Although Nichiren advocated the chanting of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as the mantra which all humans could use to actualize the Buddhist teaching, he did not invent that mantra. It is, as I explained, derived from the Sanskrit Nam prefacing the Lotus Sutra title, Myoho-renge-kyo.

There is evidence that Japanese Buddhist priests prior to Nichiren knew of the mantra's power and may have even chanted it. Additionally, the great Chinese teacher, T'ien-t'ai, who did seminal work on the Lotus Sutra, was also said to have referenced the efficacy of chanting the sutra's title.

For whatever reason, though, these priests preceding Nichiren did not widely spread the mantra. They may have sensed that it was not their job or perhaps that the time was not appropriate. Whatever the reason, Nichiren was the one who both revealed and aggressively propagated the teaching throughout his life and was continually persecuted as a result.  
It was toward the end of his life that Nichiren developed and inscribed the Gohonzon, which he repeatedly referred to as the purpose of his life.

Gohonzon is a Japanese word. Go means true and honzon translates as object of worship or veneration. I hate the word true because it implies that everything else is false. This is the curse of all religions -- as soon as they start claiming exclusivity on the truth, there is a backlash or groundswell of resentment from those, much like myself, who resent being told what is true and what is false.

Let us figure it out for ourselves. Real life is cast in terms of shades of gray, partial truths and partial falsehoods rather than black and white absolutes. A valid (as opposed to true) religion should couch its teachings in terms that take into account the universe and its infinite variety.

So the use of the word true bothers me, and so does the phrase object of worship. Worship immediately calls to mind a transcendent and separate entity. We worship God, we worship spirits and we may even worship saints and sages who have guided us in our spiritual development. It is only natural that, in the act of worshiping, we place something outside of us on a pedestal in order to look up to it.

Even the physical act of worship -- on our knees, eyes looking up to a force far greater than we -- carries with it the implication of inferior to superior, and the hope that prayer will be answered from above.

I asked a dear friend of mine, a tenured professor at one of the top universities in America, if there were any translation for honzon other than object of worship. He could only come up with "object of veneration." Same problem. I feel that the word Gohonzon does not translate adequately.

I hope you can see my dilemma. I'm opting to use the word Gohonzon rather than true object of worship here because, although it may seem alien, it will not naturally carry with it the linguistic baggage attached to the English phrase.

An object of worship flies in the face of Nichiren's admonition that we must never seek any of the Buddhist teachings outside ourselves.

I see nothing wrong with acknowledging that something may be greater than ourselves. To think otherwise would be arrogant and small-spirited. What I take issue with is the tendency to separate that greater thing from us and make it distinct from our own existence.

Yes, the universe can and will go on without us, but the Buddhist teaching exhorts us to fundamentally realize our part in the cosmic scheme of things. We are part of a whole, a whole that may indeed be greater than the sum of its parts. We are the makers of our own destiny, our karma.

So, what exactly is the Gohonzon and why did Nichiren create it? I'm not sure that this question has a precise answer, and much of what comprises religious faith is, to some extent, beyond verbalization. Nevertheless, I will suggest a variety of analogies and mythologies that will try to answer the question.

Nichiren's thirteenth century Japan was no different than any other country in any other age. That is, objects of worship were commonly used in the practice of both native Shinto and Buddhism, just as they were in other Asian, Middle Eastern and Western nations.

The object of worship is ubiquitous to every religion. Whether it's a graven image, an icon, or even an internally imagined conception of what the higher power is -- the object of worship provides a focal point for one's faith. It presumably allows a human being to concentrate his or her spiritual energies through a portal of consciousness whereby connection is made, either real or imagined, with the "greater entity" which provides the basis of religious belief.

If Nichiren's teaching were so great, so revolutionary -- if it truly taught of a power within that could be actualized by an all-encompassing mantra -- then why would an object of worship be required at all?

I believe the answer lies in large part with the concept of oneness of person and environment as expounded by Buddhism.

It is natural for us to view ourselves as sentient entities who spend our lives meandering through an essentially insentient environment. That environment may be filled with other sentient entities such as ourselves -- people, a variety of animals, plants, amoebae, etc.

Nonetheless, Buddhism postulates that the environment ebbs and flows, transforms and molds itself around us in accordance with karmic principles.

This is in contrast to our everyday perception. We feel as though we are essentially moving through static surroundings as we undertake our daily activities. We generally feel in control of where we are going and with whom or what we will be interacting.

But think about it. Try to imagine that you are another person in your environment, someone in the room or building with you, say. Imagine seeing what they are seeing, and experiencing what they are experiencing. You are part of that person's environment and they are part of yours. The two of you are in completely different moods and that in turn may be generating completely different feelings about that which surrounds you.

My point -- and Buddhism's point of view -- is that the environment is individually tailored to each of us, like the finest suit. Our environment, like our life, is not a fixed, static thing. It's in a state of flux. As we change, our environment changes.

Much of that we experience in life comes from the fusion of ourselves with the environment.

We tend to relate our experiences to others by talking of relationships and feelings engendered in our interaction with the world around us. Many of us even seek to enhance that experience of the world by surrounding ourselves with things such as spouses, children, new cars or swimming pools.

As long as we find ourselves living in the phenomenal world, we recognize that an important part of our existence is that which we experience as we interact with our surroundings.

This makes it reasonable for a person who desires the experience of religious faith to seek an object of worship with which to engage.

I remember going to the New York World's Fair in 1960. I was only twelve and already an agnostic, but my Dad wanted to see Michaelangelo's Pieta, on loan from the Vatican, and I reluctantly agreed to wait in the two hour line. It was worth it -- to this day, I recall exactly how I felt as I gazed upon this magnificent work of the Virgin Mary cradling Jesus following the crucifixion. Moved as I was, however, I did not leave the fair wanting to convert to Christianity.

It was not the religious context that I was reacting to so much as it was the actual work of art. I understand now that great artists, such as Michelangelo, literally pour their lives into their art. When this happens -- and it's not that often -- what wells up inside the viewer is a reaction to the artist as well as his creation.

Something similar happens in front of the Gohonzon, I feel.

If I were to command you right now to "be angry" or "feel love," you would be unable to comply. The best actors are paid the big bucks supposedly for their ability to convey emotion out of nowhere, but most of us require a thing outside ourselves to connect to and emote with.

Enlightenment is the same way. If someone ordered you to act enlightened or be holy, the results would probably be rather odd.

Nichiren created the Gohonzon as the environmental object with which we can each individually interact and gain the experience of Buddhahood welling up within.

Nichiren took his time in conceiving his object or worship. He knew that he did not want it to be a graven image of himself or some other Buddha. Such an object, as I alluded to previously, would engender a belief in something both distinct from and possibly superior to the believer.

Additionally, the object of worship should be totally representative of the teaching. Nichiren's teaching was that the invocation of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, in and of itself, would allow humans in any condition of life to elevate that condition and actualize the Buddhist promise of enlightenment in this life.

Granted, the Gohonzon is one of the add-ons I was talking about earlier -- an essential and critical one -- however it should only be added after one has developed some initial faith in the chanting of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. The chant alone will work for quite some time.

In the beginning, the Gohonzon is not required for a couple of reasons. One is the reality of conspicuous benefit (as mentioned in the preceding chapter) which accrues quickly to novice chanters so that they may see the truth of the mantra.

The other reason is that, particularly in the modern day movement of those who practice these Buddhist teachings, it is critical that the mindset of people who receive the Gohonzon be appropriate so they don't mistreat this most respectworthy object of worship.

By respect, I don't mean the kind of respect one might pay to something separate and divine. Rather I'm referring to the kind of respect one might have for a precious work of art -- a work that continually inspires one to become a greater and happier human being.

I'm speaking here from the experience of seeing literally tens of thousands of people who were not ready to receive a Gohonzon, receive it and destroy or discard it. These were people who were introduced to Nichiren Buddhism in the 1960s, 70s and 80s by the NSA/SGI organization in the U.S., which was at the time operating on kind of a quota basis in its proselytizing efforts.

By comparison with what happened in the U.S., political and geographic factors caused new believers in Ghana to have to wait for almost two years before they could receive a Gohonzon. I have not heard of one ever being returned.

Thus my point: if you're going to practice this Buddhism, chant first and get the Gohonzon (if you wish) later.

Remember, Nichiren's Gohonzon did not even exist for the first two decades of his preaching. While exhorting people to chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, he wanted to get this object of worship thing right. Its significance can't be overstated.

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Chapter 1: Looking for a Bridge

Chapter 2: Nichiren and the Lotus Sutra

Chapter 3: Defining Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

Chapter 4: The Benefits of Buddhist Practice

Chapter 5: A Focal Point for One's Faith

Chapter 6: The Gohonzon and Bodhisattva Practice

Chapter 7: A Personal Relationship with the Gohonzon

Chapter 8: Theoretical Underpinnings of the Gohonzon

Chapter 9: Theoretical Underpinnings of the Gohonzon, Part Two