Ongi kuden

Ongi kuden (御義口伝 (就註法華経口伝)) or "The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings" is a text in Nichiren Buddhism. Ongi Kuden is Nichiren's oral teachings (kuden[1]) on the Lotus Sutra, which his disciple and successor Nikko Shonin recorded and compiled.[2] (An English translation can be read on the Internet.)

Some practitioners of Nichiren's teachings regard Ongi kuden as one of the most important treatises in Nichiren's writings, because it reveals the essential principles of Nichiren's teachings.(cf.[3][4][5])

Structure

Ongi kuden is a series of lectures on important sentences and phrases of the Lotus Sutra, and includes the following lectures:

  • The meaning of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo
  • Each of the twenty-eight chapters of the Lotus Sutra (231 items)
  • The Immeasurable Meanings Sutra and the Universal Worthy Sutra
  • The essential passage in each of the twenty-eight chapters of the Lotus Sutra

Concepts

Ongi kuden elucidates the following theories and concepts, with the ways of practices:[6]

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is explained in Ongi kuden as follows:[10]

Phrase Chinese Sanskrit Literal meaning Interpretation in Ongi kuden
Nam 南無 Namas Devotion Dedication of one’s life to the truth of Myoho-renge-kyo and the Buddha who embodies the truth,[11] in terms of both theory and practice
Myoho 妙法 Sad-dharma The mystic law Ignorance and enlightenment are a single entity
Renge 蓮華 Puṇḍarīka The lotus flower Oneness of cause and effect
Kyo 経 Sūtra Sutra or teachings All phenomena through three existences of past, present, and future

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, as the core practice of Nichiren's teachings,[12] is weighted on heavily with great significance on Ongi-Kuden.

In addition, this is explained with the Q&A that Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is placed at the beginning of the Ongi kuden because it is the core of all (of Shakyamuni's) teachings, and is the essence of the Lotus Sutra. According to Nichiren,

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the backbone of all teachings and is the basis of the mechanism of the universe; in addition, unless we base it on Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, no matter how much we read or study Shakyamuni's supreme teaching, the Lotus Sutra, we cannot read or study the Lotus Sutra in a true sense."

Debate on authenticity
See also: Pseudepigrapha § Authorship and pseudepigraphy: levels of authenticity

A large number of Nichiren's writings, in particular those collected and published by Soka Gakkai (called Gosho zenshu[13]), have been questioned about whether the texts were truly written by Nichiren (or even by approved personnel) or not[14] and Ongi kuden, which has been said to be compiled by Nikko, not Nichiren himself, is in the debate.[15] According to the Heibonsha World Encyclopedia article on the Ongi Kuden, a growing number of religious and textual scholars consider the work to be a forgery.[16]

See also

References
  1. Michael, Saso (1987). "" Kuden": The Oral Hermeneutics of Tendai Tantric Buddhism". Japanese Journal of Religious Studies. 14: 235–246.
  2. Keijin, Mamiya (2011). "Bibliographical Researches on Nichiren's Works and their Results [in Japanese]". Minobu Ronso. 16: 179–242.
  3. Kenji, Mamiya (2006). "A sketch of studies in Nichiren's doctrine: centering on some modern scholarts in Nichiren-Shu [in Japanese]". Journal, Research Institute of Eastern Culture. 10: 69–122.
  4. Makoto, Shinohara (2003). "Josei Toda and Students : The 50th Anniversary of the "Lotus sutra Study Group" of Tokyo University Students [in Japanese]". Journal of Soka education research. 2: 177–184.
  5. Daisaku, Ikeda (1999). The New Human Revolution, vol 6. Soka Gakkai.
  6. Daisaku, Ikeda (1967). Ongi kuden kougi.
  7. This is a superiority Nichiren's followers have argued that Nichiren formulized the law and phenomena described in Buddhist teachings, namely Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, in order for everyone to practice and achieve the enlightenment. However, some have misunderstood that the practitioners must follow Nichiren's teachings exclusively and renounce the others, but the intention of superiority is to incorporate the value of everything with proper evaluation - which is called the position of Zettai myo - and Nichiren suggested to cherish the Shakyamuni's teachings or every other valuable thoughts and philosophy, and respect people, as a view that everyone can attain Buddhahood (no genetic inability for enlightenment). Frankly speaking, it can be explained as a metaphor that we can enjoy the movement of stars or utilize the power of pendulum (i.e. the phenomena preached in the Lotus Sutra) holistically with Newton's Equation of motion (i.e., Nam-myoho-renge-kyo).
  8. cf. Kaimoku sho (The Opening of the Eyes)
  9. cf. Kanjin-no Honzon-sho (The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind)
  10. Masatoshi, Ueki (2001). Gender equality in Buddhism. Peter Lang. pp. 136, 159–161. ISBN 0820451339.
  11. also see Three Great Secret Laws
  12. Senyu, Nakamura (2015). "Nichiren's "Myojisoku" and "Kangyosoku" [in Japanese]". Journal of religious studies. 89: 308–309.
  13. "The writings of Nichiren Daishonin".
  14. http://pounceatron.dreamhosters.com/nichirenscoffeehouse.net/gosho.html
  15. Nichiren Shu (1981). Nichiren Shu Jiten.
  16. World Encyclopedia 1998.

Cited works
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