Nichiren states:
Be resolved to summon forth the great power of faith, and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo [sc. the Lotus Sutra] with the prayer that your faith will be steadfast and correct at the moment of your death. Never seek any other way to inherit the ultimate Law of life and death, and manifest it in your life. Only then will you realise that earthly desires are enlightenment, and that the sufferings of birth and death are nirvana. Even embracing the Lotus Sutra would be useless without the heritage of faith (Writings of Nichiren Daishonin).
In an article in INDIGO (September 2006) 26, a Soka Gakkai publication, it is explained:
Nichiren indicates here that faith is the only way for people to share the heritage. This ‘faith in the Lotus Sutra’, indicates faith in the mystic law, in the inherent Buddha nature and potential for realising Buddhahood that all people possess. This is the essence of the Lotus Sutra. In the Latter Day of the Law, this implies faith in Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
What a massive difference there is between this version of ‘saving’ faith and that so emphasised in the Bible! Nichiren’s faith is completely dislocated from empirical experience, whereas biblical faith is grounded in the empirical reality of Jesus’ resurrection:
And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ is not raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins (1 Corinthians 15:14-17).
Posted March 29, 2011
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April 17th, 2012 at 2:31 pm
[...] Nichiren vs. the Bible: Mystical vs. Empirical Faith [...]