Unquestionably, Nichiren's teacher and mentor was a man whose name was "Dozenbo". This man was a Buddhist who eventually became chief rector of Seichoji Temple (also known as Kiyosumi-dera). Nichiren Shoshu has a page about him at this web page: http://www.geocities.com/ufound/Requital.html, but I don't think the author really understands the profound meaning of the principle of "mentor/disciple" or he wouldn't be surprised that Nichiren could have had such a regard for his teacher despite his being less than a paragon of virtue. Conversely, Jokenbo and Gijobo, Dozenbo's disciples, who were older than Nichiren, were initially Nichiren's instructors, but later had the courage to be his disciples. This shows that they understood this principle well. One follows a person who "knows the heart of the Lotus Sutra" regardless of that persons rank, status, or even relative age and knowledge. At the same time we show our reverence for our teachers by following the Dharma.
Dozenbo, was impressed enough with Nichiren's abilities and intelligence, that he is the one who sponsored his travels. His brother Dogi-bo is said to have written about the young Nichiren:
"This child can perhaps revive the true teachings of Sakyamuni Buddha in the future".#1Unfortunately all that respect for his abilities didn't translate into the wisdom to listen to such wisdom. Nichiren says about Dogi-bo:
I had already warned Dozen-bo's elder brother, the priest Dogi-bo Gisho, that he was destined to fall into the hell of incessant suffering if he did not change his ways, and they say that his death was as miserable as I had foretold. When I considered that my teacher Dozen-bo might meet a similar fate, I was filled with pity for him and therefore made up my mind to speak to him in very strong terms.
Though Dozenbo was technically and emotionally his "Sensei," Nichiren didn't think of him as his ultimate master. Dozenbo had protected Nichiren, though not overtly, when others turned on him violently during the early years of his ministry. That marked him as a bit of a coward. Yet one learns even from people's darkest traits (see fundamental and so this just was an instructive lesson in a world where few people are heros and many are heels or prove to be heels even after a great start. Nichiren learned from this that the ultimate master for any Buddhist is the "Shakyamuni of the Juryo Chapter." or the "idealized Buddha" as opposed to any "Ji" or real life teacher. This led Nichiren to practice a strict "follow the Dharma" approach to scripture. He repeatedly admonished his disciples not to rely on commentaries but to study the scriptures, even when it was he himself who was saying a thing. Nichiren felt that we should regard the teachings of the Lotus Sutra first, and to rely on anyone's written or oral commentaries only if they made sense with respect to what the scriptures said.
Nichiren left a lasting impression on all who knew him personally. His earnest studiousness, directness and brilliant intelligence impressed both Dozenbo and the other priest "Dogibo". Jacqueline Stone even preserves an early writing about him that points out this intelligence and predicts that the young student would go far. This brilliance coupled with a strong sense of "right and wrong" also brought him into conflict with the priests of Seichoji on two levels. It was rare that any Japanese could acknowledge superiority in someone without rank or noble birth. And that lack of noble birth would both influence Nichiren's doctrines and severe criticism of esotericism and the "glass ceiling" raised by the authorities over his career.
Thus the first level of conflict with the priests of Seichoji was based on secular matters such as religious and non-religious politics, and matters of status. Seichoji seems to have been half "Nembutsu" by the time of Nichiren's birth. It also was in a province ruled by Tojo Kagenobo, who was a relative of the ruling Hojo's and an ambitious and arrogant man. Nichiren came into conflict with him before April 1252 when he helped local farmers and the lady of the village, it is said her name was Nagoe no Ama, against a land grab aimed at the lands she administered by him. This was what created the underlying tensions at Seichoji temple. Half the monks were Tendai-Shingon and askanse at Jodo teachings, apparantly the other half were entranced by them.
Perhaps that is why the monks were happy to support Nichiren in his youthful wanderings visiting the leading Buddhist libraries and centers. prior to 1252.
When Nichiren presented "Nam Myoho Renge Kyo" in april 1252, he was received with a huge amount of anger. As noted, Seichoji Temple seems to have been a temple of the Shingon-Hokke lineage. However, by falling under the influence of Honen's teachings by the time of Nichiren's Birth it was not going to prove receptive to Nichiren's new teachings. Nichiren's teachings included a direct attack on the teachings of the "Jodo School" as "slandering the Lotus Sutra. For that reason the audience was incensed by his lecture. Tojo Kagenobo didn't like this priest to begin with and wanted to take his head for the very rudeness of it. Nichiren fled.
Later he returned and talked to Dozenbo. Dozenbo says:
He says of himself:
"I have neither wisdom nor any hope for advancement to important position. I am an old man with no desire for fame, and I claim no eminent priest of Nembutsu as my teacher. But because this practice has become so widespread in our time, I simply repeat like others the words Namu Amida Butsu. In addition, though it was not my idea originally, I have had occasion to fashion five images of Amida Buddha. This perhaps is due to some karmic habit that I formed in a past existence. Do you suppose that as a result of these faults I will fall into hell?"3Nichiren says that he warned him that he was destined to fall "five times" into hell, one for each image he had carved. Nichiren was not an obsequious man and he says next:
I explained all this in detail to Dozen-bo at the time of our interview, though it did not appear that he completely understood what I was saying. Nor did the other persons present on that occasion seem to understand. Later, however, I received word that Dozen-bo had com to take faith in the Lotus Sutra. I concluded that he must have renounced his earlier heretical views and had hence become a person of sound belief, a thought that filled me with joy. When I also heard that he had fashioned an image of Shakyamuni Buddha, I could not find words to express my emotion. It may seem as though I spoke to him very harshly at the time of our interview. But I simply explained things as they are set forth in the Lotus Sutra, and that is no doubt why he has now taken such action. They say that words of good advice often grate on the ears, just as good medicine tastes bitter.Nichiren understood the true way of mentor and disciple. He was grateful to Dozenbo, and he repaid that debt by as he says in the "Ho'on Sho" (Repaying Debts of Gratitude):4
"...if one intends to repay these great debts of gratitude, he can hope to do so only if he studies and masters the Buddhist teachings, becoming a person of wisdom. If he does not, he will be like a man who attempts to lead a company of the blind over bridges and across rivers when he himself has sightless eyes. Can a ship steered by someone who cannot even tell the direction of the wind ever carry the traveling merchants to the mountains where treasure lies?"
At least Six Gosho were written about or to Dozen-bo and his two disciples Jokenbo and Gijobo, Nichiren's Teacher and mentor:
- The Learned Doctor Shan-wu-wei http://www.sgi-usa.org/buddhism/library/Nichiren/Gosho/LearnedShanwuwei.htm
- Nichiren wrote this Gosho for the sake of his mentor Dozen-bo, who had been a Nembutsu/Pure Land adherent, in 1270. Nichiren demonstrates that the way we repay our debt of gratitude to our teachers, parents and Sovereigns, is not to blindly follow them even if they are wrong.
- Banishment to Sado http://www.sgi-usa.org/Nichiren/Gosho/BanishmentSado.htm
- This Gosho shows the profound determination that Nichiren had to be a votary of the Lotus Sutra and the consideration he had for his mentor, even as he was being banished to Sado Island and faced the probability of continued persecution and the posibility of death. It touches on themes later developed in Nichiren's Gosho "Repaying Debts of Gratitude." It was written in 1271.
Repaying Debts of Gratitude http://www.sgi-usa.org/buddhism/library/Nichiren/Gosho/RepayingDebtsGratitude.htm- One of Nichiren's major Gosho it was written in 1276. In it Nichiren explains that the way to repay debts of gratitude to ones teachers is to master the Buddhist Dharma. Nichiren wrote it both as an Homage to his teacher and as a profound instruction on what it means to be a true disciple.
Letter to the Priests of Seicho-ji http://www.sgi-usa.org/buddhism/library/Nichiren/Gosho/LetterPriestsSeichoji.htm- Nichiren wrote this to encourage the priests of Seichiji Temple and in memory of his revered teacher Dozenbo in 1276. In it he expresses his gratitude to Jokenbo and Gijobo who had been mentors of his in his youth and now had the courage to become his disciples.
- On Flowers and Seeds http://www.sgi-usa.org/library/Nichiren/Gosho/FlowersSeeds.htm
- Nichiren wrote this letter as a follow up to the Gosho "Repaying Debts of Gratitude" in 1278, in gratitude to the priests reading that letter and the "Letter to the Priests of Seicho-ji" to the priests of Seicho-ji, and as an encouragement to the two priests who had embraced the Lotus Sutra with him as their teacher.
- Honzon Mondo Sho
- My source says that it explains the Gohonzon from the view of "principle" or "Dharma"(law). Deriving understanding from the view expressed in this Gosho, it seems that it is most appropriate to use a paper or tablet calligraphic mandala (which embodies the Odaimoku) as ones object of worship.