The Significance of Founding Agon Shu
The Agon Sutras, more than any other sutras, have been mistreated during the long history of Buddhism.
The Mahayana Sutras, such as the Mahayana Prajna, the Lotus Sutra, the Avatamsaka Sutra, and the Sukhavati Sutra, were greatly valued. Many religious sects were based and founded on these sutras and have controlled the Buddhist religion in Japan as the traditional religious community. The Agon Sutras, on the other hand, were considered as the sutras that preached the least valuable teachings. Under the name of Hinayana Buddhism, Agon Sutras has been ignored by everyone.
This was due to the Chihi of Tientai Sect in China’s dissertation of “The Five Periods in the Buddha’s Teaching and Classification of the Various Tenets of Buddhism,” and other wrong comments. However, in recent years, due to the advancement of Buddhism studies, it has been confirmed that these dissertation and comments are totally incorrect. Particularly, due to the advancement of language, research on sutras was done in Sanskrit, Pali and Maghada. As a result of this, it became clear that the Agon Sutras was the true sutras of Shakyamuni Buddha’s teachings and the so-called Mahayana Sutras were created or falsely written several hundred years after the death of Shakyamuni Buddha.
Unfortunately, this only applied to the academic world, and sadly the incorrectness continues to stay in the religious world. Old Buddhist orders founded on the basis of Mahayana Sutras continue to ignore Agon Sutras under the name of tradition, and Mahayana Sutras have been reigning as the teachings of the Buddha among the people.
It was a matter of time that this error of false preaching to the people had to be corrected.
We believe that the significance of Kiriyama Kancho correcting this error in history and founding Agon Shu to preach the true teachings of the Buddha to the world is great.
His efforts in introducing the Seven Systems and Thirty-Seven Practices in Agon Sutras for Jobutsu-ho or attaining Buddhahood to the world, which no one paid attention to in the past, is particularly notable.
Kiriyama Kancho wrote in his book that,
“I am not saying that you should value Agon Sutras simply because they are the only sutras Shakyamuni Buddha preached. I am saying that you should value them because only the Agon Sutras teaches the value of Jobutsu-ho or the dharma of attaining Buddhahood. Buddhism is an abbreviation of the name Jobutsu-kyo, which is the religion that teaches Jobutsu or attaining Buddhahood. Therefore, any Buddhism not teaching the ways for Jobutsu or attaining Buddhahood does not deserve to exist. Only in Agon Sutras the Jobutsu-ho or the dharma of attaining Buddhahood is taught by Shakyamuni Buddha. This is why I say that if you proclaim yourself to be a Buddhist, you must value and respect the Agon Sutras and read them.
Had it not been the Jobutsu-ho of Shichika Sanjushichidohon or the Seven Systems and Thirty Seven Practices in Agon Sutras, I probably would not have paid much attention to the sutras even if they were the direct teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha. On the same token, I do not pay any attention to Mahayana Sutras that do not contain Jobutsu-ho or the dharma of attaining Buddhahood.”
His words anger the traditional Mahayana Buddhism orders that dominate the Buddhist religion in Japan. In fact, the impact of this is strongly felt overly and covertly by Agon Shu.
Kiriyama Kancho wrote that, “There are many lies in this world. At least a person of religion should protect the truths with his life and propagate the truths to the world.” Taking pride in his words, more than 300,000 members today continue to keep their faith in Agon Shu.