Philosophy of Religion

The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin (Gosho)

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Nichiren

1276

The Gosho — literally "honorable writings" — is the collected body of letters, treatises, and essays composed by Nichiren (1222–1282) over a lifetime of fierce Buddhist advocacy, exile, and persecution. Written in classical Chinese (kanbun) and the vernacular Japanese of the Kamakura period, the Gosho comprises approximately 700 works, of which some 300 are authenticated as directly by Nichiren's hand. The writings range from short personal letters of pastoral comfort sent to lay followers facing illness, bereavement, or persecution, to extended doctrinal treatises addressing the nature of the Lotus Sutra, the errors of rival Buddhist schools, the relationship between Buddhism and the state, and the proper understanding of Nichiren's own mission as the bodhisattva Jogyo. The most philosophically significant works include the Rissho Ankoku Ron (On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land, 1260), which argues that national disasters follow from the abandonment of true Buddhism; the Kaimoku Sho (Opening of the Eyes, 1272) and Kanjin no Honzon Sho (The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind, 1273), which articulate Nichiren's doctrinal innovations; and hundreds of personal letters (notably "On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime" and "The Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life") that distil his teaching into direct and accessible guidance. The Gosho remains the doctrinal foundation of Nichiren Buddhism in all its branches, including the Nichiren Shoshu and Soka Gakkai traditions, and constitutes one of the most extensive surviving records of medieval Japanese Buddhist thought.