo went to T'ang China accompanied by his disciple, Gishin. There he studied T'ien-t'ai Buddhism under Miao-lo's disciple Tao-sui who was then staying at Lung-hsing-ssu temple. After that Dengyo went to Mt. T'ien-t'ai where he studied under Hsing-man, another disciple of Miao-lo. In 805 he returned to Japan and the next year established the Tendai sect. At that time, all priests were ordained exclusively in the Hinayana precepts. Dengyo made continuing efforts to secure imperial permission for the building of a Mahayana ordination center on Mt. Hiei, despite concentrated opposition from the older sects of Nara. Permission was finally granted a week after his death, and in 827, the ordination center was completed by his successor, Gishin. In addition to this project, after his return to Japan, Dengyo concentrated his efforts on refuting the interpretations of the older Buddhist sects. In particular, his ongoing debate with Tokuichi, a priest of the Hosso sect, is well known. This debate began in the early Konin era (810-824). Tokuichi asserted that the one-vehicle teaching of the Lotus Sutra was a provisional teaching which Shakyamuni Buddha expounded in accordance with the people's capacity, while the three-vehicle teachings were true teachings, and that there are some people who are without the potential to attain Buddhahood. In opposition to this assertion, Dengyo maintained that all people have the Buddha nature and that the supreme vehicle of Buddhahood expounded in the Lotus Sutra is the true teaching. Dengyo's major disciples were Gishin, Encho, Kojo, Jikaku and Ninchu. His works include the Hokke Shuku, Kenkai Ron, Shugo Kokkai Sho and Sange Gakusho Shiki.

Devadatta: A disciple of Shakyamuni Buddha who later turned against him. According to the Kise Sutra (Sutra of the Origin of the World), Devadatta was the son of King Amrita and a younger brother of Ananda. According to the Daichido Ron, he was a son of King Dronodana, and elder brother of Ananda, and a cousin of Shakyamuni. When young, he was hostile to Shakyamuni; he is said to have beaten to death a white elephant that had been given to Shakyamuni and was his rival for the hand of Yashodhara. Later, he renounced secular life and became one of Shakyamuni's disciples. However, because of his arrogance, he grew jealous of Shakyamuni and fomented a schism in the Order, luring away others. He goaded Ajatashatru, prince of Magadha, into overthrowing his father, Bimbisara, a powerful patron of Shakyamuni, and ascending the throne in his stead. With the new king of Magadha now solidly behind him, Devadatta made several attempts on Shakyamuni's life and persecuted his Order. Devadatta is said to have finally fallen into hell alive. However, in the Devadatta (twelfth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni taught that in some past existence he himself had practiced under the guidance of a hermit named Ashi (Skt Asita) and that this hermit was Devadatta. He also predicted that Devadatta would attain enlightenment in the future a Buddha called Tenno (Heavenly King).

Devil of the Sixth Heaven: The king of devils who dwells in the highest of the six heavens of the world of desire. He is also called Takejizaiten, the king who makes free use of the fruits of others' efforts for his own pleasure. Served by innumerable minions, he works to obstruct Buddhist practice and delights in sapping the life force of other beings. He corresponds to tenji-ma, the last of the three obstacles and four devils. Nichiren Daishonin interprets the Devil of the Sixth Heaven as the manifestation of the fundamental darkness (Jap gampon no mumyo) inherent in life. See also Mara.

Dragon Kings: (Skt naga-raja) Kings of the dragons said to live at the bottom of the sea. Eight dragon kings, each with many followers, assembled at the ceremony on Eagle Peak to hear the Lotus Sutra. According to the Kairyuo Sutra (Sutra of the Dragon King of the Sea), dragons are often eaten by giant birds called garudas which are their natural enemy.

Eagle Peak: (Skt Gridhrakuta) Sometimes called Vulture Peak. A mountain located to the northeast of Rajagriha, the capital of Magadha in ancient India, where Shakyamuni is said to have expounded the Lotus Sutra and other teachings. According to the Daichido Ron, Eagle Peak was so called because its summit is shaped like an eagle and because it was inhabited by many eagles. The expression Eagle Peak is also used to symbolize the Buddha land or the state of Buddhahood.

Essential Teaching: In Shakyamuni's Buddhism this refers to the last 14 chapters (15 to 28) of the Lotus Sutra. The first 14 chapters are called the theoretical teaching. In Nichiren Daishonin's teaching it refers to Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

Former Day of the Law: is the first of three periods following Shakyamuni's death. In this period, Buddhism is a living religion and those who practice it attain enlightenment through its teachings. This period lasts for 1,000 years. See also Middle Day of the Law and Latter Day of the Law.

Four Noble Worlds: are the states of life where one transcends the uncertainty of the six paths. The Four Noble Worlds are: Learning (shomon), Realization (engaku), Bohisattva (bosatsu) and Buddhahood (butsu).

Fudo Myoo:(Skt Achala) Also called Fudo. A Buddhist deity who serves practitioners by defeating the obstacles and devils which hinder Buddhist practice. He is regarded as the head of five great deities, the other four being Gosanze, Gundari, Daiitoku and Kongoyasha, as well as of eight great deities (the above five deities plus Ususama, Munosho and Mezu). It is said that he enters into a flame-emitting meditation (Jap kusho zammai) in which he exudes flames that destroy all karmic hindrances. Because he never yields to obstacles, he is called Fudo (Immovable). He is popularly depicted as an angry figure surrounded by flames, holding a rope and a sword. His name is inscribed in Siddham, a medieval Sanskrit orthography, on the right side of Nichiren Daishonin's Gohonzon as one faces it, signifying that the sufferings of birth and death are nirvana (shoji soku nehan). See also Aizen Myoo.

Fugen Sutra: is regarded as the conclusion of the Lotus Sutra. It describes how to meditate on Bodhisattva Fugen (who represents the virtues of truth and practice) and the benefits of this practice. It also encourages people to embrace and propagate the Lotus Sutra.

Fugen: (Skt Samantabhadra) "Universally Worthy." With Monjushiri, one of the two bodhisattvas who attend Shakyamuni and lead the other bodhisattvas. He is usually shown on the Buddha's right, riding a white elephant with six tusks. In contrast to Monjushiri, who represents the virtues of wisdom and enlightenment, Fugen represents the virtues of truth and practice. In the Kegon Sutra, he makes ten great vows concerning his Buddhist practice. In the Fugen (twenty-eighth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra he vows to protect the Lotus Sutra and its votaries. Fugen was believed to have the power of prolonging life, and esoteric rituals for this purpose were directed toward him. Worship of Fugen was popular from ancient times; a number of murals in Central Asia and images in China and Japan remain in existence.

Gohonzon: Nichiren Daishonin defined the ultimate Law permeating life and the universe to be Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and embodied this Law in the form of a mandala. This mandala is called the Gohonzon and is inscribed either on paper in sumi ink or on wood with gilded characters. Down the center of the Gohonzon in kanji characters is written "Nam Myoho Renge Kyo, Nichiren."

Gongyo: literally means 'assiduous practice'. During Gongyo the 2nd (Hoben) and 16th (Juryo) chapters of the Lotus Sutra are recited and Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is chanted. Gongyo is normally done in the morning and evening while seated in front of the Gohonzon.

Gosho: Literally, "writing worthy of great respect": the individual and collected writings of Nichiren Daishonin, which include letters of personal encouragement, treatises on Buddhism and recorded oral teachings. More than 700, including copies and fragments, remain today.

Gosho Zenshu: The complete collection of Nichiren Daishonin's writings in Japanese.

Hachiman: One of the main deities in Japanese mythology, along with Tensho Daijin (Sun Goddess). There are several views concerning the question of how he came to be worshipped. According to one explanation, in the reign of the twenty-ninth emperor, Kimmei, the god Hachiman appeared as a smith in Usa, Kyushu, the southern part of Japan, and declared that in a past life he had been Emperor Ojin, the fifteenth emperor of Japan. His aid was sought after in his capacity as the god of smiths when the great image of Vairochana was erected at Todai-ji temple in Nara, and from that time on, Hachiman came to be more and more closely associated with Buddhism. Early in the Heian period (794-1185), the imperial court named him Great Bodhisattva (Jap duibosatsu), an early example of the fusion of Buddhist and Shinto elements. Around the mid-ninth century Hachiman was revered as a protector of the capital, and later, with the rise of the samurai class, he was particularly venerated by the Minamoto clan. In the latter part of the twelfth century, Minamoto no Yoritomo, the founder of the Kamakura shogunate, built a Hachiman shrine at Tsurugaoka in Kamakura, and, with the spread of the samurai government, the worship of Hachiman as a protective deity of the villages became predominant throughout Japan. In his writings, Nichiren Daishonin views Hachiman as a personification of the function which promotes the agricultural fertility of a land whose inhabitants embrace the True Law.

Hoben: is the second chapter of the Lotus Sutra. The literal meaning of the title is 'Means'. In this chapter Shakyamuni declares that all Buddhas appear in the world with the sole purpose of awakening all people to the Buddha wisdom, help them realize it and enable them to attain Buddhahood.

Ichinen: Literally, "one mind." The life-moment, or ultimate reality, that is manifested at each moment in common mortals.

Ichinen Sanzen: Literally, "A single life moment possesses three thousand realms." This philosophical principle was expounded by T'ien-tai in his writing, the Maka Shikan. It makes clear that the mutually inclusive relationship of the ultimate truth and the phenomenal world. Ichinen (life-moment) refers to the life that manifests itself each moment in lives of ordinary people. Sanzen (three thousand) refers to the many aspects and phases it assumes. The three thousand realms comes from the integration of the Ten Worlds, their mutual possession (10 x 10), the ten factors (10 x 10 x 10) and the three realms of existence (10 x 10 x 10 x 3 = 3,000).

Jikokuten: (Skt Dhritarashtra) Also Jikoku. One of the Four Heavenly Kings, he lives halfway down the eastern side of Mt. Sumeru and protects the eastern quarter. In the Dharani (twenty-sixth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra he pledges to protect those who embrace the sutra.

Jogyo: (Skt Vishishtacharitra) One of the four bodhisattvas and the leader of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth. He appears in the Yujutsu (fifteenth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra. Tao-hsien says in the Hokke Mongu Fusho Ki that the four bodhisattvas represent the four virtues of the Buddha's life: true self, eternity, purity and happiness. Among these, Jogyo represents the virtue of true self. Nichiren Daishonin interprets Bodhisattva Jogyo as the provisional or ephemeral figure of the original Buddha of kuon ganjo projected at the Ceremony in the Air. Several of the Daishonin's writings refer to his own propagation efforts as "the work of Bodhisattva Jogyo," and the "Hyaku Rokka Sho" (The Hundred and Six Comparisons) identifies him as "the reincarnation of Bodhisattva Jogyo." In this respect, viewed from his provisional or transient status, Nichiren Daishonin is "the reincarnation of Bodhisattva Jogyo." However, his true identity is that of the original Buddha of kuon ganjo who appeared in the Latter Day of the Law. See also Hosshaku kempon.

Jyogyo: (Skt Vishuddhacharitra) One of the four leaders of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth. He appears in the Yujutsu (fifteenth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra. Tao-hsien's Hokke Mongu Fusho Ki says that the four bodhisattvas represent the four virtues of the Buddha's life—true self, eternity, purity and happiness. Of these, Bodhisattva Jyogyo represents purity.

Kanjin: Literally, observation of the mind, means to perceive or awaken to the ultimate reality within one's life. This reality is beyond verbal expression. Observation of the mind was particularly in T'ien-tai's practice where the focus of meditation was on the true nature of the mind instead of an external object. The goal of T'ien-t'ai's Buddhism was to perceive one's inherent Buddhahood. In Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism, the Gohonzon is the embodiment of ichinen sanzen and so kanjin means to believe in the Gohonzon.

Karma: Sanskrit word meaning "action." The life tendency or destiny that each individual creates through thoughts, words and deeds. One's actions in the past have shaped one's reality at present, and actions in the present determine one's future. This is the law of cause and effect at work.

Kishimojin: (Skt Hariti) A female demon, said to have been a daughter of a yaksha demon in Rajagriha. She had five hundred children (some sources say one thousand or ten thousand). According to the Kishimo Sutra (Sutra of Kishimojin) and the Binaya Zoji (Monastic Rules with Respect to Various Matters), she killed the babies of other people to feed her children, and the terrified and grieving populace begged Shakyamuni for help. The Buddha then hid Kishimojin's youngest son, Binkara. She sought him throughout the world for seven days, but to no avail. In despair she finally asked the Buddha where he was. Shakyamuni rebuked her for her evil conduct and made her vow never to kill another child. Then he returned her son to her. According to the Nankai Kiki Naiho Den, Kishimojin was revered in India as a goddess who could bestow the blessings of children and easy delivery. Kishimojin worship was later introduced to Japan. In the Dharani (twenty-sixth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, she and her ten daughters pledged before the Buddha to safeguard the votaries of the Lotus Sutra.

Komokuten: (Skt Virupaksha) One of the Four Heavenly Kings. He lives halfway down the western side of Mt. Sumeru and protects the western continent. With his divine eyesight he is said to discern evil and punish those who do evil deeds, and to arouse the aspiration for attaining Buddhahood.

Kosen-rufu: Literally, to "widely declare and spread (Buddhism)." To secure lasting peace and happiness for all humankind through the propagation of true Buddhism.

Kuon Ganjo: Time without beginning. Also called the infinite past. Indicates eternity without beginning, or the dimension outside the temporal framework, having neither beginning nor end.

Latter Day of the Law: The last of the three periods following Shakyamuni Buddha's death when Buddhism falls into confusion and Shakyamuni's teachings lose the power to lead people to enlightenment. It is said to last for ten thousand years and more. According to the Chugan Ron Sho (Annotations on the Chu Ron) and the Hokke Genron, the Latter Day begins two thousand years after the Buddha's passing. The beginning of the Latter Day of the Law also corresponds to the fifth of the five five-hundred-year periods following Shakyamuni's death that are described in the Daishutsu Sutra. The Daishutsu Sutra predicts that this fifth period will be an "age of conflict," when monks will disregard the precepts and feud constantly among themselves, heretical views will prevail, and Shakyamuni's Buddhism will perish.

In contrast, the Lotus Sutra views the Latter Day, when Shakyamuni's teachings lose their power of redemption, as the time when the essence of the Lotus Sutra transferred to Bodhisattva Jogyo at the Ceremony in the Air will be propagated. T'ien-t'ai states in the Hokke Mongu, "In the fifth five hundred years, the Mystic Law shall spread and benefit mankind far into the future," and Dengyo says in the Shugo Kokkai Sho "The Former and Middle Days are almost over, and the Latter Day is near at hand." Though modern research tends to place Shakyamuni's death around 500 B.C., Asian Buddhist tradition holds that he passed away in 949 B.C. Calculating from this date, Japanese Buddhists believed that the Latter Day of the Law had begun in 1052.

Lotus Sutra: This can have two main interpretations. The first is the Mahayana teaching of Shakyamuni. Although there are several version of this sutra, in China and Japan, the name Lotus Sutra commonly indicates the 28 chapter Lotus Sutra (Myoho-renge-kyo) of Shakyamuni. In more philosophical terms, it can also refer to the supreme Buddhist teaching that leads all people directly to enlightenment. In this sense the form of the Lotus Sutra depends on the age. In the current age, called the Latter Day of the Law, it refers to the Dai-Gohonzon or Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

Mahakashyapa: Also known as Kashyapa. One of Shakyamuni's ten major disciples, known as the foremost in ascetic practice. He was born to a Brahman family, met Shakyamuni in Magadha and became his disciple. After Shakyamuni's death, Mahakashyapa, as chief of the Order, presided over the First Buddhist Council for compiling the Buddha's teachings. He then propagated Hinayana teachings for two decades as the first of Shakyamuni's twenty-four successors. He died at Mt. Kukkutapada in Magadha after transferring the teachings to Ananda. Mahakashyapa belongs to the second of the three groups of men of Learning, having understood the Buddha's true intention through the parable of the three carts and the burning house in the Hiyu (third) chapter of the Lotus Sutra. The Juki (sixth) chapter states that he will in the future become a Buddha called Komyo (Light Bright).

Mandala: is an object of worship on which Buddhas and bodhisattvas are depicted or a mystic doctrine is expressed. In Chinese it is translated by terms meaning 'perfectly endowed' or 'cluster of blessings'.

Miao-Lo: (711-782): Counting from the Great Teacher, T'ien-t'ai, the sixth patriarch in the lineage of the T'ien-t'ai school in China. He is revered as the restorer of the school. His commentaries on T'ien-t'ai's three major works are titled the Hokke Gengi Shakusen, Hokke Mongu Ki and Maka Shikan Bugyoden Guketsu.

Middle Day of the Law: After the Shakyamuni's death, there are three consecutive periods: the Former Day of the Law, which lasts 1,000 years, the Middle Day of the Law, which also lasts 1,000 years and the Latter Day of the Law which lasts for 10,000 plus years. During the Middle Day of the Law, Buddhism becomes more formalized and the connection between it and ordinary people is weakened. Fewer and fewer people are able to gain enlightenment through it practice.

Monju: See Monjushiri.

Monjushiri: (Skt Manjushri) Often shortened to Monju. A bodhisattva who appears in the sutras and is regarded as symbolic of the perfection of wisdom. He is revered as the chief of the bodhisattvas. With Fugen, he is depicted as one of the two bodhisattvas who attend Shakyamuni Buddha. Monjushiri is generally shown at the Buddha's left, riding a lion, and represents the virtues of wisdom and enlightenment. In contrast, Shakyamuni's right-hand attendant, Bodhisattva Fugen, represents the virtues of truth and practice. According to the Monjushiri Hatsunehan Sutra (Sutra of the Nirvana of Monjushiri), Monjushiri was born to a Brahman family in Shravasti and joined the Buddhist Order, converting a great number of people. In the Jo (first) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, he is shown as recognizing the omens which foretell that the Buddha is about to preach a scripture called Myoho-renge-kyo, and in the Devadatta (twelfth) chapter, as the person who converted the dragon king's daughter. According to the Kegon Sutra, Monjushiri lives in Mt. Shoryo (Clear and Cool) in the east, which later came to be identified with Mt. Wu-t'ai in China. Belief in Monjushiri flourished in China from the Eastern Chin dynasty, and in Japan from Heian period (794-1185). In the esoteric teaching, he is placed in the central court of the Womb World mandala, and prayer rituals to ensure safety were directed toward him.

Moon, god of the: (Skt Chandra) A deification of the moon in Indian mythology, incorporated into Buddhism as one of the twelve gods.

Muhengyo: (Skt Anantacharitra) One of the four bodhisattvas who lead the Bodhisattvas of the Earth. Muhengyo literally means no boundary and represents eternity, one of the four virtues of the Buddha's life.

Mutual Possession: is a principle which states that each of the Ten Worlds contains all of the other Ten Worlds within it. The implication is that life is not fixed in any one world, but can manifest any of the ten at any moment. It also implies that all people have the potential for Buddhahood and there is no separation between a Buddha and ordinary people. See also: Ichinen Sanzen.

Mystic Law: This is the ultimate Law of life and the universe, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

Nagarjuna: was a Mahayana scholar in southern India. He is thought to have lived between A.D. 150 and 250. He is the 14th of Shakyamuni's 24 successors. He wrote commentaries on a great number of Mahayana sutras and organized the theoretical foundation of Mahayana thought.

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo: The fundamental component of the practice of Buddhism, which expresses the ultimate truth of life and the universe and allows each individual to tap his or her innate enlightened nature directly. Although the deepest meaning of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is revealed only through the practice of chanting it, there is a literal definition:

Nam (devotion) means to fuse one's life with the universal law;

Myoho (Mystic Law) is the fundamental principle of the universe and its phenomenal manifestations;

Renge (lotus flower) refers to the lotus, which blooms and seeds at the same time, symbolizing the simultaneity of cause and effect; and

Kyo (sutra, or teaching of a Buddha) broadly indicates all phenomena or the activities of all living beings.

Nichikan Shonin: (1665-1726) The 26th high priest of Nichiren Shoshu. His major works include exegeses on the Daishonin's five major writings and other works and also wrote the Rokkan Sho, which distinguishes the correct interpretations of the Daishonin's teachings from misleading ones.

Nichiren Daishonin (1222-1282) is the founder of this Buddhism and the true Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law. Daishonin literally means great sage. "Dai" means "great" and "shonin" is another term for sage or saint, here indicating the Buddha. Daishonin is an honorific title for Nichiren to show reverence. Nichiren Daishonin inscribed the Dai-Gohonzon and established the invocation of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as the practice for the universal attainment of Buddhahood.

Ninth Consciousness: is one of the nine kinds of discernment. Simply, they are (1)sight, (2)hearing, (3)smell, (4)taste, (5)touch, (6)mind, (7)mano (awareness of and attachment to self), (8)alaya (karmic storehouse in the depths of the unconscious), (9)amala (basis of all spiritual functions, or enlightenment).

Objective Reality is part of a Buddhist concept, 'kyochi myogo', which means the fusion of reality and wisdom. The objective reality ('kyo' in 'kyochi') indicates the truth of the Buddha nature inherent in one's life. The other element in this concept is the subjective wisdom ('chi' in 'kyochi') to realize this truth. The fusion of the objective reality and the subjective wisdom is itself the attainment of Buddhahood. In modern terms, the Gohonzon corresponds to the objective reality and our faith in it corresponds to subjective wisdom.

Oneness of the Person and the Law: A teaching of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism that the Ultimate Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and the Person, or the original Buddha are one. The Gohonzon embodies the oneness of the Person and the Law.

Ongi Kuden is the record of the oral teachings of Nichiren Daishonin given to his disciples at Mount Minobu. They were written down and compiled by Nichiren Daishonin's successor, Nikko Shonin.

Original Buddha: This is the Buddha who directly reveals the original Law or True Cause by which all Buddhas attain enlightenment. Other terms with the same meaning are Buddha of kuon ganjo and eternal Buddha. This term is used only to refer to Nichiren Daishonin.

Pratyekabuddha: originally meant one who secluded himself from worldly affairs and sought enlightenment alone in a forest. In Buddhism it generally meant those who lived in time when there was no Buddha but who were able to awaken to the truth through their own efforts. T'ien-T'ai distinguished two types: 'engaku' or those in live in the time of a Buddha and gain enlightenment by awakening to the twelve-linked chain of causation and 'dokkaku' or those who live in a time when there is no Buddha, but who awaken to the truth of impermanence by observing natural phenomena. This state is equivalent to the eighth of the ten worlds, Realization.

Prayer Beads: are a circular string of beads used when reciting the sutra or chanting. The beads used by SGI members have 108 larger beads and 4 smaller beads. The 108 beads represent the 108 earthly desires and the 4 smaller beads represent the four leaders of Bodhisattvas of the Earth.

Shakyamuni: The historical founder of Buddhism. Opinions differ concerning the dates of his birth and death. According to Buddhist tradition in China and Japan, he was born on April 8 of 1029 B.C. and died on February 15 of 949 B.C., but studies of Buddhism in the West place him nearly five hundred years later. Two of the more prevalent views are that he lived from 560 to 480 B.C., or from 460 to 380 B.C., though no definite conclusion has been reached.

He was the son of Shuddhodana, the king of the Shakyas, a small tribe whose kingdom was located in the foothills of the Himalayas south of what is now central Nepal. Shakya of Shakyamuni is taken from the name of this tribe and muni means sage or saint. His family name was Gautama (Best Cow) and his given name was Siddhartha (Goal Achieved), though some scholars say this is a title bestowed on him by later Buddhists in honor of the enlightenment he attained.

According to the Buddhist scriptures, Shakyamuni was born in the Lumbini Gardens, located in what is now the village of Paderia in southern Nepal. His mother Maya died on the seventh day after his birth, and he was raised thereafter by her younger sister Mahaprajapati. In his boyhood and adolescence he is said to have excelled in both learning and the military arts. Though raised amid the pleasures of the royal palace, he seems to have very soon become aware of and been profoundly troubled by the problem of human suffering. As a young man, he married the beautiful Yashodhara who bore him a son, Rahula. However, he could not suppress the resolve growing within him to abandon the secular world and go out in search of a solution to the four inescapable sufferings of birth, old age, sickness and death. Eventually he renounced his princely status and embarked on the life of a religious mendicant. The events leading up to this decision are recounted in the Buddhist scriptures as the four meetings.

Having left the palace of the Shakyas at Kapilavastu, Shakyamuni traveled south to Rajagriha, the capital of the kingdom of Magadha, where he studied first with Alara Kalama and then with Uddaka Ramaputta, both teachers of yogic meditation. Though he quickly mastered their respective forms of meditation, he did not find the answers to his questions in these disciplines. Leaving Rajagriha, he proceeded to the bank of the Nairanjana River near the village of Uruvilva, where he began to practice various austerities in the company of other ascetics.

For six years he subjected himself to disciplines of appalling severity, far surpassing the efforts of his companions, but he found it entirely impossible to reach emancipation through selfmortification and eventually rejected these practices as well. To restore his body weakened by long fasting he accepted milk curds offered to him by Sujata, a girl of the village. Near the town of Gaya, he sat under a pipal tree and entered meditation. There he attained enlightenment and became the Buddha. According to Buddhist tradition in China and Japan, Siddhartha renounced secular life at the age of nineteen and attained enlightenment at thirty. (Modern scholars generally place these ages at twenty-nine and thirty-five, respectively.) The pipal tree was later called the Bodhi tree because Shakyamuni Buddha gained bodhi or enlightenment under this tree, and the site itself came to be called Buddhagaya.

After his awakening, Shakyamuni is said to have remained for a while beneath the tree, rejoicing in his emancipation yet at the same time troubled by the knowledge of how difficult it would be to communicate his realization to others. For a while, he vacillated within himself as to whether or not he should attempt to teach others what he had achieved. At length, however, he resolved that he would strive to do so, so that the way to liberation from the sufferings of birth and death would be open to all people. First he made his way to the Deer Park in Varanasi, where he preached the Law to five ascetics who had formerly been his companions.

After that, Shakyamuni's efforts to propagate his teaching advanced rapidly. In Varanasi he converted Yashas, the son of a rich man, and about sixty others. Then he returned to Buddhagaya where he converted three brothers—Uruvilva Kashyapa, Nadi Kashyapa and Gaya Kashyapa—who were leaders among the Brahman ascetics. At the same time, the one thousand people who were their followers also became the Buddha's disciples.

Accompanied by his new disciples, the Buddha then set out for Rajagriha in Magadha, where he converted King Bimbisara, as well as Shariputra and Maudgalyayana who were at that time followers of Sanjaya, one of the six non-Buddhist teachers. Together with Shariputra and Maudgalyayana, all of Sanjaya's followers — said to number 250 — forsook him and entered the Buddhist Order. Mahakashyapa also became another of the Buddha's disciples in Rajagriha shortly thereafter.

The Buddha made several trips to his home, Kapilavastu, which resulted in the conversion of many people, including his younger half brother Nanda, his son Rahula, his cousins Ananda, Aniruddha and Devadatta, and a barber named Upali. Shakyamuni's father, Shuddhodana, and his former wife, Yashodhara, are also said to have embraced the Buddhist teachings. The Buddha permitted his foster mother Mahaprajapati to enter the Buddhist community; thus the order of Buddhist nuns was established.

In those days there was a powerful kingdom called Kosala which rivaled Magadha. In Shravasti, the capital of Kosala, a wealthy and influential merchant called Sudatta became the Buddha's follower and lay patron. He had met Shakyamuni while on business in Rajagriha and become his follower. He built the Jetavana Monastery in Shravasti as an offering to the Buddha. Shakyamuni is said to have made this monastery his headquarters for the three-month retreat (Skt varshika) during the rainy season for twenty-five years.

Prasenajit, the king of Kosala, also became a Buddhist.

In the fifty years (forty-five according to some modern scholars) from the time of his awakening until he died, Shakyamuni continued to travel through many parts of India to disseminate his teachings. Among the places where he concentrated his efforts were the cities of Rajagriha in Magadha; Shravasti in Kosala; Vaishali, capital of the Vriji confederacy; and Kaushambi, the capital of Vatsa. His disciples within the monastic order were also active in propagation. Mahakatyayana was a native of the kingdom of Avanti in the western part of central India and made several converts there, including the king. Purna propagated Shakyamuni's teachings in Sunaparanta, which was located in western India north of present-day Bombay. Thus even during Shakyamuni's lifetime, his teachings spread not only in central India but also to more remote areas, and people of all classes were converted to Buddhism. However, the new religious movement was perceived by many as a threat to the old Brahmanic order. and in the course of his efforts.

Shakyamuni personally had to undergo nine great ordeals. Persevering through all adversities, he continued to preach the message of emancipation from the sufferings of birth and death, expounding the Law in various ways according to the circumstances and capacity of his listeners. The teachings he left are so numerous that they later came to be called the eighty thousand teachings.

Shakyamuni passed away at the age of eighty. The year before his death he stayed at Gridhrakuta (Eagle Peak) in Rajagriha. Then he set out on his last journey, proceeding northward across the Ganges River to Vaishali. He spent the rainy season in Beluva, a village near Vaishali. During this retreat he became seriously ill, but recovered and continued to preach in many villages. Eventually he came to a place called Pava in Malla. There he again became ill after eating a meal prepared as an offering by the village blacksmith, Chunda. Despite his pain, he continued his journey until he reached Kushinagara. There in a grove of sal trees he calmly lay down and spoke his last words. He admonished his disciples, saying, "You must not think that your teacher's words are no more, or that you are left without a teacher. The teachings and precepts I have expounded to you shall be your teacher." His final words, it is said, were, "Decay is inherent in all composite things. Work out your salvation with diligence." His body was received by the Mallas of Kushinagara and cremated seven days later. The ashes were divided into eight parts, and eight stupas were erected to enshrine them. Two more stupas were built to house the vessel used in the cremation and the ashes of the fire. In the same year, the First Buddhist Council was held in Cave of the Seven Leaves (Skt Saptaparnaguha) near Rajagriha to compile his teachings.

Shariputra: One of Shakyamuni's ten major disciples, known as the foremost in wisdom. He was born in Magadha and was originally a follower of Sanjaya Belatthiputta, one of the six non-Buddhist teachers. One day Shariputra happened to meet Ashvajit, a disciple of Shakyamuni, who taught him about the law of causation. So impressed was Shariputra by the implication of this doctrine and by Ashvajit's noble bearing that he became Shakyamuni's disciple. Shariputra died before Shakyamuni, of illness, in his native village of Nalaka. He constitutes the first of the three groups of men of Learning, having grasped the Buddha's intention when he heard of "the true entity of all phenomena" (Jap shoho jisso) in the Hoben (second) chapter of the Lotus Sutra. The Hiyu (third) chapter predicts that he will in the future become a Buddha called Keko (Flower Light).

Shoji Soku Nehan: means the sufferings of birth and death are nirvana. While Hinayana Buddhism viewed nirvana as a state in which all desires and the cycle of birth and death are extinguished, Mahayana Buddhism views it more as an awakening to the true nature of phenomena, or the perfection of Buddha wisdom.

Soka Gakkai: Literally, "Society for the Creation of Value." The name of the lay organization of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism.

Soka Gakkai International: (SGI) The umbrella organization led by President Daisaku Ikeda, which includes organizations in 115 nations. It was established in 1975.

Subjective Reality: is part of a Buddhist concept, 'kyochi myogo', which means the fusion of reality and wisdom. The subjective wisdom ('chi' in 'kyochi') indicates the wisdom to realize the truth of the Buddha nature inherent in one's life. The other element in this concept is the objective reality ('kyo' in 'kyochi') or truth of the Buddha nature inherent in one's life. The fusion of fusion of the objective reality and the subjective wisdom is itself the attainment of Buddhahood. In modern terms, the Gohonzon corresponds to the objective reality and our faith in it corresponds to subjective wisdom.

Sun, god of the: The divinity of the sun, adopted in Buddhism as a protective god. He is said to be a subject of Taishaku.

Taho: (Skt Prabhutaratna) "Many Treasures." A Buddha who appears, seated within the Treasure Tower, at the Ceremony in the Air to bear witness to the truth of Shakyamuni's teachings in the Lotus Sutra. According to the Hoto (eleventh) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, Taho Buddha lived in the world of Treasure Purity in an eastern part of the universe. While still engaged in bodhisattva practice, he pledged that, even after he had entered nirvana, he would appear, in the Treasure Tower, and attest to the validity of the Lotus Sutra wherever anyone might teach it. In the Hoto chapter, Shakyamuni assembles all the Buddhas from throughout the universe. He then opens the Treasure Tower and at Taho's invitation seats himself at this Buddha's side.

T'ien-t'ai interprets Taho and Shakyamuni seated side by side in the Treasure Tower as the fusion of reality and wisdom (Jap kyochi myogo), with Taho representing the objective truth or ultimate reality, and Shakyamuni, the subjective wisdom to realize it. Moreover, Taho Buddha represents the property of action; together they represent the three properties. Nichiren Daishonin used these interpretations of T'ien-t'ai and further states in the "Shoji Ichidaiji Kechimyaku Sho" (Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life) that Shakyamuni and Taho represent, respectively, life and death, the two phases which the entity of life undergoes.

Taishaku: (Skt Shakra Devanam Indra) Also Taishakuten One of the two main tutelary gods of Buddhism, together with Bonten. He is also one of the twelve gods said to protect the world. Originally the god of thunder in Indian mythology, he was later incorporated into Buddhism as a protective deity. He lives in a palace called Correct Views (Jap Zenkenjo) or Joyful to See (Kikenjo) in the Trayastrimsha Heaven on the peak of Mt. Sumeru and, served by the Four Heavenly Kings, governs the other thirty-two gods of that heaven. While Shakyamuni was engaged in bodhisattva practice, Taishaku is said to have assumed various forms to test his resolve. According to the Jo (first) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, he joined the assembly on Eagle Peak, accompanied by twenty thousand retainers.

Ten Demon Daughters: Also known as the Ten Goddesses. The ten daughters of the female demon Kishimojin (Skt Hariti). They are Ramba (Lamba), Biramba (Vilamba), Kokushi (Kutadanti) or Crooked Teeth, Keshi (Pushpadanti) or Flowery Teeth, Kokushi (Makutadanti) or Black Teeth, Tahotsu (Keshini or Much Hair, Muenzoku (Achala) or Insatiable, Jiyoraku (Maladhari) or Necklace Bearer, Kodai (Kunti), and Datsu Issaishujo Shoke (Sarvasattvojohari) or Robber of the Vital Spirit of All Living Beings. In the Dharani (twenty-sixth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, they pledge to protect the sutra's votaries.

Ten Directions: North, south, east, west, northwest northeast, southeast, southwest, up and down, that is, the entire dimension of space. It is said that there are Buddha lands in all directions throughout the universe, each with its own Buddha. This is what the expression "all Buddhas of the ten directions refers to in the sutras.

Ten Factors: The unchanging aspects of life common to all changing phenomena. The Ten Factors are: Appearance, Nature, Entity, Power, Influence, Internal Cause, Relation, Latent Effect, Manifest Effect and Consistency from Beginning to End. See also: Ichinen Sanzen.

Tensho Daijin: Also Amaterasu Omikami. The Sun Goddess in Japanese mythology, who was later adopted as a protective god in Buddhism. According to the oldest extant histories, the Kojiki (Record of Ancient Matters) and the Nihon Shoki (Chronicles of Japan), she was the chief deity and also the progenitor of the imperial clan. In many of his writings, Nichiren Daishonin views Tensho Daijin as a personification of the workings which protect the prosperity of those people who have faith in the True Law.

Three evil paths: The states of Hell, Hunger and Animality, the lowest three of the Ten Worlds. According to he Zoichi-agon Sutra and other Buddhist scriptures, the three evil paths are the realms of suffering into which one falls as a result of evil deeds.

Three Realms: in T'ien-tai's interpretation are three dimensions of the phenomenal world in which the Ten Worlds manifest themselves. The Three Realms are: the realm of the five components (form, perception, conception, volition and consciousness), the realm of living beings (refers to the individual formed by a temporary union of the five components) and the realm of the environment (the place where living beings dwell and carry out life activities). See also: Ichinen Sanzen

Ten Worlds: are ten conditions of life that can be manifested in a single entity of life. The Ten Worlds are: Hell (jigoku), Hunger (gaki), Animality (chikusho), Anger (shura) , Humanity (nin), Heaven (ten), Learning (shomon), Realization (engaku), Bohisattva (bosatsu) and Buddhahood (butsu). See also: Ichinen Sanzen.

T'ien-t'ai (538-597): Also called Chih-i. The founder of the Chinese T'ien-t'ai school, commonly referred to as the Great Teacher T'ien-t'ai. His name and title were taken from Mt. T'ien-t'ai where he lived. He lived during the Northern and Southern Dynasties period and the Sui dynasty. He was a native of Hua-jung in Ching-chou, where his father was a senior official in the Liang dynasty government. The fall of the Liang dynasty forced his family into exile. He lost both parents soon thereafter, and at the age of eighteen entered the Buddhist priesthood under Fa-hsu at Kuo-yuan-ssu temple. He then went to Mt. Tahsien where he studied the threefold Lotus Sutra. At the age of twenty-three he visited Nan-yueh on Mt. Ta-su to study under him, and as a result of intense practice, he is said to have attained an awakening through the Yakuo (twenty-third) chapter of the Lotus Sutra. This awakening is called the "enlightenment on Mt. Ta-su."

After seven years of practice under Nan-yueh, T'ien-t'ai left the mountain and made his way to Chin-ling, the capital of the Ch'en dynasty, where he lived at Wa-kuan-ssu temple and lectured on the Lotus Sutra and other texts for eight years. His fame spread and he attracted many followers. However, deploring the fact that fewer and fewer people were possessed of insight, he retired to Mt. T'ien-t'ai in 575. Thereafter, at the imperial request, he lectured on the Daichido Ron and the Ninno Sutra at the imperial court in Chin-ling. In 587 at Kuang-che-ssu temple in Chin-ling he gave lectures on the Lotus Sutra which were later compiled as the Hokke Mongu. After the downfall of the Ch'en dynasty, he returned to his native Ching-chou and there expounded the teachings of the Hokke Gengi in 593 and the Maka Shikan in 594 at Yu-ch'uan-ssu temple. He returned to Mt. T'ien-t'ai, where he died at the age of sixty.

T'ien-t'ai refuted the scriptural classifications formulated by the ten major Buddhist schools of his day, which based themselves either on the Kegon or Nirvana Sutra, and devised the classification of the five periods and eight teachings, thereby establishing the supremacy of the Lotus Sutra. He also expounded the theory of ichinen sanzen. Because he systematized both its doctrine and method of practice, he is revered as the founder of the school, though the lineage of the teaching itself is considered to have begun with Hui-wen or even Nagarjuna. T'ien-t'ai's lectures were recorded by his disciple and successor Chang-an. His most important teachings were compiled as the three major works of the T'ien-t'ai school—the Hokke Gengi, the Hoki Mongu and the Maka Shikan. Other lectures were compiled the Kannon Gengi, Konkomyo Gengi (Profound Meaning of the Konkomyo Sutra), and other commentaries.

Treasure Tower: is the tower of Taho Buddha which appears from beneath the earth in the 11th chapter of the Lotus Sutra. T'ien-T'ai stated that two reasons why the tower appears are to verify the truth of the teaching replacing the three vehicles with the one vehicle expounded in the first half of the Lotus Sutra, and to prepare the way for the teaching that appears in the second half of the Lotus Sutra of Shakyamuni's original enlightenment in the distant past called gohyaku jintengo. Nichiren Daishonin stated that the Treasure Tower is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo or the life of those who manifest their inherent Buddhahood by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

True Buddha: is the Buddha who reveals his true status or identity. The true Buddha expounds the ultimate truth in its entirety, while a provisional Buddha expounds only partial aspect of the truth. This term is generally used in two senses. 1. Shakyamuni of the essential teaching (last 14 chapters) of the Lotus Sutra. 2. The Buddha of 'kuon ganjo' who is the teacher of the True Cause. In the light of the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, this is Nichiren Daishonin.

Two Realms: are the realms of desire and matter.

Two Vehicles: The teachings expounded for people of Learning (Skt shravaka, Jap shomon) and Realization (pratyekabuddha, engaku). The vehicle of Learning leads one to the state of arhat via the teaching of the four noble truths, and the vehicle of Realization leads one to the state of pratyekabuddha via the teaching of the twelve-linked chain of causation. These two-vehicle teachings are together known as Hinayana Buddhism. The provisional Mahayana teachings which set forth the way of Bodhisattva condemn the people of the two vehicles because they seek only their own enlightenment without any thought of helping others, and assert that they can never attain Buddhahood. The Lotus Sutra teaches the one vehicle of Buddhahood and identifies all three vehicles of Learning, Realization and Bodhisattva as expedient means to lead people to the one Buddha vehicle. In the Lotus Sutra, therefore, even those of the two vehicles can become Buddhas. This is substantiated in the sutra by Shakyamuni's specific prophecy that all of his shomon disciples will in the future attain Buddhahood.

Vasubandhu: was a Buddhist scholar who is believed to have lived in the fourth or fifth century. He is said to have written 1,000 works, 500 concerning Hinayana Buddhism and 500 concerning Mahayana Buddhism.

Voice Hearers: are people who hear the Buddha's teachings and strive for enlightenment. This state is equivalent to the seventh of the ten worlds, Learning. The Sanskrit term for this condition of life is 'shravaka.'

Wheel-turning kings: (Skt Chakravarti-raja) Ideal rulers in Indian mythology. In Buddhism, they are regarded as kings who rule the world by justice rather than force. They possess the thirty-two features and rule the four continents surrounding Mt. Sumeru by turning the wheels which they were given by heaven. These wheels are of four kinds: gold, silver, copper and iron. The gold-wheel-turning king rules all the four continents; the silver-wheel-turning king, the eastern, western and southern continents; the copper-wheel-turning king, the eastern and southern continents; and the iron-wheel-turning king, the southern continent. They are said to appear during a kalpa of increase, when the human life span is between twenty thousand years and eighty thousand years, or at the beginning of the first period of decrease in the Kalpa of Continuance, when the human life span measures between innumerable years and eighty thousand years.

Yen Hui: One of the most favoured and trusted disciples of Confucius.

Yujutsu: is the name of the 15th chapter of the Lotus Sutra. It means 'Emerging from the Earth.' In this chapter the Bodhisattvas of the Earth appear. This chapter includes a question from Bodhisattva Miroku on how Shakyamuni could have trained so many disciples in only 40 years. The question in answered in the next chapter when Shakyamuni reveals that countless aeons have passed since he first attained enlightenment.

Zokurui: is the name of the 22nd chapter of the Lotus Sutra. It means 'Entrustment'. In this chapter, Shakyamuni makes a general transfer of the Law to all bodhisattvas.

Zojoten: (Skt Virudhaka) Also Zochoten. One of the Four Heavenly Kings. He lives halfway down the southern face of Mt. Sumeru and guards the south.