The Rissho Ankoku Ron (Treatise on Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land) is one of Nichiren Daishonin's most important writings. Composed in 1260, it calls for the correct Buddhist teaching to be established as a way to secure the peace and happiness of the nation and its people.
Nichiren wrote the Rissho Ankoku Ron during a period of social and political turmoil in Japan. He argued that disasters, unrest, and moral decline stemmed from the neglect of the correct teaching, and he urged rulers to adopt the Lotus Sutra as the nation's guiding principle.
The treatise presents the view that personal and national well-being depend on the correct Buddhist practice. Nichiren recommended chanting the title of the Lotus Sutra, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, and warned that those who abandon the correct teaching invite suffering.
For practitioners, the Rissho Ankoku Ron underscores the relationship between inner faith and social harmony. It remains a foundational text for understanding Nichiren's emphasis on the Lotus Sutra and the role of lay practice in seeking kosen-rufu.
Further reading: "The Underlying Cause of Calamities" — NST article, NST resources, and translations available via academic libraries.
