What's the best book on Nichiren Buddhism you can recommend?

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bcol01
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What's the best book on Nichiren Buddhism you can recommend?

Post by bcol01 »

:ugeek:
In his writing, Hokkemongu (Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra), The Great Master Nichiren said, “If the practitioners of the Lotus Sutra wholeheartedly devote their life to the Lotus Sutra and practice according to its golden words, it is certainly needless to say that not only in the next life, but also in this lifetime they will overcome severe difficulty, prolong their life, receive the great, good fortune of unsurpassed enlightenment, and accomplish the great vow of the widespread, propagation of True Buddhism.”
markatex
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Re: What's the best book on Nichiren Buddhism you can recommend?

Post by markatex »

It doesn’t exist, IMO.
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Queequeg
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Re: What's the best book on Nichiren Buddhism you can recommend?

Post by Queequeg »

Agree with Mark. There are none, in English, anyway.
There is no suffering to be severed. Ignorance and klesas are indivisible from bodhi. There is no cause of suffering to be abandoned. Since extremes and the false are the Middle and genuine, there is no path to be practiced. Samsara is nirvana. No severance achieved. No suffering nor its cause. No path, no end. There is no transcendent realm; there is only the one true aspect. There is nothing separate from the true aspect.
-Guanding, Perfect and Sudden Contemplation,
Ginkyo
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Re: What's the best book on Nichiren Buddhism you can recommend?

Post by Ginkyo »

Not so helpful really.

I'd recommend The Buddha In Daily Life by Richard Causton
markatex
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Re: What's the best book on Nichiren Buddhism you can recommend?

Post by markatex »

Ginkyo wrote: Mon Oct 22, 2018 9:43 pm Not so helpful really.
:lol:

I don't mean to be unhelpful, but there hasn't been an "intro to Nichiren Buddhism" book that I've found entirely satisfactory. I read The Buddha in Daily Life about 20 years ago, so I don't remember a great deal about it, except that it has a definite SGI slant (to put it mildly) to it that I cannot endorse. Stylistically, the author is on the right track, though.

Nichiren Shu has published two, Awakening to the Lotus and Lotus Seeds. They're both serviceable, but they leave a lot to be desired. The former is woefully short on actual teaching, while the latter puts too much emphasis on foundational (and ultimately provisional) Buddhist teachings.

I've never read it, and it's long out of print (so probably a bit outdated), but I've heard good things about Daniel Montgomery's Fire in the Lotus.
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Bois de Santal
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Re: What's the best book on Nichiren Buddhism you can recommend?

Post by Bois de Santal »

I've never read it, and it's long out of print (so probably a bit outdated), but I've heard good things about Daniel Montgomery's Fire in the Lotus.
Yes, it is an excellent book. Much better than I thought it would be for a cheap paperback. It gives a good explanation of how mahayana developed into the Lotus School and how Nichiren's teachings then arose out of that. It then does a fairly detailed history of the Nichiren school and concludes with a study of the state of the different Nichiren sects both monastic and lay up til the beginning of the '90's. Its contents isn't outdated at all, imo. But obviously suffers from the fact that nearly 30 years have passed since it was written. A second edition with an additional chapter bringing us up to date would be great.

I should also note that it is non-sectarian. It looks at the Nichiren school as a whole as well as the component sects and is relatively objective ie, it is not a propaganda job for any particular Nichiren sect.
dude
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Re: What's the best book on Nichiren Buddhism you can recommend?

Post by dude »

"The Human Revolution" volume 1 and 2 might be a good place to start.
It's a "novel" about the second president of SGI, who was the first to lead a massive shakubuku campaign in postwar Japan.
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Re: What's the best book on Nichiren Buddhism you can recommend?

Post by DGA »

Queequeg wrote: Mon Oct 22, 2018 9:28 pm There are none, in English, anyway.
I think you could pull one together out of the posts you've written on DW that address basic and foundational questions as a basis.

Not joking.

There's obviously a need and it could bring real benefit.
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Queequeg
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Re: What's the best book on Nichiren Buddhism you can recommend?

Post by Queequeg »

Thanks, D. That's kind of you to write.

Even if what you suggest were true, too much responsibility.
There is no suffering to be severed. Ignorance and klesas are indivisible from bodhi. There is no cause of suffering to be abandoned. Since extremes and the false are the Middle and genuine, there is no path to be practiced. Samsara is nirvana. No severance achieved. No suffering nor its cause. No path, no end. There is no transcendent realm; there is only the one true aspect. There is nothing separate from the true aspect.
-Guanding, Perfect and Sudden Contemplation,
markatex
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Re: What's the best book on Nichiren Buddhism you can recommend?

Post by markatex »

I ordered a used copy of Fire in the Lotus from Amazon. After I've read it, perhaps I'll be able to answer this query in a positive way.
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Re: What's the best book on Nichiren Buddhism you can recommend?

Post by markatex »

Queequeg wrote: Wed Oct 24, 2018 8:09 pm Thanks, D. That's kind of you to write.

Even if what you suggest were true, too much responsibility.

You totally could. I think I probably could, too, if given enough time. Not to toot my own horn.
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Queequeg
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Re: What's the best book on Nichiren Buddhism you can recommend?

Post by Queequeg »

Collaboration? :D
There is no suffering to be severed. Ignorance and klesas are indivisible from bodhi. There is no cause of suffering to be abandoned. Since extremes and the false are the Middle and genuine, there is no path to be practiced. Samsara is nirvana. No severance achieved. No suffering nor its cause. No path, no end. There is no transcendent realm; there is only the one true aspect. There is nothing separate from the true aspect.
-Guanding, Perfect and Sudden Contemplation,
dude
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Re: What's the best book on Nichiren Buddhism you can recommend?

Post by dude »

I'd recommend reading the Lotus Sutra
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Yavana
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Re: What's the best book on Nichiren Buddhism you can recommend?

Post by Yavana »

dude wrote: Sat Oct 27, 2018 3:01 am I'd recommend reading the Lotus Sutra
passel
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Re: What's the best book on Nichiren Buddhism you can recommend?

Post by passel »

What about the Yampolsky edited volume of Nichiren Letters? Any good?

Or the Burton Watson Selected Letters?
"I have made a heap of all that I have met"- Svetonious
dude
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Re: What's the best book on Nichiren Buddhism you can recommend?

Post by dude »

passel :
nichiren's writings are the primary reference, those two sources are very good too.
I think the way to learn most is both read and ask questions.
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Bois de Santal
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Re: What's the best book on Nichiren Buddhism you can recommend?

Post by Bois de Santal »

passel wrote: Sun Oct 28, 2018 2:59 am What about the Yampolsky edited volume of Nichiren Letters? Any good?

Or the Burton Watson Selected Letters?
Aren't they the same thing?

At least, the Yampolsky edited volume is just a small collection of Watson's translations of the gosho that he did for the SGI.

It is not a book on Nichiren Buddhism. It is Nichiren Buddhsim. But is it, as per the subject, the best book on Nichiren Buddhism that one could recommend? No, I don't think so.
illarraza
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Re: What's the best book on Nichiren Buddhism you can recommend?

Post by illarraza »

Bois de Santal wrote: Sun Oct 28, 2018 11:05 am
passel wrote: Sun Oct 28, 2018 2:59 am What about the Yampolsky edited volume of Nichiren Letters? Any good?

Or the Burton Watson Selected Letters?
Aren't they the same thing?

At least, the Yampolsky edited volume is just a small collection of Watson's translations of the gosho that he did for the SGI.

It is not a book on Nichiren Buddhism. It is Nichiren Buddhsim. But is it, as per the subject, the best book on Nichiren Buddhism that one could recommend? No, I don't think so.
https://markrogow.blogspot.com/

and it is searchable

Mark
markatex
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Re: What's the best book on Nichiren Buddhism you can recommend?

Post by markatex »

Queequeg wrote: Sat Oct 27, 2018 2:12 am Collaboration? :D
Yes! :D
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