Kokuchūkai
Nichiren Buddhist group
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Kokuchūkai (国柱会; "Pillar of the Nation Society") is a lay-oriented Nichiren Buddhist group. It was founded by Tanaka Chigaku in 1880 as Rengekai (蓮華会; "Lotus Blossom Society") and renamed Risshō Ankokukai (立正安国会) in 1884 before adopting its current name in 1914.
History
The lay Nichiren Buddhist organization[1] now known as the Kokuchūkai was founded by Tanaka Chigaku in 1880 as Rengekai ("Lotus Blossom Society") and renamed Risshō Ankokukai in 1884 before adopting its current name in 1914.[1][2] The group's modern name is derived from a passage in the Kaimoku-shō, a writing of the founder of Nichiren Buddhism, the 13th-century monk Nichiren, which reads "I will be the pillar of Japan" (われ日本の柱とならん, ware nihon no hashira to naran).[3]
Originally based in Yokohama, the group shifted its head office to Tokyo, Kyoto-Osaka, Kamakura and Miho, Shizuoka Prefecture before finally moving back to Tokyo.[1][4] The group is currently based in Ichinoe, Edogawa-ku.[1]
Teachings
Among the group's principal teachings are to return to the teachings Nichiren and unite the various sects of Nichiren Buddhism.[1] The group's teachings are characterized by a strong form of Nichirenism.[1]
The group's sacred text is the Lotus Sutra[1] and their main object of reverence is the Sado Shigen Myō Mandara (佐渡始原妙曼荼羅), a mandala supposedly made by Nichiren on the island of Sado.[1][5]
Membership
At its height in 1924, the group's membership was estimated at over 7000.[4] The literary figures Takayama Chogyū and Kenji Miyazawa[6] were members of the Kokuchūkai for a time. The group's official website continues to claim them,[7][8] but they ultimately rejected Tanaka's nationalistic views.[4]
Publications
The group's publications include the monthly magazines Nichiren-shugi (日蓮主義; "Nichirenism") and Shin-sekai (真世界; "True World").[1]