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From: kde@heawk1.gsfc.nasa.gov ( Keith Evans)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.eastern
Subject: Re: Body and Soul + knowledge quest.
Message-ID: <1990Nov27.004203.490@nas.nasa.gov>
Date: 27 Nov 90 00:42:03 GMT
References: <1990Oct20.180354.14244@nas.nasa.gov> <1990Oct24.071156.20009@nas.nasa.gov> <1990Oct31.013147.10335@nas.nasa.gov> <1990Nov22.014152.3144@nas.nasa.gov>
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In <1990Nov22.014152.3144@nas.nasa.gov> scott@tichy.HAC.COM (Scott Channell) writes:

>In article <1990Oct31.013147.10335@nas.nasa.gov> kde@heawk1.gsfc.nasa.gov ( Keith Evans) writes:
>>
><...stuff deleted...>
>>
>>Nichiren Daishonin (1222-1282) proclaimed this entity as Nam-myoho-renge-kyo
>>and enscribed the Gohonzon (the physical manifestation of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo)
>>before he died so that all mankind could gain Buddhahood in this lfetime.
>>Chanting it, even without understanding its meaning will bring benefit as
>>good medicine works even if we don't know how it does.
>>
><...stuff deleted...>
>>
>>All are equal and can gain Buddhahood as they are (just by chanting
>>Nam-myoho-renge-kyo).
>>

>Isn't "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo" just the title of the Lotus Sutra ??

Myoho-renge-kyo is the title of the Lotus Sutra, a Japanese of old Chinese.
Nam, is short for the Sanskrit namas, devote mind and body to.

>It was my understanding that Nichiren proclaimed that the Lotus Sutra
>were the only TRUE words of The Buddha and any other teachings were,
>at that time, leading Japan to ruin.

Based on his study of the Buddha's teachings, he proclaimed that the
preaching of the Lotus Sutra are the only completely true words of the
Buddha and is the reason for his (Shakyamuni) advent in this world.`

>	 Nichiren was supposedly sentenced to
>death twice. The first time he was pardoned and the second time he
>was saved by some form of miracle. He was finally exiled to an island
>where he eventually died from some internal ailment.

He was exiled twice. The second exile started as an execution but when
they were ready to chop his head off, a meteor lit up the sky and scared
his executions. He had done nothing wrong except to proclaim the superiority
of the Lotus Sutra and Nam-myoho-renge-kyo over all other Buddhist 
teachings extant in Japan. When they couldn't kill him they exiled hin
to Sado Island. After more than 2 years there, he was pardoned and he
remonstrated once again with the Hei no Saemon, the deputy minister,
and then he retired to Monut Minobu after Hei no Saemon refused to heed
him. 

Nichiren inscribed the Gohonzon in 1279, and died in 1282, after passing
the teachings on to his successor.

--
   Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
            Respectfully,
  	         Keith Evans		kde@heawk1.gsfc.nasa.gov