Activities

Announcement

February 16, 2023

Writings of Nichiren Shonin Volume 7 Second Edition

As part of the Nichiren Overseas Propagation and Promotion Association (NOPPA) project to revise the Writings of Nichiren Shonin (WONS), Volume 7 is now available on Amazon. This is the first time this volume has been widely available.

This is the second of the two “Followers” volumes and contains 86 writings which present a vivid picture of life at Mt. Minobu during the last years of Nichiren’s life. We who visit Mt. Minobu today are used to arriving in comfort, seated in cars and buses, staying in welcoming accommodations with delicious food and drink, and visiting beautiful temples and shrines to pay our respects to the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha and Nichiren Shonin. In the days Nichiren lived there, the journey to Mt. Minobu was difficult. In good weather roads were steep, narrow and filled with hazards. In winter they were even worse.

It was impossible for the community gathered around Nichiren to support itself, so they were entirely dependent on donations brought to Mt. Minobu. While Nichiren was always grateful for any donations he received, his thank-you letters describe how tenuous their survival was in that harsh environment. Had it not been for those who supported Nichiren’s life on Minobu we would not have our practice of the Wonderful Dharma today.

by Shinkyo Warner