Mr. Altig’s Overview of the Wonderful Dharma of the Lotus Sutra

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This briefing document analyzes the concept of “slander of the True Dharma” (hōbō) as a cornerstone of Nichiren’s teachings, drawing on the provided source material. It explores the multifaceted nature of slander, its historical and doctrinal context, karmic consequences, the paradox of compassionate condemnation, and its modern interpretations.

Executive Summary

The doctrine of hōbō is central to Nichiren’s thought, extending beyond simple criticism to encompass a broad range of actions and internal states that reject the Lotus Sutra. Nichiren, believing the Lotus Sutra to be the sole “soteriologically efficacious” teaching in the Latter Day of the Law (mappō), viewed the denunciation of hōbō as his lifelong mission, an act of profound compassion despite leading to severe persecution. Slander manifests in overt rejections, subtle internal failings (categorized in the “Fourteen Slanders,” rooted in a “lack of faith”), and even interpersonal animosity among practitioners. The karmic retribution for hōbō is severe, culminating in rebirth in Avīci Hell, though Nichiren reframed his own suffering as expiation for past slander. The seemingly harsh doctrine is reconciled with compassion through the example of Bodhisattva Never Disparaging, illustrating that denunciation, however stern, aims to “plant the seed” of the Mystic Law for ultimate salvation. Modern interpretations have shifted the focus from inter-denominational critique to fostering interpersonal harmony and addressing internal faith, distinguishing intentional slander from involuntary thoughts.

1. The Centrality of Hōbō in Nichiren’s Lifelong Vocation

Nichiren (1222–1282) dedicated his life to propagating the Lotus Sutra, which he considered the ultimate teaching for the “degenerate Final Dharma age” or “Latter Day of the Law” (mappō). In this era, he believed people had an “inferior capacity” for understanding profound Buddhist principles, leading them to “simpler, provisional teachings.” His mission was fundamentally intertwined with the “denunciation of what he termed hōbō or ‘slander of the True Dharma’.”

• Defining Mission: Nichiren’s opposition to slander was not merely academic but a “central, defining aspect of his personal and spiritual vow.” He felt compelled to speak out, believing silence would be a “dereliction of his duty” and lead to the “hell of incessant suffering” in his next life.
• Persecution and Validation: This “uncompromising stance” led to intense persecution, including attacks, arrests, exile, and near execution. Nichiren, however, viewed these persecutions as “a direct fulfillment of predictions made in the Lotus Sutra,” thereby establishing the legitimacy of his mission and reframing suffering as a form of Buddhist practice.
• Hōbō as a Practice: He considered opposing slander “a form of Buddhist practice in its own right, a debt owed to the Buddha that he was prepared to discharge even at the cost of his own life.” This made hōbō the “central polemical and doctrinal axis of his entire body of work.”

2. Foundational Doctrine: Defining Slander of the Dharma

While the concept of “slander of the Dharma” existed in earlier Mahayana sutras as disparagement of the Three Jewels (Buddha, teaching, order), Nichiren “expanded it into a central, exclusive doctrine” specifically for the Latter Day of the Law.

• Exclusivity of the Lotus Sutra: Nichiren argued that in mappō, the Lotus Sutra was the “single ‘correct teaching’.” Therefore, “to reject the Lotus Sutra in favor of what he considered ‘inferior’ or ‘provisional’ teachings, such as those of the Pure Land, Zen, or Shingon schools, was an act of slander.”
• Critique of Other Schools: A prime example was his “harsh critique of Hōnen’s exclusive nenbutsu doctrine,” which he saw as “a primary source of slander for urging people to abandon all other practices and sutras.” This led to the “four admonitions” condemning popular schools of his time.
• Expansion Beyond Verbal Attacks: Crucially, Nichiren expanded hōbō beyond “simple verbal attacks.” Slander could be “a mental act of rejection or disbelief, even if done ‘in jest’ or with no serious intent.” This meant that “a lack of seeking spirit, an attachment to earthly desires, or the mere presence of doubt” could constitute slander.
• Root Cause: Lack of Faith: The “fundamental offense was a lack of faith that, according to the sutra, ‘cuts off the seeds of Buddhahood’ in all worlds.” This reformulation provided a “hermeneutical framework” to explain national calamities and legitimize his mission.

3. Taxonomy of Slander: From Overt Rejection to Internal Transgression

Nichiren categorized slander into diverse forms, ranging from explicit actions to subtle psychological states.

• Overt and Interpersonal Slander:
• Explicitly “speaking ill of the Lotus Sutra itself” or “disparaging those who practice it.”
• Manifesting an “outward appearance of animosity.”
• The “rejection of the Mystic Law inherent in one’s own life, or in the lives of others,” leading to “degradation of human life itself.”
• For followers, bearing “ill feelings, contempt, or hatred toward fellow believers” is considered slandering a Buddha.
• The Fourteen Slanders: This detailed list warns both priesthood and laity to “be on guard against” various “evil causes,” which are both external acts and “internal dispositions”:

1. Arrogance: Excessive self-confidence, making light of Buddhism.
2. Negligence: Laziness in Buddhist practice.
3. Arbitrary, egotistical judgment: Distorting teachings based on personal views.
4. Shallow, self-satisfied understanding: Superficial judgments of principles.
5. Attachment to earthly desires: Using Buddhism for gain, no yearning due to worldly desires.
6. Lack of seeking spirit: Not seeking deep doctrines.
7. Not believing: Disbelief or unwillingness to have faith in correct Buddhism.
8. Aversion: Repugnance towards Buddhism or insulting practitioners.
9. Deluded doubt: Doubts and delusions about Buddhism.
10. Vilification: Criticizing and reviling Buddhism/followers.
11. Contempt/Despising: Contempt for Buddhism or its practitioners.
12. Hatred: Detesting and opposing Buddhism or hating its followers.
13. Jealousy/Envying: Jealousy of prosperity from correct Buddhism/practitioners.
14. Grudges/Resentment: Resenting Buddhism or bearing grudges against followers.

• Root of the Fourteen Slanders: Nichiren emphasizes that these slanders “fundamentally ‘represent the embodiment of a lack of faith,’ with all other forms arising from the central slander of ‘not believing’.” This transforms the doctrine into a “psycho-spiritual framework” for understanding the “internal state of a practitioner.”

4. Karmic Retribution: Consequences of Slander

The consequences of hōbō are depicted as “spiritually and temporally severe.”

• Ultimate Consequence: The gravest offense leads to rebirth in the “hell of incessant suffering” (Avīci Hell), where an offender “shall enter the Avīci Hell, where they shall fulfill one kalpa” and be “reborn there, in this way, spinning around, for kalpas without number.”
• Physical and Social Degradation: Canonical descriptions also include “physical and social degradation in future lives,” such as being born as “wild dogs, scabrous and emaciated, or as monstrous snakes,” or experiencing “poverty, low status, [and] white leprosy” in the human realm for lesser offenses.
• Nichiren’s Personal Interpretation of Suffering: During his Sado exile, Nichiren concluded that his own intense suffering was not a failure of faith but “retribution for having committed the sin of slander in a previous lifetime.” He believed that by opposing slander in his current life, he was “calling forth retributions for the grave offenses of my past,’ allowing them to be expiated in a single lifetime instead of over countless eons.” This reframed his persecutions as a “complex, personal, and ultimately redemptive process,” confirming the law of cause and effect.

5. The Paradox of Compassion: Opposing Slander as an Act of Mercy

Despite the stern warnings and denunciations, Nichiren’s project was rooted in “a profound sense of compassion.”

• Compassionate Vow: Nichiren faced an “internal conflict: remain silent and be lacking in compassion, or speak out and face persecution for a doctrine that saves all people.” His choice to speak out, even with “harsh denunciations,” was an “act of mercy” to save the nation and its people from hell.
• Bodhisattva Never Disparaging: This paradox is “powerfully illustrated by the story of Bodhisattva Never Disparaging from the Lotus Sutra,” whom Nichiren called “the heart of the Lotus Sutra.” This bodhisattva “respectfully bowed to everyone, declaring their innate Buddha nature,” even when met with abuse. Although attackers suffered in Avīci Hell, they “were eventually able to attain Buddhahood” because the bodhisattva’s actions “had planted a ‘seed’ of the Mystic Law in their lives.”
• Denunciation as Mercy: This story reconciles the apparent contradiction: Nichiren’s “polemical criticisms and descriptions of hell are not an end in themselves but a means to a greater purpose.” The goal is “not to condemn people but to shock them into recognizing their error, thereby planting the seed of the Mystic Law in their lives.” The temporary suffering is a “necessary consequence that ultimately leads to long-term salvation,” reframing denunciation as a “practice of profound, if stern, compassion.”

6. Modern Interpretations and Practical Application

The doctrine of hōbō has been reinterpreted for contemporary contexts, demonstrating its “enduring relevance.”

• Shift to Interpersonal Ethics: In modern lay organizations, the focus has shifted from “macro-level, denominational critiques to micro-level, interpersonal ethics.” The “Fourteen Slanders,” particularly “contempt, hatred, jealousy, and grudges,” are now used to foster “a harmonious organization” and “positive relationships among members.”
• Root of Interpersonal Conflict: This shift identifies the root cause of interpersonal conflicts as a “lack of faith that causes an individual to view others from a ‘relative perspective’ of worldly status and power, rather than respecting each person as an emissary of the Buddha.” This repurposes the doctrine for “internal growth and communal harmony.”
• Distinguishing Intentional Slander: Modern discussions differentiate between “intentional slander and involuntary psychological states,” such as “OCD-produced thoughts.” The advice emphasizes that “unintentional thoughts are not slander and that the true issue lies in one’s conscious intent and fundamental lack of faith.” This adds “a crucial layer of nuance,” adapting ancient doctrines to contemporary mental health concerns while maintaining the core principle that slander originates from a “deliberate lack of faith and a rejection of the Mystic Law.”

Conclusion

The provided research accurately defines “slander of the True Dharma” as a rejection of the Lotus Sutra and its practitioners, outlining its various forms (including the Fourteen Slanders) and severe karmic consequences. An expert understanding, however, reveals hōbō as the central, defining element of Nichiren’s mission, driven by profound compassion to save people in mappō. This paradox is reconciled by the Bodhisattva Never Disparaging narrative, where even harsh denunciations serve as merciful acts to “plant the seed” of enlightenment. Modern applications further demonstrate the doctrine’s adaptability, evolving from polemical critique to a framework for fostering personal faith and harmonious interpersonal relationships, providing a robust and nuanced lens for ongoing study.