In the Eye-opening Treatise (Kaimoku-shō - 開目抄), Nichiren Daishōnin convincingly demonstrates that he alone propagates the authentic teaching of the Buddha, capable of saving all beings during the End of the Dharma. To this end, he makes a well-founded critique of religions and Buddhism, using a series of five comparisons, in which he proceeds by methodical elimination.

The first comparison pits the outer way (representing all dualistic visions) against the inner way (Buddhism). This comparison highlights the invalidity of the outer path.

The second comparison pits the Mahayana (Greater Vehicle) against the Hinayana (Lesser Vehicle), demonstrating the superiority of the former.

The third comparison compares the circumstantial sutras of the Great Vehicle, which predate the Lotus Sutra, with the latter. This comparison reveals that only the Lotus Sutra enables all beings to become Buddha during their lifetime, thus eliminating all other teachings.

The fourth comparison is within the Lotus Sutra itself, between its first fourteen chapters (representing the ephemeral doctrine) and its last fourteen chapters (representing the original doctrine). This comparison shows that it is in the original doctrine that the Buddha reveals the eternity of his life, as well as the true causes, effects and places of his awakening. Thus, it is demonstrated that the Buddha's true teaching is to be found exclusively in the original doctrine of the Lotus Sutra.

Nichiren Daishōnin's fifth and final comparison contrasts the literal text of the Lotus Sutra's original doctrine with what is hidden deep within the phrases and is to be revealed during the End of Dharma period by the fundamental Buddha himself.

Throughout this series of videos, I've tried to follow this demonstration by emphasizing the first comparison, highlighting the differences between Buddhism and other systems of thought. As Westerners, it's crucial to understand this distinction in the first place. That's why this channel is entitled "Naige Sōtai", which is the name given to the first comparison in Japanese.

We have thus seen that only the Buddhist path teaches the true nature of things, that only the Lotus Sutra enables one to become a Buddha in this life, and that only Nichiren Daishōnin disseminates the appropriate teaching to the End Dharma beings that we are, enabling us to attain enlightenment in the course of our existence, from this very body.

However, as we have seen, after Nichiren Daishōnin's death, his movement split into several currents, each adopting a different interpretation of his teaching. Some of these currents, despite Nichiren Daishōnin's numerous writings contradicting them, make no distinction between the ephemeral doctrine and the original doctrine of the Lotus Sutra. Other currents consider the fundamental Buddha to be Shakyamuni himself.

However, for the Nikkō current, the fundamental Buddha is none other than Nichiren Daishōnin himself. Of the six major disciples of Nichiren Daishōnin, Nikkō Shōnin was indeed the only one to consider that the Buddha is Nichiren and not Shakyamuni.

It is important to understand why the Nikkō current, which later became the Fuji school and then the Nichiren Shōshū (orthodox Nichiren school) in the 20th century, is the only one to propagate the teaching of Nichiren Daishōnin in all its orthodoxy among the many Nichirenist schools.

To this end, we're going to take a closer look at this subject, addressing first the question of transmission, then that of doctrine, and finally the all-important question of the "theory of Nichiren Fundamental Buddha".

To tell the truth, considering that Nichiren Daishōnin's own disciples and their successors could not be called foolish, and that the notion of "Shakyamuni Fundamental Buddha" was not devoid of logic, I have never dared to study the doctrines of the other Nichiren schools, fearing no doubt that doubt would awaken in me.

However, in order to make these videos, I still had to look into the matter and study, however superficially, the teachings of schools other than the Nichiren Shōshū. The result is unequivocal: only Nichiren Shōshū has preserved the entirety and authenticity of Nichiren Daishōnin's teaching, from Nikkō Shōnin to the present day. The reason why all other schools practice rituals and teachings that are totally alien to the very spirit of Nichiren Daishōnin is simple: they have not received the vital transmission.

Indeed, the teachings of Nichiren Daishōnin place paramount importance on this vital transmission.

In his writing entitled Outline of the holy teachings given by the Buddha during his lifetime (ichidai shōkyō no tai-i - 一代聖教大意), he writes in effect: "without transmission, it would be difficult to know this sutra".

So, what is this vital transmission? The term "vital" refers to the transmission of genes from parents to offspring, or to the blood circulation that, through the great arteries, irrigates the whole body by spreading through the venous capillaries. This phenomenon embodies the coherence and integrity of Buddhist transmission.

As for the term "transmission", it refers to the relationship that exists between the master (the Buddha) and his disciples, the latter receiving the transmission of his teaching.

Single-person transmission is a ritual that originated in Shakyamuni's own time. After his parinirvāṇa, twenty-four patriarchs, referred to as "recipients of Dharma transmission", succeeded him. The first was Mahākāshyapa, followed by Ānanda, and so on, until the 6th century CE, when the last, Āryasimha, met his death, beheaded in Kashmir by King Dammira.

As far as Nichiren Daishōnin is concerned, we have seen previously, in earlier chapters through the transmission writings, that he selected the one Nikkō Shōnin to become his successor. The latter proceeded in a similar way, passing on his legacy exclusively to Nichimoku Shōnin, through a document entitled "Articles to be observed after Nikkō's passing":

"The Dai-Gohonzon of the 2nd year of the Kōan, which is addressed to Nikkō, is passed on to Nichimoku. It should be enshrined in the temple of the original doctrine".

There are in fact two aspects of vital transmission. On this subject, Nichiren Daishōnin warns:

"In this, there are two meanings: the general and the particular. If we turn away even a little from these two meanings, it's pointless to think about becoming Buddha. For this is the origin of the cycle of life and death".

Vital transmission has two facets. The particular transmission is made to a single person. General transmission is for everyone.

The first, "particular vital transmission", is carried out by the master (Buddha) who, with a view to ensuring the continuity of the Dharma after its extinction, chooses from among his disciples the one who has the appropriate qualities to be his successor. He then entrusts him with the body of the Dharma (the fundamental Dharma to which the Buddha awakened).

In the case of Nichiren Daishōnin, from among the many disciples around him, he chose the one Nikkō Shōnin. He defined "the order of vital transmission: Nichiren - Nikkō" and entrusted him with the substance of the Dharma, of his inner awakening. Through this vital transmission, Nikkō, "great guide of the propagation of the original doctrine" became the successor of Nichiren Daishōnin, "great guide of the fifth period of five hundred years".

Subsequently, Nichimoku Shōnin took over from Nikkō Shōnin. Then came Nichidō Shōnin and all the other successive masters, who transmitted the quintessence of Nichiren Daishōnin's Dharma of inner awakening from master to disciple, according to the criterion of transmission to the single person, in keeping with the spirit conveyed by the expression "Order of transmission: "Nichiren - Nikkō". Each of them, in their own time, governed the School in continuity with the spirit of Nichiren Daishōnin.

The Transmission of the Seven Points of the Gohonzon, a secret and profound transmission document, refers in this regard:

"Successive Masters will all be Nichiren".

Thus, the substance of the Dharma, Nichiren Daishōnin's inner awakening, was inherited by each successor, according to the principle of transmission to the single person. This transmission has taken place to this day at the main temple of the Nichiren Shōshū, the Fuji Taisekiji.

Nichiren Daishōnin materialized the Dharma substance of his inner awakening to be the object of worship, in the form of the Gohonzon.

From then on, the substance of the Dharma and the Gohonzon are in a relationship of non-duality. So, in the transmission of Dharma substance, the Dai Gohonzon of the Grand Sanctuary (Kaidan), the origin of all Gohonzon, is part of the transmission. Moreover, the High Priest, the recipient of the transmission, is the only one authorized to transcribe the Gohonzon. This particular transmission is called "transmission to the single person" or "transmission of the substance of the Dharma".

As for "general transmission", this takes place through faith.

As for Nichiren Daishōnin's transmission of the substance of the Dharma, since this is transmitted to the single person, other people cannot know its content. However, Nichiren Daishōnin wrote:

"If the heart of faith is completed, the water of the wisdom of the great equal awakening will not dry up".

Or again:

"Whatever the cost, now take faith and become, as a practitioner of the Lotus Sutra, a disciple of Nichiren. If you have the same spirit as Nichiren, wouldn't you be a bodhisattva sprung from the earth"?

He also writes:

"Can he who does not know the meaning possess the works and virtues inherent in understanding the meaning? ... For the beginner, even if he doesn't know the spirit, the fact of practising it is equivalent, in a natural way, to penetrating its heart".

Those who position themselves in the master-disciple relationship with Nichiren Daishōnin, who have faith in the Gohonzon and strive in the practice of reciting the Daimoku, are all part of the stream of bodhisattvas sprung from the earth. They can then benefit from the works and virtues of the Dharma substance (the Buddha's life), thanks to the principle that "faith replaces wisdom".

This is the "general vital transmission" shared by all practitioners. Beings of the End of the Dharma following Nichiren Daishōnin, the great guide of this period, in the relationship of master to disciple and having faith in him, can benefit from this vital transmission.

However, after the Founder's extinction, it was Nikkō Shōnin, recipient of the unique transmission of the substance of the Dharma, who was considered the great guide. It is by considering him from the angle of the master-disciple relationship that practitioners too can receive the transmission from the substance of the Dharma. After Nikkō Shōnin, it was Nichimoku Shōnin, then Nichidō Shōnin and, subsequently, every High Priest of the time, who were the intermediaries enabling practitioners to receive this transmission of the substance of the Dharma.

As this vital transmission can only take place through faith, it is called "vital transmission through faith".

This vital transmission, a tradition of our school, has always bothered the Dharma's offenders, who have always denied it. They insist on vital transmission by faith, a general transmission, disregarding transmission to the single person, a particular transmission.

However, transmission by faith takes place solely on the basis of the particular transmission to the single person. Consequently, the relationship between particular transmission and general transmission is similar, in the case of the blood vessels of the human body, to the relationship between the aorta and the capillary vessels. In the case of rivers, it is similar to the relationship between the main current and the tributaries. The order of things is solemnly established in nature.

The same is true of the Buddha's Dharma. This is why, once again, Nichiren Daishōnin writes in the Gosho:

"If one strays even a little from the two meanings of the general and the particular, it is useless to think of becoming Buddha. For that is the origin of the cycle of life and death".

Let's now take a closer look at the vital transmission of the Dharma to the single person, to the best of our knowledge and belief.

This transmission is of the utmost importance within the Nichiren Shōshū, for it constitutes, alongside the Dai Gohonzon of the Great Sanctuary, the fundamental foundation of the School since its origins. However, there are few texts dealing specifically with this issue. Due to its nature of transmission to a single person, it remains an extremely complex notion to grasp, both for monks in general, with the exception of the High Priest, and for lay believers.

No one has the means to know the precise content of this transmission, or even when it takes place. In reality, it has no predetermined form. In the transmission scripture from Mount Minobu, which relates the transmission between Nichiren Daishōnin and Nikkō Shōnin, Nichiren Daishōnin mentions that he transmits the essence of his teaching to Byakuren Ajari Nikkō. However, this does not mean that this letter contains the entire content of the transmission. The relationship that lasted for many years between Nichiren Daishōnin and Nikkō Shōnin was a master-disciple relationship. Indeed, for many years, Nikkō Shōnin served Nichiren Daishōnin. Consequently, it's only natural to think that the transmission between Nichiren Daishōnin and Nikkō Shōnin took place in daily practice and training, throughout those years.

At a conference held on August 28, 1992 in the Taisekiji Kyakuden, on the occasion of the 41st study seminar for master teachers, the 67th High Priest Nikken Shōnin used the expression "golden leaves". In fact, this was the first time monks had heard the expression "golden leaf transmission". As a result, this transmission of the golden leaves remains exclusively known to successive High Priests, with other monks having no way of knowing its contents.

Nikken Shōnin began by explaining the nature of the transmission. In this transmission, there are two aspects, two facets: the giver and the receiver. The 56th High Priest, Nichiō Shōnin, addressed the question of transmission in his work entitled "Distinction between Illusion and Observation of the Mind". He wrote this treatise in response to attacks aimed at denying the existence of vital transmission to the single person in the Nichiren Shōshū. The High Priests have always taken up the pen to refute the erroneous assertions of other schools concerning transmission, writing texts to that effect.

In the Nichiō Shōnin treatise, it is mentioned:

"In vital transmission to the single person, there is specific transmission and general transmission. The specific transmission concerns the body of the Dharma, i.e. the Dai Gohonzon, while the general transmission concerns the doctrine. However, the one who receives the specific transmission of the Dharma body is the Master who guides beings. As for the general transmission, which is that of doctrine, all believers receive it individually."

Thus, only one person can receive the transmission of the Dharma body: the High Priest.

Nichiō Shōnin also adds:

"By inheriting the vital transmission of the body of the Dharma to the single person, from Nichiren Daishōnin and Nikkō Shōnin until the fiftieth and a few successors, the Taisekiji has preserved the object of faith that is the body of the Dharma without the slightest heir raising the slightest deviation."

The specific transmission is mentioned in the following sentence:

"The body of the Dharma, which is the object of specific transmission, is the Dai Gohonzon of the great Sanctuary of the original doctrine, carefully preserved in our temple."

He goes on to state:

"In addition to the reception of the Dharma body, there is a transmission of the golden words to the single person. Whoever has not received the transmission of the golden words from the direct successor cannot under any circumstances inscribe Gohonzon."

The transmission of the golden words is an oral transmission. Within the Nichiren Shōshū, this transmission of the golden words encompasses all aspects of transmission. Within this oral transmission, there is the transmission of the golden leaves, which represents the transmission of documents.

We know the transmissions known as the "Mount Minobu Transmission" and the "Ikegami Transmission", which are the two texts dealing with the transmission between Nichiren Daishōnin and Nikkō Shōnin. Then there is a Nikkō Shōnin text, which is the transmission from Nikkō Shōnin to Nichimoku Shōnin. There is also a twelve-point text from Nichimoku Shōnin concerning transmission to Nichidō Shōnin. We can read these texts because they exist. In the Oral Transmission of the Doctrine (Ongi Kuden), we can read that this oral transmission includes the transmission of the golden leaves.

The golden words also contain the important points that are transmitted through the golden leaves. The golden leaves lie within the transmission of the golden words. In other words, the essential points are naturally transmitted in this way. This explains the diversity of the golden leaves in the Nichiren Shōshū.

The content of the Golden Words transmission exists thanks to the Buddha's profound wisdom, which manifests itself through documents known as Golden Leaves. Thus, what the Buddha teaches constitutes the transmission of the golden words. This profound wisdom is recorded in documents known as the golden leaves.

In reality, in the Nichiren Shōshū, it is the transmission of the golden words that encompasses the entire transmission. Thus, the transmission of the golden words is fundamentally realized between the one who transmits it and the one who receives it.

To understand the nature of this transmission, we can draw a parallel with the Gojukai ceremony, the delivery of the precept. At Gojukai, there's the one who transmits the precept and the one who receives it. It is this interaction between the two that constitutes Gojukai. The transmission of golden words works in a similar way: there is a transmitter and a receiver of the words. Without one, the other cannot exist.

The difference between Gojukai and vital transmission lies in the fact that, for Gojukai, there is only one defined form. It is not possible to envisage any other. Vital transmission, on the other hand, can take many forms. That's the big difference. For example, sometimes young Shōnin are designated to receive the transmission. They are then educated and protected accordingly for many years, until it is deemed that they are ready to receive it.

Be that as it may, for over seven centuries within the Nichiren Shōshū, the body of the Dharma, i.e. the Dai Gohonzon of the Great Sanctuary, has been correctly transmitted right up to the present day. And we can have faith in the continuity of the transmission of Nichiren Daishōnin's words to the infinite future. The essential thing is to believe and understand that the wisdom of Nichiren Daishōnin Buddha is permanent and eternal.

Before concluding this chapter, it seems appropriate to answer some questions that have already been asked.

Question: Are we to understand that vital transmission is a continuous process, or does it occur at a given moment?

Answer: There's no way of knowing. If we take the example of Nichiren Daishōnin and Nikkō Shōnin, perhaps Nichiren Daishōnin told Nikkō Shōnin at some point that he would be his successor; or perhaps the transmission took place during all those years Nikkō Shōnin served Nichiren Daishōnin. Either way, there's always the principle of the person who transmits to the person who receives.

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Question: What about the High Priest's designation of the person to whom he transmits?

Answer: That's a very complicated question. Perhaps, if one has property to bequeath and many children, one makes a will. But this is not the way to transmit. Transmission is certainly not something mystical. If you look at it from that point of view, you're wrong. Before Nichiren Daishōnin, there was Tendai in China and Dengyō in Japan. For all of them, transmission was from master to disciple. In Tibetan Buddhism, too, transmission is from master to disciple. In the Lotus Sutra, the fundamental form is the transmission between Shakyamuni and his disciple Pratique-Supérieure. Transmission from master to disciple has always been present in Buddhism.

That's why, in the Nichiren Shōshū, both this vital transmission and the Dai Gohonzon are the two most important things. If it weren't so, Nikkō Shōnin would have done the same thing as the elder monks: the doctrine would have been lost. And the Gohonzon would have been lost.

In a certain organization, we say that if you have the Gosho and the Gohonzon, that's enough to have the transmission. The Gosho is part of the transmission of the doctrine. Anyone can access it. As for the Gohonzon, it's a transmission to a single person. It's the transmission of the Dharma body. If we think that having the Gohonzon is enough and we don't need the person who received the vital transmission, we're not connected to the Dai Gohonzon. Our Gohonzon is merely a reproduction of the Dai Gohonzon. The Dai Gohonzon is the object of transmission to the single person. If we deny the person who received the Dai Gohonzon, we cut ourselves off from the Dai Gohonzon.

* * *

Question: did Nichiren Daishōnin inscribe a Gohonzon addressed nominally to Nikkō Shōnin? Do High Priests inscribe a Gohonzon to designate their successor?

Answer: The answer to both questions is no. The Gohonzon that Nikkō Shōnin dedicated to Nichimoku Shōnin -which you may have seen in the Kyakuden- cannot be said to constitute the entire transmission. When Nikkō Shōnin transmitted this Gohonzon to him, Nichimoku Shōnin did not become High Priest. The entire transmission is the transmission of the golden words.

* * *

Question: Does the transmission take place when the High Patriarchs inscribe Gohonzon?

Answer: The Gohonzon is simply a reproduction of the Dai Gohonzon. Some High Priests have inscribed many Gohonzon. There are others who have not. It's the High Priest who decides whether or not to inscribe, depending on the conditions at the time. A High Priest has the power to inscribe the Gohonzon. But the conditions of the time are decisive. The High Priest is the judge. He alone can decide whether it's time to inscribe.

* * *

Question: Between whom can we speak of a master-disciple relationship?

Answer: In the Nichiren Shōshū, there is a master-disciple relationship from High Priest to High Priest. It also exists between the High Priest and the monks.

Since Nichiren Daishōnin, the word disciple has been used only for religious. Lay people, on the other hand, are benefactors.

Thus, vital transmission is the guarantee of the authenticity of the Nichiren Shōshū with regard to the teachings of Nichiren Daishōnin. In the next chapter, we'll look at the true doctrine of Nichiren Daishōnin itself, which alone, the Nichiren Shōshū teaches and transmits.