CREATOR

Rev. Shokai Kanai

Sakyamuni Buddha did not talk about a creator of the universe. He has said that all things appear and disappear by reasons of an endless series of causes and conditions. Therefore, birth and death are not God's will but are caused by conditions.

If Buddhism denies the creator, why did Nichiren Daishonin write about Dai Bonten and Tensho Daijin on his Mandala Gohonzon?

Dai Bonten (Brahmadeva in Sanskrit) is a god who is the creator of the universe in Brahmanism, an ancient Hindu religion. Dai Bonten or Brahman Heavenly-King who was the lord of the Saha World (the earth) was present at the assembly in Chapter one of the Lotus Sutra together with the other gods, human beings, and non-human beings. Nichiren accepted Brahman Heavenly-King and Taishaku-ten as representatives of the Hindu Gods. Taishaku-ten is a god who watches over moral behavior of human beings.

Tensho Daijin (Amaterasu Omikami) is said to be a goddess and a daughter of Izanagi and Izanami who created Japan. She is treated as the original ancestor of Japanese emperors. According to Nihon Shoki and Kojiki, Japanese epics, Izanagi and Izanami have created the islands of Japan by dipping a jeweled spear into the sea as they stood on the Floating Bridge of Heaven. Nichiren adored Tensho Daijin together with Hachiman Daibosatsu, the Great Bodhisattva Hachiman. Commonly known, he is the god of war and a guardian of samurai warriors. Nichiren considered Tensho Daijin and Hachiman Daibosatsu as the protectors of practitioners of the Lotus Sutra.

At the time of the Kamakura Era, Christianity had not yet been introduced to Japan. I personally think that if Nichiren Daishonin knew of Christianity he might have added Jesus Christ or the Christian God to the Mandala Gohonzon.

Thus, Nichiren Daishonin accepted gods in other religions as protectors of the Lotus Sutra even though the gods are creators. It is because Chapter 14 of the Lotus Sutra says:

"The gods in the sky will always serve him (a preacher of the Lotus Sutra) in order to hear the Dharma from him. The gods will protect him day and night for the sake of the Dharma so that the hearer may rejoice because this sutra was, is, and will be protected by the supernatural powers of the past, present and Future Buddha."

The Lotus Sutra is the treasury of the hidden core of the Buddhas, gods and Creators.