Nichiren - Writings

Writings

Some Nichiren schools refer to the entirety of Nichiren's Buddhism as his "lifetime of teaching". Many of his writings still exist in his original hand, some as complete writings and some as fragments. Others survive as copies made by his immediate disciples. His existing works number over 700, including transcriptions of orally delivered lectures, letters of remonstration and illustrations. Nichiren declared that women could attain enlightenment, therefore a great number of letters were addresses to female believers. Some schools within Nichiren Buddhism consider this to be a unique feature of Nichiren's teachings and have published separate volumes of those writings.

In addition to treatises written in kanbun (漢文), a formal writing style modeled on classical Chinese that was the language of government and learning in contemporary Japan, Nichiren also wrote expositories and letters to disciples and lay followers in mixed-kanji–kana vernacular as well as letters in simple kana for believers who could not read the more-formal styles, particularly children. He is also known for his "kanbun", many of his writings preserved in the libraries of the empire had been lost at the end of the Boshin War.

Some of Nichiren's kanbun works, especially the Risshō Ankoku Ron, are considered exemplary of the kanbun style, while many of his letters show unusual empathy and understanding for the down-trodden of his day. Many of his most famous letters were to women believers, whom he often complimented for their in-depth questions about Buddhism while encouraging them in their efforts to attain enlightenment in this lifetime.

During the pre-World War II period the Japanese government ordered Nichiren sects to delete various passages from his writing and prophecies which were considered by the military government as a challenge to the supremacy of the emperor.