Lotus Land in This Very Body: The Religious Philosophy of Nichiren

Abstract

This essay sketches out key features of the religious philosophy of the thirteenth- century Japanese Buddhist figure Nichiren 日蓮 (1222–1282), and considers his worldview and teaching in the context of the contemporary global scene. Nichiren’s Buddhist worldview can be understood as manifesting a fourfold structure, with a 1) view of the problematic of the human condition, 2) a teaching on ultimate reality and human ultimate destiny, 3) a prescription for the attainment of this ultimate reality/destiny, and 4) social expressions of this ultimate way. Examining Nichiren’s authenticated writings, this essay will lay out the elements of that fourfold structure and offer reflections on how these relate to contemporary issues.