Nichiren True Buddha Thought in Soga Ryōjin's Treatises on Nichiren

Abstract

This article elucidates the structure of the Nichiren True Buddha theory in Soga Ryōjin's Treatises on Nichiren. Soga Ryōjin (1875-1971) was a prominent modern Shin-Buddhist scholar in Japan. When Soga was in his twenties, he researched Nichiren's thought and wrote Treatises on Nichiren in 1904. His understanding of Nichiren was always changing in Treatises on Nichiren. Nevertheless, eventually he realized that “Nichiren is the true Buddha, and Shakyamuni is the provisional Buddha.” I explore the basic structure of Soga's Nichiren True Buddha theory. When Nichiren recognized his karmic evil and powerlessness, he recited Namu Myōhōrengekyō. In this moment, Nichiren recognized himself as the true Buddha. Thereafter, Nichiren recognized the eternal Shakyamuni as the provisional Buddha. The special feature of Soga's Nichiren True Buddha theory is that the recognition of karmic evil and powerlessness, the recitation of Namu Myōhōrengekyō, and the self-recognition as the true Buddha are mutually connected in Nichiren.