The Lotus Sūtra and the Japanese New Religious Movements

Part 1

I. The New Religions of Japan

A. The New Religions as a Type of Mass Movement
B. The Centrality of Lay People
C. Historical Overview of the Founding of New Religions
D. The World View of the New Religions

II. The Lotus Sūtra as a Focus for New Religious Movements

A. Central Religious Concerns of Buddhist Laypeople in the New Religions
1. Veneration of Ancestors
2. Defining Ethical Standards
3. Developing Buddhist Practice Compatible With Lay Life

Heinrich Dumoulin, "Buddhism in Modern Japan" In Buddhism in the Modern World, pp. 215-276.

Harry Thomsen, The New Religions of Japan, pp. 15-31; 79-126.

Nikkyo Niwano, Lifetime Beginner, An Autobiography, pp. 89-121.

Hardacre, Helen, Kurozumikyô and the New Religions of Japan, chapter 1.

_____. "The Lotus Sūtra in Modern Japan" In The Lotus Sūtra in Japanese Culture, pp. 209-126.

Study Questions:

1. In what social and historical circumstances have the new religions arisen?

2. What characteristics are shared by leaders of the new religions?

3. What is the significance of Buddhist scriptures in the Buddhist new religions?

4. What reasons can you suggest for the appearance of so many Buddhist new religions deriving from the Nichiren line and focussing particularly upon the Lotus Sūtra?
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Part 2

I. Major Approaches to the Lotus Sūtra in the Modern Period in New Religions and New Religious Movements

1. Tanaka Chigaku

2. Sōka Gakkai and Kōmeitō

B.The Lotus Sūtra as a Vehicle For Self-Sufficient Ancestor Veneration, Independent of the Priesthood

1. Gender-Specific Codes of Values and Behavior

2. Defining Ethical Stances in Politics

3. Defining a Japanese Position on World Peace

Readings:

George Tanabe, "Tanaka Chigaku: The Lotus Sūtra and the Body Politic" In The Lotus Sūtra in Japanese Culture, pp. 191-207.

Daniel Metraux, The History and Theology of Soka Gakkai, A Japanese New Religion, pp. 39-58.

Nikkyo Niwano, A Guide to the Threefold Lotus Sūtra, pp. 7-11; 87-95.

Helen Hardacre, Lay Buddhism in Contemporary Japan: Reiy?kai Kyôdan, chapters 3, 4.

Study Questions:

1. What is the role of anti-clericalism in the foundation of Lotus-based new religions?

2. Why should the Lotus Sūtra be proposed as an appropriate basis for uniting Buddhism and patriotism in modern Japan?

3. Discuss the ways in which the Lotus Sūtra has been regarded as a standard of ethical behavior in the modern world.

Part 3

I. Modes of Praxis

B. Recitation

C. Proselytization

D. Repentence

E. Veneration of Ancestors

F. Resolving Problems in the Family

Readings:

Reiy?kai Kyôdan, The Blue Sutra (English translation of abridged sutra for daily recitation).

Daniel Metraux, The History and Theology of Soka Gakkai, A Japanese New Religion, chapter 7.

Helen Hardacre, Lay Buddhism in Contemporary Japan: Reiy?kai Kyôdan, chapters 5, 6.

_____. "The Lotus Sūtra in Modern Japan" In The Lotus Sūtra in Japanese Culture, pp. 216-224.

Watanabe Eimi, "Risshō Kōsei-kai" Contemporary Religions in Japan 9 (1968): 75-151.

Study Questions:

1. How do modern abridgements of the Lotus Sūtra differ from the sutra's various uses and adaptations in previous eras of Japanese religious history?

2. Do the abridgements of the Lotus Sūtra of the modern period accord in any sense with the circumstances of modern life in Japan?

3. How does the significance of uses of the Lotus Sūtra to resolve family problems differ for women and men?

4. How do such practices as repentence and ancestor veneration differ in their significance for women and men?

Part 4

I. Lotus-Based Responses to Catastrophe

B. The Atomic Bombs

II. Politics and the Lotus Sūtra

B. Kōmeitō and the Kokumin Kaigi

Readings:

Daniel Metraux, The History and Theology of Soka Gakkai, A Japanese New Religion, pp. 133-149.

Nikkyo Niwano, Lifetime Beginner, An Autobiography, pp. 128-144; 235-260.

James White, The Soka Gakkai and Mass Society, selections.

Ikeda Daisaku, A Lasting Peace, selections.

Study Questions:

1. What aspects or sections of the Lotus Sūtra most lend themselves to a response to catastrophe?

2. What aspects or sections of the Lotus Sūtra most lend themselves to political interpretation?

3. Can you yourself propose a response to such contemporary problems as racism and sexism on the basis of the Lotus Sūtra?