Who’s Your Superior Practices
Anniversary of Matsubagayatsu Persecution – 1260
On August 27, 1260 while Nichiren was living in Kamakura he suffered at the hands of an angry mob of Pure Land believers, which had been incited to attack Nichiren. Prior to their arrival at his residence in Matsubagayatsu he was alerted to their approach and escaped physical harm, though his residence was burned.
There is a myth surrounding this regarding a white monkey. In some versions a white monkey appeared to him in a dream and warned him to flee. In another version an actual monkey physically appeared and lead him up the side of one of the mountains near Matsubagayatsu.
I have had occasion to talk to some individuals who wish to practice the Lotus Sutra but without Nichiren, and not following Nichiren’s writings. There haven’t been many, just a few. Thinking about that as well as further study of the Lotus Sutra I am left with the thought, if not Nichiren then who would be the fulfillment of the Leader of the Bodhisattvas from beneath the ground; who would be Superior Practices.
It seems to me that in order to practice as a Bodhisattva from under ground we need a couple of things at a minimum. One of the things is to be practicing in the correct age. The bodhisattvas from under ground promised to practice and appear in the later age. We are in that age so we could be those bodhisattvas.
Another thing at a minimum is we need to be actively engaged in propagation or the spread of the Lotus Sutra. So if we are actively practicing to transmit or spread the Lotus Sutra then we could be those bodhisattvas.
A third thing that seems to be important is to Bodhisattva Superior Practices. It is Bodhisattva Superior Practices who appears as and speaks for all of the Bodhisattvas from beneath the ground.
In our case as disciples of Nichiren we believe that Nichiren fulfilled the function of Bodhisattva Superior Practices. But if you didn’t want to believe that you would still need to identify who fulfills the function.
