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- Preface
- I. Nichiren and His Time
- Nichiren the prophet
- The social degeneracy and a Buddhist prediction
- The political situation of his time
- The “degenerate Buddhism”; the four schools of Buddhism
- II. Nichiren’s Birth, Studies, and Conversion. The Lotus of Truth
- Nichiren’s childhood and the years of his study
- The final resort of his faith and the “Sacred Title” of the Scripture
- The Lotus of Truth; its general nature
- The introduction and the exposition of the ideal aim
- The perpetuation of the Truth
- The revelation of the real entity of Buddha’s personality
- The “consummation and perpetuation”
- Nichiren’s personal touch with the Scripture
- III. Nichiren’s Public Appearance and Persecution
- His proclamation of his new faith
- His warning and the first exile
- His perilous experiences and the “Stanzas of Perseverance”
- Reflections on the relations of his mission
- IV. An Interlude and a Narrow Escape
- His pugnacious spirit and his tender heart
- His mother and his old master
- The peril of the pine forest and the escape
- His missionary journeys and converts
- V. The Threatening Mongol Invasion and the Sentence of Death
- The arrival of the Mongol envoys and Nichiren’s renewed remonstrance
- Prosecution and sentence of death; the narrow escape and a “resurrection”
- Release from death and second exile
- VI. The Exile in Sado and the Ripening of Nichiren’s Faith in his Mission
- A calm reflection and the attainment of faith in his mission
- His life in solitary exile
- “The Heritage of the Great Thing Concerning Life and Death”
- “Opening the Eyes”; the ethical aspects of religious life and faith
- Absolute trust in Buddha’s prophetic assurance
- A better time, and Nichiren’s thought about sin
- VII. The Climax of Nichiren’s Life; The Graphic Representation of the Supreme Being
- Peace in exile; the object of religious worship
- The Supreme Being and the doctrine of “mutual participation”
- The Supreme Being; the union of the Truth and his Person
- “The Reality as It is” and the personal realization of Buddhahood
- The revelation of the Great Mandala and further thoughts on his mission
- VIII. Release and Retirement; Further Confirmation of His Faith
- Nichiren’s attitude toward the government and the nation
- His return to Kamakura and the last breach with the government
- His retirement and his reason for retiring from the world
- IX. A Paradise on Earth and the Holy See
- Minobu, the place of retirement
- The world and the individual; the ideal and the actual
- “The Testimony Common to all Buddhas”
- The true Buddhist creates a paradise everywhere
- The Kingdom of Buddha and the Holy See
- “The Three Great Mysteries”
- X. Silent Prayer and Anxious Watching
- The hope of the future and the present danger
- The curse on the infidels
- The curse and the sense of sinfulness, individual and national
- Dedication of good to fellow-beings
- Sense of indebtedness and fellowship
- Nichiren’s world-wide scheme
- The Mongol invaders and their final defeat
- The holy person and the holy place
- XI. The Last Stage of Nichiren’s Life and His Death
- His ideas about illness and death
- His last moments and his legacy
- Appendix: The Buddhist Conception of Reality
- I. The fundamental tenets of Buddhism concerning reality
- II. Tendai’s doctrines of the Middle Path and reality
- Chronological Table
Dumbarton Oaks Medieval Library
I Tatti Renaissance Library
Loeb Classical Library
Murty Classical Library of India