What is HBS?


Honmon Butsuryushu means the religious order established by Buddha Shakyamuni. After he had been enlightened of the truth of the universe, Buddha Shakyamuni had preached for 50 years in order to save all living creatures. Those teachings have been organized as huge scriptures (Sutras), by the future generation disciples. Among them, the teachings taught for 8 years are called "the Lotus Sutra".

Tendaidaishi of China had defined that Buddha Shakyamuni's preachings for 42 years were to teach the Lotus Sutra. The teachings of the Lotus Sutra are comprised of 28 chapters. From the 1st chapter until the 14th chapter are called "Shakumon". From the 15th chapter until the 28th chapter are called "Honmon".

In the teachings of the Honmon of Lotus Sutra, Buddha Shakyamuni made it clear that the original appearance was the Eternal Buddha. Buddha had taught the ascetic exercises and teachings that suit us, 2000 years after he entered Nirvana.

HBS is a religious order which has as its foundational scriptures the teachings of the Honmon of the Lotus Sutra and believes and practices ascetic exercises according to the teachings. Therefore, it is called "Honmon Butsuryushu".

As such, HBS believes in the teachings of the Eternal Buddha, who is taught in the Honmon of the Lotus Sutra by Buddha Shakyamuni. It is a living-in-retirement Buddhism which has as its goal the mankind's happiness and world peace by practicing those teachings in our daily lives and receiving Buddha's mercy and wisdom.

The person who first established a religious order by basing on the teachings of the Honmon of the Lotus Sutra is Nitchiren Shounin who was born in February 16th, 1222. After finishing his studies of Buddhism for 20 years, Nichiren Shounin realized that the purpose of Buddha coming to the world was to save all living creatures and that the law for saving the living creatures is to chant the titles(Namumyohorengekyo) of the Lotus Sutra, which is the soul of the Eternal Buddha and the truth of the universal realm of Buddhism. He devoted his life to widening the Lotus Sutra.

Following Nichiren Shounin's teachings, we, at Honmon Butsuryushu, have made the chanting of the titles (Namumyohorengekyo) of the Lotus Sutra a basic, ascetic practice. As a Buddhist merit, we are a religious order that aims at attaining true happiness not only for oneself but together with others.

Presently, there are about 400 HBS temples throughout Japan; 10 in Brazil; 2 in America; 6 in Korea; and 1 in Taiwan, where about 500,000 worshipers can go to pray and listen to sermons based on the teachings of Nichiren Shounin and on the Lotus Sutra.

We hope that you can experience true happiness through HBS's faith.


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