Nichiren

Nichiren (日蓮) (February 16, 1222 - October 13, 1282), born Zennichimaro (善日麿), later Zeshō-bō Renchō (是生房蓮長), and finally Nichiren (??), was a Buddhist monk of 13th century Japan. A controversial figure during his lifetime, he is founder of Nichiren Buddhism, a major Japanese Buddhist stream encompassing several schools of often widely conflicting doctrine.

Nichiren's teachings after his passing

After Nichiren's death, his teachings were interpreted in different ways by several of his disciples, in particular the six senior priests (or elders) that he had named shortly before his demise. As a result, Nichiren Buddhism encompasses several major branches and minor schools, the most significant being the Nichiren Shu and Nichiren Shoshu branches. Each branch and school has its own set of interpretations of Nichiren's teachings, some more and some less similar to the others depending on the detail. The largest such difference focuses on whether a school considers Nichiren to be the True Buddha (Nichiren Shoshu and other sub-schools stemming from the priest Nikkō) or positions him as a mere saint, great teacher, or prophet (Nichiren Shu and other schools descendant from the other five of the six senior priests). See other articles and their links for more information.

Related Topics:
Nichiren Buddhism - Nichiren Shu - Nichiren Shoshu - Nikkō

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