Nichiren’s Doctrine of ki-ken-kyō 起顕竟 (Beginning, Revealed, Completed): The Positioning of the Entrustment Chapter of the Lotus sūtra

Abstract

This article discusses the significance of sōfuzoku 総付嘱 in the Lotus sūtra’s Entrustment chapter (the 22^nd, 嘱累品), in which the great project to save all beings in the Latter Day of the Law (mappō) after the death of the Buddha reaches the ultimate state in the Doctrine of ki-ken-kyō 起顕竟 (Beginning, Revealing, and Completed), presenting Nichiren’s distinctive valuation of the Lotus sūtra. Pursuing the vow made by the Buddha to save people in the Latter Day of the Law and propagate the law, bodhisattvas who came from other realms (迹化菩薩) and other heavenly gods and benevolent deities who were entrusted with the Buddha’s teachings joined this great project to protect the devotees of the Lotus sūtra in the Latter Day of the Law. Such activities could be considered to lead directly to the inheritance of Buddhist tradition and as an expression of gratitude for the Buddha’s blessing. This could also indicate the way in which a disciple joins the Great Maṇḍala World (大曼荼羅世界) as one of the followers of the Lotus sūtra.