Editing SG33SHS-T (section)

== Foreword ==

I was born into a Shin 真 [True Pure Land] sect family and was raised in an atmosphere of fervent ''nenbutsu'' 念仏 prayer. In the autumn of my twenty-first year, I fell gravely ill and was forced to drop out of school, teetering on the brink of death until the age of thirty. At that time, through some fateful circumstances, I seized upon the doctrine of Nichirenism and experienced a revival of health. Nichirenism was indeed for me the ultimate truth! With that conviction, for the past two two decades, I have completely devoted myself to the study and propagation of Nichirenism, often forsaking sleep and meals.

However, as a result of my efforts to sincerely embody the Buddhist spirit in which I now believed, albeit weakly, I found myself unable to restrain a fatal doubt against all established Buddhism, and I could not help but engage in thorough opposition [against institutional Buddhism].

For contemporary society, the conflicting denominations of sectarian Buddhism are no longer beneficial but rather harmful. Ideological evangelism of that sort is detestable opium for the contemporary mass movement.

In the spring of 1931, I embarked on a comprehensive assessment of Nichirenism, staking my entire life on it. Simultaneously, I began advocating for the dissolution and unification of all sectarian Buddhist denominations under the single name of the Buddha of Revitalized Buddhism while promoting a movement for the socioeconomic transformation of capitalism through collective efforts. It is important to note that there are those within the bourgeois class who merely toy with Buddhism, as well as monks and Buddhist scholars who make a living by peddling its teachings. However, if you genuinely grasp and practice the true spirit of Buddhism—the spirit of selflessness—in a timely manner, I firmly believe that you will come to share the same doubts and righteous indignation that I do.

Kōbō 弘法, Hōnen 法然, Shinran 親鸞, Dōgen 道元, Nichiren 日蓮,<ref>Kōbō Daishi 弘法大師 (a.k.a. Kūkai 空海, 774–836), Hōnen (1133–1212), Shinran (1173– 1262), and Dōgen (1200–1253). Nichiren (1222–1282) was the last of the major Kamakura 鎌倉 period (1185–1333) Buddhist founders and established the eponymous Nichiren (a.k.a. Hokke 法華, or Lotus) sect, dedicated to the 1st–2nd c. Mahayana Buddhist text known as the''Lotus Sutra'' (Skt.''Saddharma Pu''''̱ͫ''''arīka Sūtra''). Though Seno’o was raised in a Shin Buddhist household, an encounter at a young age with a local tofu maker led him to become a devotee of Nichiren’s teachings—an attachment he would eventually modify but never completely sever.</ref> and the like are all exceptional pioneers who embarked on the path to buddhahood. Therefore, it is essential to show reverence and respect to them. However, to ignore the objective circumstances of our advanced modern society and to accept their teachings and rituals without question is, in fact, to tragically hinder the very practice of those predecessors who fervently dedicated themselves to the Buddha. In doing so, we are alienating [these figures and their practices] from the modern masses.

Awaken, comrades! Do not hesitate to bravely carry the torch passed on by our dead pioneers! Comrades should not cling to even the slightest bit of doubt about trusting the sect founders; our only attitude should be to “seek awakening above; benefit sentient beings below!”<ref>''Jōgu bodai ge ke shujō'' 上求菩提下化衆生. According to the ''Digital Dictionary of Buddhism'' (https://tinyurl.com/3kcp223m): “‘Seeking what is above’ is one’s own quest for enlightenment, and ‘saving those that are below’ refers to the bodhisattva’s altruistic activity in seeking to save others”; see, for example, ''Mohe zhiguan'' 摩訶止觀 (Great Concentration and Insight) by Zhiyi 智顗 (538–597); T no. 1911, 36: 4a10; 6a18–6b08.</ref> The times are changing! Only the brave who move forward, stepping over the corpses, are true comrades following the founders; and the founders themselves are living bodhisattvas who participate in the grand mission of building the buddha land, our ultimate ideal.

This essay, born out of such convictions, is a compilation of the reevaluation of traditional Buddhism that we attempted last year in our magazine, ''Revitalized Buddhism''. It is aimed at reaching the masses of today and serves as a prelude to the reform of Buddhism and a physical assault on the fortress of established doctrines.

My only hope is that through the outstanding practice and understanding of comrades who fight alongside me, any immaturity and errors [found in this essay] will be rectified. It is my ultimate aspiration to truly contribute to the liberation of the masses.

''January 31, 1933''

''In a corner of Zōshigaya 雑司ヶ谷 [Tokyo, Japan]''

''The author [Seno’o Girō]''