Nichiren

Nichiren (日蓮) was a monk of fierce conviction who taught that the Lotus Sutra alone held the truth for the present age, and that chanting its title, Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō, was the path to salvation for individuals and for the nation. Persecuted and exiled, he founded a movement that remains one of the most vigorous in Japanese Buddhism.

Japanese 日蓮, Nichiren; Nichiren Shōnin
Lived 1222 to 1282
Practice The daimoku, chanting the title of the Lotus Sutra
Head temple Kuonji on Mount Minobu, among others

Life

Born the son of a fisherman, Nichiren studied on Mount Hiei and elsewhere before proclaiming the daimoku in 1253. His treatise urging the government to adopt the Lotus Sutra, and his attacks on other schools, brought exile to Izu and then to the island of Sado, and he narrowly escaped execution at Tatsunokuchi. His prophecies of foreign invasion seemed confirmed by the Mongol attacks of 1274 and 1281.

What collectors meet

  • The calligraphic mandala. Nichiren's object of worship is a scroll with the daimoku written down the centre in bold characters, surrounded by the names of buddhas, bodhisattvas and guardians. Their flared, dynamic strokes give the style its name, hige daimoku, whiskered title.
  • Portraits. Seated figures of Nichiren in monk's robes, with a sutra scroll and a strong, determined face.
  • Protectors. Kishimojin and the Ten Rakshasa daughters, guardians of the sutra, are honoured in Nichiren temples.

Collecting notes

  • Daimoku scrolls written by Nichiren school priests are widely collected as calligraphy. Signatures and seals identify the writer and temple.
  • Nichiren altars and figures follow their own conventions; see Nichiren Buddhism.

In the collection

Browse Nichiren Buddhist art. Our collector concierge can search Japan for daimoku scrolls and portraits.

See also

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