Question: There is a Buddhist term called Kaidan, or precepts platform. How does Nichiren Buddhism understand and use the word "Kaidan?”
Answer: Nichiren offered all of us living in the Latter Age a wonderful encapsulation of the entirety of our lineages teaching and practice of Buddhism called the Three Great Secret Dharmas, Sandai Hiho. He took all of Shakyamuni’s, T’ien-t’ai’s, Dengyo’s teachings and forged them into the adamantine diamond of the Sandai Hiho.
“Secret” not meant as “not known or seen or not meant to be known or seen by others,” but as in esoteric. Meaning these Great Dharmas are beyond knowing through discriminative rational comprehension, in other words they are transcendent, or deeper, understanding of the True Reality of the Universe, Shoho Jisso, or Suchness. One could also say “hidden” as in the meaning is hidden between the lines of the Sutra.
Nichiren’s brilliance and compassion, and why we consider him the incarnation of Bodhisattva Superior Practice, is his offering each of us this great gift; one which is deceptively simple, easily accessible, and yet utterly and magnificently powerful. Which all people regardless of their capacity can practice and actualize our own Buddha Nature in this very moment and lifetime. Anyone can do it, anywhere and anytime. For Free.
From Rev. Michael Ryuei McCormick’s forthcoming book “Nichiren Shu Buddhist Dictionary:”
Three Great Secret Dharmas: (J. sandai-hihō; 三⼤秘法) The three important doctrines Nichiren Shonin established as the basis for practice for the people living in the Latter Age of Degeneration:
Sacred Title of the Original Gate, (homon-no-daimoku)
Focus of Devotion of the Original Gate, (homon-no-gohonzon)
Precept Platform of the Original Gate. (homon-no-kaidan)
Ever since proclaiming the establishment of his own teaching and practice on April 28, 1253, (which is considered the establishment of the Nichiren school) Nichiren Shonin claimed that he was a practitioner of the Lotus Sutra who was tasked with conveying Shakyamuni Buddha’s predictions in the sutra to the people living in the Latter Age of Degeneration. Nichiren Shonin’s narrow escape from death during the Tatsunokuchi Persecution marked the turning point of his religious life. Realizing that he was the appearance of Superior Practice Bodhisattva, Nichiren Shonin taught the Three Great Secret Dharmas as the model for practicing Buddhism in the Latter Age of Degeneration, fulfilling the duty of messenger of the Tathagata.
Let’s look at the various interpretations of the precept platform across all of Buddhism:
Mahayana precept platform: (J. daijō-kaidan; ⼤乗戒壇) The precept platform established at Enryakuji Temple on Mt. Hiei in 827 for the conferral of the perfect and sudden precepts of the Brahma’s Net Sutra.
Precept platform: (J. Kaiden; 戒壇) Originally, an officially sanctioned place for the ceremony of bestowing the precepts, especially the ceremony for bestowing the complete precepts that is the higher ordination for a monk or nun. In Nichiren Shu, the Precept Platform of the Original Gate refers to anywhere that one upholds the Daimoku.
Precept Platform of the Original Gate: (J. homon-no-kaidan; 本⾨の戒壇) Refers to the place where one upholds the Daimoku, even if only for a single moment, and puts it into practice. It is one of the Three Great Secret Dharmas.
According to Nichiren Shonin’s Sandai Hihō Honjō-ji (The Transmission of the Three Great Secret Dharmas), the Precept Platform of the Original Gate should be established at a place resembling the Pure Land of Mount Sacred Eagle with the blessing of an imperial edict and a shogunal directive in a time when the worldly law and the Buddha Dharma are in accord and both the rulers and the people believe in the Three Great Secret Dharmas revealed in the Original Gate of the Lotus Sutra. This precept platform will supersede the Mahayana precept platform at Mt. Hiei that is based on the Trace Gate teachings. The Precept Platform of the Original Gate will be a place where all the people of the world can repent of their transgressions. (WNS2, p. 290)
There is no question Nichiren’s wish, vision and ambition in his lifetime was for a state-sponsored precept platform based on the Daimoku to replace/supersede the Mahayana precept platform on Mt. Hiei. We know that didn’t happen in his lifetime. Nor has it happened down through the years until today. It isn’t even possible in today’s democratic societies whose constitutions would not allow a state-sponsored precept platform due to the separation of government and religion, as in Japan and the USA.
That’s the “history” review… LOL.
Now what does this mean to us today? Here things get a little tricky, and there is a wide range of varying opinions on this. Some of which are very strongly held and defended (I know no surprise right).
Nichiren Shoshu still believes an actual Precept Platform will be built and that of course they will control it.
Soka Gakkai International [SGI] held out for the same until they split with Nichiren Shoshu. SGI actually maintained that the Shohondo which they had built WAS the Precept Platform of the Original Gate. Nichiren Shoshu had it torn down immediately after the split saying the Shohondo had been condemned because of construction defects and had to be demolished.
I have heard some say that such a real geographical place would not be built in Japan, but either in Bodh Gaya India or even in the USA.
For me personally, these debates over a Kaidan being a real place, where it should be built be, who controls it, etc., are not relevant to our world condition today nor useful when trying to help people free themselves from suffering.
So, I find Nichiren Shu's and Nichiren Bay Area’s Shingan-ji Sangha, teaching that the Precept Platform of the Original Gate (homon-no-kaidan) is anywhere that one upholds the Daimoku refreshing.
The Kaidan can either be an actual physical location, such as one’s home altar where their Gohonzon is enshrined. Or a metaphysical transcendent ‘state’ in one’s heart/mind when they “single-mindedly take joy in taking refuge (Namu) in Myoho Renge Kyo which contains all the Buddha’s virtues and merits that are all transferred to us in that moment of joy, acceptance, refuge, etc.
Ultimately when one opens their heart/mind to this transcendent state of total awareness, as Rev. Ryuei describes as being “Fully Liberated and Fully Engaged,” then the entire cosmos becomes the Pure Buddha Land. The entire cosmos is the Precept Platform of the Original Gate. So, the Precept Platform of the Original Gate can be either a real place in this provisional realm, a transcendent state of awareness or the entire cosmos in a single moment.
Namu Myoho Renge Kyo 🙏 Namu Myoho Renge Kyō 🙏 Namu Myoho Renge Kyō 🙏
Ryugan White Lotus Hosshi