Contents
Upon Publication of Shinyo
At this time, His Holiness the High Priest has granted his permission for the publication of an English language periodical for overseas members of the faith. The publication has been called Shinyo, which means “True Essence.” When we reverently see that our mis-sion to accomplish the propagation of True Buddhism throughout the world is both the will and the great aspi-ration of Nichiren Daishonin, it becomes natural that we members of the priesthood and laity persevere to cor-rectly spread, even if just slightly, the Daishonin’s True Law and True Doctrines to members of the faith in Japan and all countries of the world.
The priesthood was originally faced with a situation in which we ourselves refrained from explaining the doctrines of the sect in all the various foreign languages, or from directly promoting or participating in their propagation, because we entrusted the instruction of the overseas members to the SGL However, it turns out that in actuality, the Soka Gakkai has been carrying out the religious activities of SGI solely for the sake of the Soka Gakkai. Further, it is because today, the true colors of the Soka Gakkai and SGI’s immense slander and treach-erous desire to destroy the priesthood have been revealed that we priests must ourselves become the pillar of the worldwide propagation, strive to spread the teachings, and pioneer a fresh, true great path for worldwide Kosen-rufu in harmonious cooperation with all the sincere members of pure faith around the world. The publica-tion of Shinyo will play a vital role in the accomplish-ment of that mission.
I pray that the readers of Shinyo will not only be able to establish a closer bond with the “True Essence” of the True Doctrines of Nichiren Daishonin and continue to embody the instruction of His Holiness the High Priest in their own lives, but will also be able to fulfill the prac-tice of correct faith in Nichiren Shoshu, receive the great benefits of Myoho-Renge-Kyo and be bathed in the re-sulting joyous delight. With this prayer, I will close my publication message on this 1st day of January, 1993.
Kotoku Obayashi
Overseas Bureau Chief of Nichiren Shoshu
New Year’s Message : 67th High Priest Nikken Shonin
His Holiness the High Priest Nikken Shonin
I wish to offer my heartiest congratulations to all over-seas members of the faith of Nichiren Shoshu around the world at the dawn of another year. I trust that in greeting this brilliant New Year, each of you was able to vibrantly chant Daimoku in reverence for the boundless compassion of the True Buddha of the Sowing, Nichiren Daishonin.
The priesthood is currently pouring forth all of its en-ergy in an effort to continuously plant the seed of Myoho-Renge-Kyo in every corner of the globe, relieve the hearts of great numbers of people and open them to the source of true happiness which derives from contact with the bound-lessly compassionate heart of the True Buddha, the Daisho-nin, so that they may attain a life condition of tranquil free-dom.
It is expounded in the most important of all Buddhist teachings, the Lotus Sutra, that the brilliantly illuminated nature of the Buddha, called Myoho-Renge-Kyo, exists within the innermost depths of all life. But because people become besieged by greed, anger, stupidity, arrogance, and indecisiveness; and further because of attachment to such incomplete or mistaken views as: the existence of a perma-nent ‘self’ or ‘ego,’ the existence of such permanent extremes as the ‘self’ which continues, or oppositely, completely ceases to exist after death, and the non-applicability of the Law of Causality, it is not even remotely possible for people, solely of their own power, to perceive (much less bring forth) this nature. The teachings of Nichiren Daisho-nin, the True Buddha who made His appearance in the La ter Day of the Law, exist so that mankind can break through those obstacles and manifest that original heart of great bril liance. It is for this purpose that through His lifelong propa-gation of Myoho, Nichiren Daishonin was tempered by great persecution and thus re-awakened to the incompre hensible Law of the Lotus, the heart of the Buddha which since Kuon Ganjo, the time with no beginning and no end, and which never dying, dwells eternally. For that same pur-pose, He then inscribed the Dai-Gohonzon, with which he imbued the entirety of the benefit of His enlightened life, to serve as a mirror for the hearts of the people of the Latter Day of the Law.
The Buddha nature blooms within the hearts of all who reverently chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo with belief in this Gohonzon, and these people become deeply aware of that Law within themselves.
In the final analysis, the my riad problems of life, which go beyond the questions of East and West, boil down to the human heart. If we do not understand the root of all the sundry emotions, such as attachment, suffering, joy, anger, sorrow and pleasure, we will find ourselves interminably caught up in a deluge of instability, and will spend this, and countless future lifetimes, in continuous perplexity. The na ture of the Buddha, that is, the true embodiment of the Law of the Lotus, is the source of the heart, which exists univer-sally in all things, and through a true realization of which, we become free from, and further become able to correctly deal with, the multitudinous perplexities of the heart. Thus, belief in and the consistent chanting of Daimoku to the True Buddha Nichiren Daishonin’s Gohonzon of Myoho-Renge-Kyo, and perseverance for oneself and for others, are the fundaments by which the hearts of people throughout the world can be led to flowering, and the only path through which the source of the heart can be unlocked to achieve true self-realization.
The Daishonin states:
“Although this mandala of Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo is only five or seven characters, it is the Master of all of the Buddhas of the three existences, and these same characters assure that all women will also attain en-lightenment.” (Showa Shintei Gosho, vol. 2, p. 1011)
And the 26th High Priest Nichikan Shonin states
“This Gohonzon bestows limitless, infinite benefit, and Its unfathomable workings are vastly profound. There-fore, if you chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo with faith in this Gohonzon for even a short while, there is no prayer that will not be answered, no evil that will not be eradicated, no blessing that will not be bestowed and no reason that will not become clear.” (Fuji Shugaku Yoshu, vol. 3, p. 213)
To all members of the faith of Nichiren Shoshu around the world that long period during which your freedom was suppressed and you were forced into erroneous conduct by the Ikeda SGI has passed. Now is indeed the time that you should worship and conduct yourselves freely, and through the power of Myoho, joyfully expand our ring of unity. And with prayers for the steady advancement of the worldwide propagation and the good health of all of you, I conclude my New Year’s message.
January 1, 1993
Nikken
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“Sutras preceding the Lotus sutra expounded that women, as well as people in the worlds of Leaming and Realization, could not attain Buddhahood. The Daishonin is affirming here that all living beings can achieve Buddhahood.
New Year’s Greeting : Reverend Kotoku Obayashi,Overseas
Reverend Kotoku Obayashi,
Overseas Bureau Chief
I wish to extend my warmest congratulations to the worldwide membership of Nichiren Shoshu at the be-ginning of this New Year, 1993. It is truly difficult for me to adequately express my joy that the entire priest-hood and laity of Nichiren Shoshu have vowed to per-severe under His Holiness, the 67th High Priest of the Head Temple, Nikken Shonin, in an invigorated, fine spirit of itai doshin, which anticipates our embarkation towards the advancement and development of a new Kosen-rufu, and the construction of the Buddha Land.
Last year, the Overseas Bureau of Nichiren Shoshu was engaged in dispatching our priests to such places as America, Brazil and many countries in Europe, as well as to India, Indonesia and other various ASEAN coun-tries, South Korea and Nationalist China. Through this we were able to both conduct activities including Gongyo, consultations and guidance meetings with peo-ple of pure faith who seek the correct faith and teach-ings of Nichiren Shoshu, and firmly embrace a great portion of the overseas membership.
Further, while six hundred and fifty overseas mem-bers were able to participate in the spring Mushibarai-e ceremony at the Head Temple, four hundred and fifty participated in the autumn Oeshiki ceremony, and an-other eight hundred were in attendance for the summer training course.
Moreover, not including those mentioned above who participated in either of the two great ceremonies or the summer training course, the number of overseas mem-bers of the faith who made a Tozan pilgrimage last year reached as many as three thousand five hundred.
By far, a greater number of overseas members 別 now coming on Toan to the Head Temple than whes the Soka Gakkai managed the operation of group Tozans and SGI conducted the Totans of overstas members of the faith.
It is over a year since the Soka Gakkai and SGI were excommunicated, and I feel that this year brings the arrival of a vitally important era. It is more than likely that disturbances, insults, libel and slander by members of SGI will escalate on an ever greater scale We will not flinch. I believe that it is rather because these are the times in which we live that both based on the only Dai-Gohonzon in this world, and in accordance with Nichiren Daishonin’s golden words of profound illumination, we must fulfill our “practice of faith as it is taught by the True Buddha Nichiren Daishonin,” and with further resolution, follow through in our practice both for ourselves and for others. Here, I would like to discuss the fortune of one who “practices faith as it is taught by Nichiren Daishonin.”
First, one who fills each day anew with a heart which unwaveringly seeks the Buddha through “prac tice as it is taught by Nichiren Daishonin” will know no stagnation, but will always advance. Whichever sector of society one ventures into, so long as one has the strength of faith which does not stagnate, one will even-tually be able to become a person of great capability.
Second, as is stated by the passage, “Faith is the entrance to the path and the mother of benefit,” one who consistently perseveres with utterly pure faith in the one and only True Object of Worship can accumu late the most treasured of all benefits.
Third, one who continuously carries through in “the practice of faith as it is taught by Nichiren Daishonin will also generally make no serious blunders in life One who constantly reveres the teachings of Nichiren Daishonin and the instruction of the High Priest, and continually fulfills a faith that is earnest and pure, will not be imbued with evil, neither will one give oneself up to wickedness nor sink into depravity.
Fourth, one who always carries out “the practice of faith as it is taught by Nichiren Daishonin” will neither be swollen with pride nor become arrogant, not even if amidst favorable personal circumstances or at the heights of prosperity. People usually create problems when their sails are full before a favorable wind, or when they are at the peak of prosperity. But those who constantly persevere in “the practice of faith as it is taught by Nichiren Daishonin” can strictly govern themselves no matter what position they find themselves in. Finally, whether it be within the family, at the job, in terms of livelihood, or in life in general, one who “practices faith as it is taught by Nichiren Daishonin” can conquer all adversity. Nichiren Daishonin states in Reply to Kyo’o: “…disaster will be transformed into joy. You should summon up faith, and pray to this Gohon-zon. Then what is there that cannot be accomplished?” (Showa Shintei Gosho, vol. 2, p. 1006) And in the Oko Kikigaki, the Daishonin instructs, “It is most important that you practice as it is taught by the True Buddha.” (Showa Shintei Gosho vol.3, p. 2918)
I pray that the importance of “practice as it is taught by Nichiren Daishonin” will be unfailingly engraved on all of your hearts, so that you will be able to go to any lengths as disciple believers of the Daishonin in the splen-did practice of strong, vigorous faith, and further, be-come true victors in life. And with prayers for every-one’s continued health and great happiness, I conclude my New Year’s greeting.
January 1, 1993
Kotoku Obayashi
Overseas Bureau Chief
Nichiren Shoshu
High Priest Nikken Shonin’s Guidance
Address to the Members of Tokyo Territory No. 1
Given on May 24th, 1992, at Josenji Temple, Sumida Ward, Tokyo
I am visiting here today to address the members of Tokyo Territory No. 1, and am grateful that through the participation of so many believers from the various tem-ples throughout the Territory, we have been able to hold this event so splendidly. Thank you everyone for all of your generous efforts.
With our sect in its recent situation, the member’s awareness of the local temples has increased consider-ably, with the result that in growing numbers, they have been able to free themselves from the tenacious grasp of the Soka Gakkai to join their local temples and carry out their faith and practice correctly. This phenomenon has reached national proportions of the 590 local temples, 262 of them had organized Hokkeko groups at the end of the year before last. It’s been just 16 months since then, and yet new Hokkeko chapters have already been orga-nized at another 80 temples. That leaves about 100 tem-ples without a Hokkeko, but I have a feeling that most of them will have inaugurated a chapter by the end of this year.
These events are headed toward the construction of a structure which will lead to the rejuvenation of our de-nomination, with priests and lay members working coop-eratively to protect the True Law and advance towards Kosen-rufu. And because of this, even though I am grow-ing older and less useful, after a great deal of thought about the matter, I decided that it would be meaningful if I made the time to visit each Territory around the country to meet with everyone directly, and convey my thoughts and feelings about the Daishonin’s teachings.
For that reason, the members of Territory No. 2 gath-ered for a meeting yesterday at Daiganji Temple in Shin-juku Ward, and here we are today at Josenji Temple for a similar gathering of the members of Territory No. 1. Af-ter all, since Tokyo is always at the forefront when be-ginning undertakings like these, I felt that I should make Tokyo the first leg of my national tour.
In the Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life, the Dai-shonin gives strikingly profound guidance which espe-cially relates to our current situation. “Though many in body, all of Nichiren’s disciples and believers should chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo with one heart, transcending all differences among themselves to become as inseparable as fish and the water in which they swim. This is the basis for the universal transmission of the ultimate law of life and death. Herein lies the true goal of Nichiren’s propagation. When you are so united, even the great hope of Kosen-rufu can be fulfilled without fail. (Showa Shintei Gosho, vol. 1, p. 745)
I’m sure that you hear this passage often, but I be-scending all differences among themselves” is vitally im-portant, and particularly pertinent to the current rejuvena tion of the denomination, where priests and laity are unit-ing to protect and spread the Law. I believe that it is these congregations which manifest faith that truly tran scends all differences.”
In short. I believe that it is in the faith of everyone gathered here today that this desire to transcend all dif-ferences “to become as inseparable as fish and the water in which they swim” is naturally manifesting itself in the form of unity between the priesthood and laity.
I have constantly borne this principle in mind since assuming my position as High Priest. And in receiving the honor of protecting the Law, I have simultaneously felt the responsibility to open my heart to everyone, no matter who they were or what organization they belonged to, with the conviction that we should be “as inseparable as fish and the water in which they swim” But a great deal has happened. Foremost were grave errors concern-ing the Daishonin’s Buddhism by a certain leader of an organization called Soka Gakkai. These errors occurred due to his arrogance and distorted views, which started to appear back in the days of Nittatsu Shonin. Those errors included how one should understand the True Object of Worship through faith, and more specifically extended to his fundamental understanding of the core significance of the Daishonin’s will regarding the establishment of the ultimately important High Sanctuary of the Essential Teachings, which is the consummation of the Three Great Secret Laws. In dealing with these errors, Nittatsu Sho-nin was greatly pained as to how to correct them and lead the Soka Gakkai in the proper direction, while still re-specting the Gakkai’s original way of doing things in its role as guardian lay organization of Nichiren Shoshu, and thereby help them attain true benefit.
Nittatsu Shonin’s actions had various ramifications Although I cannot go into all of the details here and now, we finally drew the line, and all of the problems were settled on May 3, 1979. Nittatsu Shonin instructed that so long as the Soka Gakkai did not overstep its bounds as a lay organization, its members should be increasingly active in association with Nichiren Shoshu to work for the attainment of Kosen-rufu. Two months later, Nittatsu Shonin passed away.
As I took over from Nittatsu Shonin, his spirit filled me to the core. I constantly felt that like “fish and the water in which they swim,” “transcending all differences among themselves,” without the slightest discrimination, the priesthood and laity must unify and head for Kosen-rufu in that all-embracing bond. And I feel that I did my best to put this conviction into practice.
But unfortunately, because the Gakkai was mistaken about the very basis of the Daishonin’s teachings, it was inevitable that as time passed, those errors would come to the surface little by little.
By strange coincidence, this became particularly ob-vious in July, August, and up through October of 1990, just the year we were celebrating the 700th Anniversary of the Head Temple’s founding. I cannot go into details here about everything that happened because there just wouldn’t be enough time. But in any case, the priest-hood continuously hoped that in some way, the feelings of both parties could be mutually understood, and I be-lieve that we dealt with the matter properly.
The Soka Gakkai vociferously and arbitrarily alleges that “there’s no dialogue,” but that is absolutely untrue. We tried to hold discussions with them based on the belief that as long as someone is sincere, they can give proper answers to perfectly legitimate questions. But it was rather the Soka Gakkai who, until the end, refused any such communication.
Be that as it may, at the root of all this is the slander of arrogance that germinated and grew within the hearts of the executive leaders of the Soka Gakkai. In Reply to Lord Soya, there is a passage that reads: “No matter how sincerely one believes in the Lotus Sutra, any slan-der against its teachings will surely cause him to fall into hell, just as one crab leg will ruin a thousand pots of lacquer.”1 (Showa Shintei Gosho, vol. 2, p. 1549)
This passage means that no matter how much someone might boast of their faith in the Lotus Sutra, if that person has a fundamentally slanderous heart, the benefits of that faith will be obliterated and revert to nothing. without fail.
At this point, I will talk about how “slander” mani-fests itself. It comes in the form of the Fourteen Slan-ders, with which I am sure you are all familiar, namely,
(1) arrogance,
(2) negligence (of Buddhist practice),
(3) arbitrary, egotistical judgement (of Buddhist teachings),
(4) (criticism of the True Law based on) shallow, self-satisfied understanding,
(5) (the lack of yearning for Bud-dhism due to) attachment to earthly desires,
(6) lack of understanding (of Buddhist doctrine, resulting in conceit and the lack of a seeking spirit),
(7) disbelief (in Bud-dhism),
(8) aversion (to Buddhism, which results in criti-cism,
(9) doubt (of Buddhism, which causes one to be irresolute),
(10) vilification, defamation (of Buddhism),
(11) scorn, contempt (for Buddhists),
(12) hatred (of those practicing Buddhism),
(13) jealousy (of Buddhist practi-tioners) and
(14) resentment, the bearing of grudges (against Buddhists).
When you compare the substance of these Fourteen Slanders with the Soka Gakkai’s ac-tions, you notice that they indisputably coincide with all Fourteen Slanders they way the Gakkai and its mem-bers currently display their hostility towards the priest-hood day after day and night after night with denuncia-tions, abusive language, and defamatory remarks. It is not just one or two. Nor is it just three or four, but all fourteen of the slanders which are clearly manifest in the Soka Gakkai’s current actions and their betrayal of the Daishonin’s Buddhism.
But with developments having come this far, it is imperative for us as priests to unconditionally and cor-rectly protect the Law as well as establish a path for the correct practice of faith with the hope of saving even one of those people who have lost their senses. At the same time, as I have mentioned on numerous occasions, the Daishonin’s True Teachings teach us how to eradicate individual evil karma and allow us to attain the great benefit of enlightenment as common mortals, and they firmly point the way to Kosen-rufu through extending this benefit to all other living beings. So I pray with all my heart that all of you will persevere together with us the priesthood, in true concord, to protect and propagate the True Law.
I conclude with heartfelt prayers that today will be an impetus for you to further deepen your faith and prac-tice. And once again, thank you for all of your time and effort today.
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1 It is said that the chemical make-up of a crab is such that when put into lacquer, it ruins lacquer and that the potency of a single creb’s leg can spoil as many as a thouthand parts of lacquer.
The Significance of Gongyo
In Nichiren Shoshu, the most important signifi-cance of Gongyo can be found within the titles and mean-ings of the actual sentences of the silent prayers. In other words, we reverently perform Gongyo based on the meaning of the First Prayer, which is an offering to the Shoten Zenjin, who are vitalized, or even better, nour-ished by the flavor of the Law of Myoho-Renge-Kyo, and the Second Prayer, which is an offering to the Dai-Gohonzon, the Object of Worship of the Essential Teach-ings, or the Treasure of the Law. We conduct the Third Prayer as an offering to the Treasure of the Buddha, Nichiren Daishonin, and also as an offering to the Trea-sure of the Priest Nikko Shonin, Nichimoku Shonin and all the other successive High Priests of Nichiren Shoshu. In the Fourth Prayer, we pray for the attainment of the Great Aspiration of Kosen-rufu, the eradication of all our past slanders against the Law, and our enlighten-ment in this and all future existences. In the Fifth Prayer we pray for all of our deceased ancestors, including our deceased fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters, and con-clude with the offering of prayers for the salvation of all existence.
The Horen Sho states: “It is explained that the benefits of one who extols and makes offerings to the Votary of the Law in the Latter Age, is 10 quadrillion times greater than that of making offerings through the suitable thoughts, words and deeds of faith for a period of one entire kalpa to the life and body of Shakyamuni Buddha” (Showa Shintei Gosho, p. 1195) The fact that the benefit of making praise and offerings to the soul of Nichiren Daishonin embodied within the Gohonzon to-gether with the Daishonin himself, provides 10 quadril-lion times more benefit than that of making offerings to the life and body of Shakyamuni Buddha during Shaky-amuni’s lifetime, is pointed out in both the Lotus Sutra and the Daishonin’s Gosho.
The second significance of doing Gongyo is in order to offer our sincere requitals of gratitude to the Three Treasures of the Buddha, the Law and the Priest. The Daishonin states in the Kaimoku Sho (Opening of the Eyes) The disciples of the Buddha must under-stand and know how to repay the four types of obliga-tion.” (Showa Shintei Gosho, p. 766) We offer the Sec-ond and Third Prayers in order to repay our debt of gratitude to the Three Treasures. The Fourth Prayer is to pray for the salvation of and repay our debt of gratitude to all existence, as well as to pray for the attainment of Kosen-rufu. The Fifth Prayer is connected to our repay-ing of gratitude to our parents and ancestors.
The third significance is that it is indeed this Gongyo which is based on the transmission of the inher tance and ceremonies of the Daishonin’s Buddhism. It is the basis of faith for the only truly significant practice in the age of Mappo, as taught by the Buddha. The Daishonin notes in the Eighteen Perfections Gosho, “My disciples and followers must practice the correct teach-ings as I do.” (Showa Shintei Gosho, p. 2181)
The fourth significance is that when we do Gongvo, we bathe ourselves in the benefits of the Go honzon and develop life conditions of happiness. Gongyo is the source and generative power through which we attain Buddhahood. Nichiren Daishonin states: “When we revere Myoho-Renge-Kyo in our hearts as the object of worship, the Buddha nature within us is summoned forth and manifested by our chanting Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, this is what is meant by ‘Buddha… When with our mouths we chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, the Buddha nature within our hearts, being summoned, will invariably emerge.” (How Those Initially Aspiring to the Way Can Attain Buddhahood through the Lotus Sutra, Showa Shintei Gosho, pp. 1646-1647). This passage precisely shows us the importance of the True Object of Worship and the Daimoku of the Essential Teachings together with the principle of how we as common mor-tals can attain Buddhahood as we are.
The fifth significance is that through our daily practice of Gongyo we are able to polish our minds and bodies, eradicating the slanders from our impure and sullied hearts and bodies, and transform our lives, purn-fying the six senses. Herein lies the importance of Gongyo. Concerning this point, there is an instruction from the Daishonin in the Issho Jobutsu Sho (On Attain-ing Buddhahood), in the very famous passage that reads “Arouse deep faith, don’t give into laziness and polish yourself night and day. How should you do it? Only by chanting Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo.” (Showa Shintel Gosho, p. 127)
Furthermore, if I may delve just a little more into this particular point, Gongyo is also the way in which all living beings can achieve their desires. In Reply to Kyo’o, the Daishonin states: ” misfortunes will change into happiness. Muster your faith and pray to the Gohonzon. Then what is there that cannot be achieved?” (Showa Shintei Gosho, p. 1006) As disci ples and believers of Nichiren Daishonin, realizing and basing our practice on the aforementioned great signifi-cances, we perform Gongvo to amass great fortune in our lives and strive to accomplish the original desire of Nichiren Daishonin, that is, Kosen-rufu.
The Significance of Reciting the Hoben and Juryo Chapters
In Nichiren Shoshu, during Gongvo we recite the Hoben and Juryo chapters of the Lotus Sutra. The true significance of reciting the floben chapter, which di-vulges the heart of the Provisional Teachings of the Lotus Sutra, lies in refuting all the pre-Lotus Sutra Hina-yana and Provisional Mahayana Teachings and reveal-ing the true enlightenment inherent within the Essential Teachings of the Lotus Sutra.
The Juryo chapter is the heart of the Essential Teachings of the Lotus Sutra and as we recite the true meaning that exists hidden in the depths of the Juryo chapter, we refute not only the Provisional Teachings of the Lotus Sutra, but also the Buddhism of the Harvest (of Shakyamuni) and reveal the extremely profound ben-efit of Myoho-Renge-Kyo in the depths of the Juryo chapter.
With the practice of the recitation of the Hoben and Juryo chapters, we correctly chant Daimoku believing in the Dai-Gohon-zon and Myoho-Renge-Kyo of Kuon Ganjo. The Daishonin states in the Gassui Sho (On Reciting the Hoben and Juryo chap-ters): though no chap-ter of the Lotus Sutra is negligible, among the en-tire twenty-eight chapters, the Hoben and Juryo chap-ters are particularly out-standing The remaining chapters are all, in a sense, the branches and leaves of these two chapters” (Showa Shintei Gosho, p. 473) And in the Akimoto Gosho, He notes, “The Buddhas of the Three Existences and Ten Directions will without a doubt plant the seed of the Five Characters of Myoho-Renge-Kyo” (Showa Shintel Gosho, p. 2077)
Attitude and Posture During Gongyo
One should have a correct appearance, posture and attitude when offering the recitation of Gongve and Daimoku to the Gohonzon. One may sit either in the traditional Japanese, or seiza fashion, cross-legged in western style, or in a chair. However, what is important to remember is that no matter which style one chooses, it should always be done out of profound respect for the Gohonton. Therefore, one should sit up straight with good posture, placing the right and left hands together in prayer centrally on the chest with both elbows resting evenly against the sides of the body. If one prefers to use a chair, then both feet should be properly touching the floor, one should not sit in a casual manner (askew, with legs crossed, or the like).
When reciting Daimoku or Gongyo, one’s eyes should be focused on the character “Myo” in the center of the Gohonzon, one’s voice should have a speed that is properly matched to the rhythm of one’s breathing, the volume should be moderate, one should chant strongly, correctly, and clearly pronounce each word, syllable and letter, and when reading the silent prayers, one should concentrate to the fullest in order to sincerely offer the silent prayers to the Gohonzon.
During Gongyo, it sometimes occurs that one has random or distracted thoughts. However, one should not be swayed by these random thoughts, but should have strong confidence that if one practices this Bud-dhist training with correct faith to this marvelous Go-honzon, without a doubt, one will all be able to manifest the greatest of benefits in one’s life. Day by day, one should carry out one’s practice with a fresh spirit, and put forth the utmost effort to do one’s best and most concentrated Gongyo.
As a standard rule, Gongyo is done twice daily, once in the morning and once in the evening. There is no set time to do Gongyo. However, according to one’s own life style, one should choose a time that is most conve nient, and then do one’s best to make Gongyo the most im portant aspect in daily life.
Note:
The references from the Gosho that have been quoted here have been taken from the Showa Shintei Go-sho, the Gosho issued by the Nichiren Shoshu Priesthood. It was first edited and pub-lished in April of 1971 by the Fuji Gakurin of the Head Temple Taisekiji, under the auspices of the 66th High Priest off Nichiren Shoshu, Nittatsu Shonin. This Gosho differs from the Gosho Zenshu and the Major Writings of Nichiren Daishonin in that the writings published in the Showa Shintei (New Edition) Gosho appear in the precise order in which they were initially written by the Daishonin and in their entire original form, that is all archaic Chinese characters and texts have been left in tact, and no modifications have been made.
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1. Four types of obligation One’s debt of gratitude to one’s parents, teacher, sovereign and the Three Treasures of Bud-Chian
2. Cerxmonies Denotes Kegi, the practice of faith as mani fested through action and as taught by the Buddha, ie, cere monies, rites and rituals.
The Silent Prayers
This is the official translation of the Silent Prayers appearing in The Liturgy of Nichiren Shoshu, which will be available very shortly to members of the faith around the world.
First Prayer-Offering to the Shoten Zenjin
I sincerely pray that Daibontenno, Taishakutenno, Dainittenno, Daigattenno, Daimyojotenno and all the other Shoten Zenjin, sworn guardians of the Lotus Sutra, may increasingly be nourished by the power of Myoho-Renge-Kyo, so that they will be able to continually pro-tect those who embrace True Buddhism.
Chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo three Times
Second Prayer – Offering to the Dai-Gohonzon
I express my sincere devotion to the Dai-Gohonzon the soul of the Juryo chapter of the Essential Teach-ings and the Supreme Law concealed within its depths, the fusion of the realm of the Original Infinite Law and the inherent wisdom within the Buddha of Kuon Ganjo, the manifestation of the Buddha of Intrinsically Perfect Wisdom, the eternal coexistence of the Ten Worlds, the entity of Ichinen Sanzen, the oneness of the Person and the Law, and the Supreme Object of Worship of the High Sanctuary. I also express my heartfelt gratitude for Its beneficence and pray that Its profound benevolent power may ever more widely prevail.
Chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo three times
Third Prayer – Offering to Nichiren Daishonin and the Successive High Priests
I express my sincere devotion to the Founder of True Buddhism, Nichiren Daishonin, the boundlessly com-passionate Buddha who revealed the True Cause of Original Enlightenment, who possesses the Three En-lightened Properties, and whose Three Enlightened Properties comprise His single being, whose benefi-cence transcends the Three Existences, and who pos-sesses the Three Virtues of sovereign, teacher and par-ent. I also express my heartfelt gratitude for His benefi-cence and pray that His profound benevolent power may ever more widely prevail.
Chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo three times
I express my sincere devotion to the second High Priest Byakuren Ajari Nikko Shonin, the first among the Treasure of the Priest and the Great Master of Propaga-tion who directly received the Living Essence of the True Buddha from Nichiren Daishonin. I also express my heartfelt gratitude for His beneficence and pray that His profound benevolent power may ever more widely prevail…
Chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo three times
I express my sincere devotion to the third High Priest Nudakyo Ajari Nichimoku Shonin, the Master of the Seat of the Law, who directly inherited the Living Essence from Nikko Shonin. I also express my heartfelt gratitude for His beneficence and pray that His profound benevo-lent power may ever more widely prevail,
(Silently) Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo
I express my sincere devotion to the fourth High Priest Nichido Shonin, the fifth High Priest Nichigyo Shonin and all the successive High Priests, who have in-herited and correctly handed down the Living Essence. 1 also express my heartfelt gratitude for Their beneficence and pray that Their profound benevolent power may ever more widely prevail.
Chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo three times
Fourth Prayer-Prayer for Worldwide Propagation
I sincerely pray for the attainment of the Great Aspi-ration of the True Buddha – Kosen-rufu, the worldwide propagation of the Buddhism of the True Cause through the power of Myoho-Renge-Kyo.
Chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo three times
I pray to eradicate my many past and present slanders against the Law, and to continually purify and deepen my faith and practice so that I may attain enlightenment in this and all future existences.
(Offer personal prayers here.)
Chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo three times
Fifth Prayer – Memorial Prayers for the Deceased
I pray that all my deceased relatives, all deceased Nichiren Shoshu believers, and all others who have de-parted this life may attain Buddhahood through the power of Myoho-Renge-Kyo. Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo
(Offer special memorial prayers while sounding the bell contin ously)
Chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo three times
May the impartial benefits of Myoho-Renge-Kyo spread equally to the farthest reaches of the universe so that I together with all other existence, may attain the tranquil state of enlightened life.
Chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo three times
Benefits Fail to Emerge Due to Lethargy and Lack of Wisdom
from Sunday Lectures by Rev. Kotoku Obayashi
Overseas Bureau Chief
If a person gets a tip about an easy way to make an smooth profit and then falls victim to fraud, even though the swindler was evil, the person who fell for his sweet talk in the first place obviously made a big mistake. Even in the world of faith, many malicious doctrines and sordid religions run rampant. But it must be said that it is due to one’s own dishonest faith and lack of wisdom that one is misguided by these kinds of perverse religions, and that life runs amuck.
In terms of the Daishonin’s teaching of Myoho, since the time of the Daishonin up until the present day, multitudes of priests and lay believers have continued to plant the seeds of unfathomable benefit which lead to ultimate happiness within the lives of believers and non-believers alike, through the compassionate and enlightening prac-tice of shakubuku.
We who are able to practice this correct faith in this day and age owe a debt of gratitude to those priests and lay believers for their great compassion. But there are people who, in spite of the fact that they have been able to come into contact with the Daishonin’s True Buddhism, the True Doctrine of the True Master, and are able to practice the greatest faith in the world, instead of having firm belief in that noble conviction, due to their own lack of vision, come and say, “Even though I’ve taken faith in this religion, not even the slightest good thing has come my way,” or, “I’m not getting any benefits.”
Shutting their eyes to their own lack of faith, neither doing Gongyo nor practicing shakubuku, ignoring the truth of faith, the Law of cause and effect, doubting the Gohonzon, doubting the Daishonin, these people blame the Gohonzon as if it were due to the Gohonzon’s lack of power that they receive no benefits, or again, malign faith in Nichiren Shoshu, as if there were some mistake or incompetency in the faith itself. But if one will cor-rectly and consistently practice faith based on the True Object of Worship, the Gohonzon, adhering to the doc-trines and instructions of the Buddha and using good judgment, propriety will produce great results, and good causes will inevitably give birth to good effects. How-ever, it is those very people who, forgetting their own lethargy, blame everything on the Gohonzon and the faith. That’s like the person who blames others for their own troubles, but when he himself gets lost on the way to visit a friend says, “Who in the world built a road way out in the middle of nowhere?” Or it’s like the willful patient who won’t take the medicine that a doctor has compounded expressly or him, but instead turns to alcohol or harmful drugs, and then blames the doctor be-cause his illness isn’t getting any better.
In The Selection of the Time, the Daishonin poses the questions: “Is it the fault of the man who builds a road if someone loses their way on that road? Or if a sick person, repelled by the medicine a good physician has given him, dies because he refuses to take it, is it the fault of the good physician?”
Similar kinds of admonitions appear in the Nirvana Sutra; “If a good physician who is familiar with all kinds of illness prescribes medicine for one who is suf-fering from a certain illness, and if the patient doesn’t drink the medicine, is it the fault of the physician? Or suppose there is a great benefactor who wishes to give people all that he possesses. If there is anyone who does not even attempt to receive his generosity, is it the fault of the benefactor? When the sun has risen and every-thing is clearly visible, if a blind man cannot see the road, is that the fault of the sun? If there is a great tract of land which possesses the capability of bearing fruit equally throughout, but the farmer does not plant a por-tion of the land, is it the fault of the land that no crops grow there?”
We must realize that people receive no benefit from this practice solely because of their own lack of faith, and that to blame the teachings of the Daishonin is total-ly absurd. I truly believe that such people must dig far more deeply into the Daishonin’s instructions to find out what this faith really is. In On Rajagriha Castle, the Daishonin states: “Whether your prayers are answered or not depends totally on your own faith. It is in no way Nichiren’s responsibility.” We must never forget the great fundamental principle, “Faith is the fundamental source of Buddhism,” and must make it the root of our own daily practice.
The Person and the Law
From an English Language Oko Lecture, presented at Myokoji Temple, Tokyo
by Reverend Yosai Yamada, Chief Priest of the Sessen-bo at Taisekiji
In this lecture, I would like to explain the ultimate principle of Buddhism, which in Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo of the Three Great Secret Laws, and how Nichiren Daishonin embodied it as the object of worship so that all people in the Latter Day of the Law could attain Buddha-hood. I am aware that you have been taught many things about this. I know that you have been told that if there is a person to whom you should have devotion, it should be the Daishonin. Further, I know that you have been taught that if there is a Law which you should revere, it is Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo. Moreover, I know that you have been told to treasure and hang on to your Gohonzon, no matter what happens. But obviously the Gohonzon appears not to be a person, although perhaps it could contain a law. For these reasons, I have chosen this subject of The Person and the Law, to clarify the Object of Worship in Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism.
Honzon, or object of worship, means something which one reveres above all things — something to which one devotes one’s life. In the Record of the Orally Trans-mitted Teachings, or Ongi Kuden, Nichiren Daishonin teaches us: “”Nam’ derives from Sanskrit and signifies devotion. There are two objects of devotion: the Person and the Law that is, devotion to Shakyamuni and the Lotus Sutra.”
(Showa Shintei Gosho vol.3, p.2739)
Doesn’t this appear to contradict what you have been taught? The Daishonin says the Person is Shakyamuni, and the Law is the Lotus Sutra. You must be asking, “What is the meaning of Shakyamuni, and what is the meaning of the Lotus Sutra?” According to Exegesis on “The True Object of Worship” set forth by the twenty sixth High Priest Nichikan Shonin, there are six types of Shakyamuni. They are:
1. The Shakyamuni of the Tripitaka teaching,
2. The Shakyamuni of the connecting teaching,
3. The Shakyamuni of the specific teaching,
4. The Shakyamuni of the theoretical teaching of the Lotus Sutra,
5. The Shakyamuni of the essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra,
6. The Shakyamuni of the teaching hidden in the depths of the Lotus Sutra.
Now you must be asking: “Why are there so many Shakyamunis?” It is because the name Shakyamuni means the same thing as Buddha. So, of the teachings I men-tioned, the first five identities were manifested by the his-torical Shakyamuni Buddha who appeared in India as Gautama Buddha. The last one, the Shakyamuni of the teaching hidden in the depths of the Lotus Sutra, was mani-fested by Nichiren Daishonin, who appeared in the Latter Day of the Law and expounded Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, the ultimate Law hidden in the depths of the Juryo chapter of the Lotus Sutra.
Therefore, from the viewpoint of the Daishonin, the Shakyamuni I mentioned in the above passage is not Gautama Buddha of India. In this quotation, Shakyamuni indicates the Original Buddha who expounds the supreme teaching of Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, which we ourselves cannot find, but which the True Buddha can reveal from the depths of the Juryo chapter of the Lotus Sutra. The Daisho-nin used Shakyamuni and Buddha interchangeably whenever he interpreted the Lotus Sutra from the viewpoint of his own enlightenment. They have exactly the same meaning.
Now, your next question must be, “Then what is the Lotus Sutra cited in the above passage?” According to the doctrine of Nichiren Shoshu, there are three kinds of su-preme teaching of the Lotus Sutra which can lead people directly to enlightenment, in accordance with people’s ca-pacity and the times. They were expounded for the people of the Former, Middle and Latter Days of the Law. The Lotus Sutra of the Former Day of the Law is Shakyamuni’s sutra of the same name. The Lotus Sutra of the Middle Dav of the Law is Tien T’ai’s Maka Shikan, which expounds the principle of ichinen sanzen, and the Lotus Sutra of the Latter Day of the Law is Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo of the Three Great Secret Laws. The Lotus Sutra indicated in this passage is neither that of the twenty-eight chapter Lotus Sutra, nor T’ien T’ai’s Lotus Sutra, ichinen sanzen. The Daishonin writes in, Reply to Lord Ueno: “Now in the Latter Day of the Law, neither the Lotus Sutra, nor any other sutra is valid. Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo alone is valid.” (Showa Shintei Gosho vol. 2, p. 1816)
Whenever the Daishonin refers to the Lotus Sutra as the teaching to be spread in the Latter Day of the Law, he means the essence of the Lotus Sutra, Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo. Thus, devotion to Shakyamuni and the Lotus Sutra means devotion to Nichiren Daishonin and Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, the Law only the True Buddha could ex-pound. So what you have learned you should revere about the Person and the Law, so far is true.
The object of wor-ship to which my expla-nation refers can be viewed in these two ways from the standpoint of the Person and from the standpoint of the Law. The Person is still Nichiren Daishonin, and the Law is still Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo. Nichiren Daishonin be-came enlightened to the Law of Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo within the workings of the universe in the infinite past, and realized that it was also the entity of his own life.
Furthermore, he inscribed this ultimate Law – the entity of his life in the form of a mandala, so that future gen erations could share his enlightenment. This mandala is what we call the Gohonzon, the True Object of Worship, and as we read through the Gosho, we find that depending upon the situation, the Daishonin at times explains the ob-ject of worship in terms of the Person, and at other times in terms of the Law.
The following passages approach the object of wor-ship in terms of the Person. The Gosho, On the Three Great Secret Laws, says: “The Object of Worship indi-cated in the Juryo chapter is Shakyamuni, the Buddha al-ways in this world, who has possessed the three enlight-ened phases of life since the time without beginning.” Who is this Buddha who is always in this world? By now you know that this Shakyamuni is the Original Buddha from Kuon Ganjo, the Shakyamuni of the universal and unchanging Law hidden in the Juryo chapter of the Lotus Sutra.
In Requital for the Buddha’s Favor, the Daishonin writes: “Throughout the world, as well as in Japan, the people should all revere the Shakyamuni of the essential teaching as the Object of Worship.” Who is this “Shakyamuni of the essential teaching?” It is the Buddha of the revealed teaching, Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo.
In On Persecutions Befalling the Buddha, the Daisho-nin writes: “Had it not been for the ad-vent of Nichiren in the Latter Day of the Law, the Buddha would have been a great liar and the testi-mony given by Taho and all other Buddhas would have been false. In the twenty-two hundred and thirty years since the Buddha’s death, Nichiren is the only person in the whole world to fulfill the Buddha’s prophecy.
(MWN vol. 1, p. 240) And of course this is true. Many beings and representatives assembled at Eagle Peak when the Bud-dha preached the Lo-tus Sutra. A great treasure tower rose out of the earth, and Taho Buddha said in a great voice, “Excellent! Excellent, Shakyamuni. All that you have said is true.” Thereafter, this teaching was transferred to a magnificent figure for future propagation. All beings returned to their respec-tive worlds, but the sound of the Law embodied in this teaching, that could make even evil men and those of in-corrigible disbelief into Buddhas in this world, was never heard on Eagle Peak.
In the Opening of the Eyes, twenty-two hundred and thirty years later, Nichiren Daishonin, facing his con-temporary Japan, wrote: “I, Nichiren, am sovereign, teacher, father and mother to all the people of Japan.” These words were written in the face of an imminent na-tional disaster. Of what use is a Buddha if he remains apart from the crises of his contemporary society without comment when he knows the way to avoid calamity? Nichiren Daishonin never failed in this respect as the Per-son, nor did he fail future generations in Japan and the world over in terms of the Law.
So the following passages will discuss the Object of Worship in terms of the Law, and The Debate on the Ob-ject of Worship answers an important question for those of us alive now. “Question, What should common mor-tals in the evil-filled Latter Day of the Law choose as their object of worship? Answer, They should make it the Daimoku of the Lotus Sutra.” (Showa Shintei Gosho vol. 3, p.1907)
In Earthly Desires are Enlightenment, the Daishonin writes: “The teaching which I, Nichiren, am now propaа-gating may seem limited, but it is actually most profound. This is because it goes even deeper than the teaching ex-pounded by T’ien Tai and Dengyo.” (MWN vol. 2, 1 p.228) It reveals the three important matters (the Three Great Secret Laws) contained in the Juryo chapter of the essential teachings. The True Object of Worship says: “The essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra and True Buddhism are both pure teachings that lead directly to Buddha hood. However, Shakyamuni’s is the Buddhism of the harvest, and this is the Buddhism of sowing. The core of this teaching is one chapter and two halves (the latter half of the Yujutsu chapter, the entire Juryo chapter and the first half of the Fumbetsu Kudoku chapter), and for me it is the five characters of Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo.” (Showa Shintei Goshovol.2, p.970)
There is a profound implication here. This is another way of saying that with the five characters of Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, the Buddha becomes the great sower, the world and its people become a great field, and Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo is the seed of Buddhahood for those who have made no good causes for enlightenment, wherever they are, whomever they may be. In On the Three Great Secret Laws, the Daishonin writes: “Now in the Latter Day of the Law, the Daimoku which Nichiren chants is different from that of previous ages. Nam-Myoho-Renge Kyo is the practice both for one’s own self and for the sake of others. It is composed of the five characters of name, substance, quality, function and influence.” (Showa Shintei Gosho vol. 3, p. 2282) With these Gosho passages in mind, now let me try to discuss the Object of Worship in terms of the Person more simply.
In declaring himself to be the votary of the Lotus Sutra, the Daishonin vowed to spend his life propagating the es-sence of the Lotus Sutra, Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo. To him, Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo was the Lotus Sutra of the Latter Day of the Law. In the Lotus Sutra, its propagation in the Latter Day of the Law was entrusted to the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, headed by Bodhisattva Jogyo.
In making his vow to spread the True Law, Nichiren Daishonin thus took upon himself the mission of Bodhisattva Jogvo, and, just as the Lotus Sutra predicted would happen to its votary, he was assailed by constant per-secution and troubled by the three powerful enemies. In the Daishonin’s case, he was constantly maligned by members of the general populace. His teachings were rejected out of hand by priests of other sects, who feigned enlightenment when they had not yet reached it. And his life was threat-ened by lay and religious authorities, jealous of their power and seeking to hold sway over the people. The Daishonin, however, was never deterred by these threats and abuses, and persisted in his propagation efforts. Finally, he was taken to be beheaded at Tatsunokuchi beach. The execu tion attempt failed, but in a large sense, it spelled the end of Nichiren Daishonin’s life in his capacity as Bodhisattva Jogvo. In the Opening of the Eyes, he writes: “A person called Nichiren was beheaded.” (Showa Shintei Gosho vol. 1, p.814) Though not literally killed, the Daishonin shed his transient, ephemeral identity before dawn on that date, and embarked on a more important mission that is, to realize his own enlightenment in a concrete form so that others could share in it.
Although he expressed his enlightenment in the invo-cation of Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, he had not given it visible form as the True Object of Worship. Unfortu-nately, the people of his day could not understand the pro-found meaning of Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo. They under-stood it only superficially as dedication to the Lotus Sutra, or Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo. The Tatsunokuchi Persecu-tion gave the Daishonin the opportunity to embark on his great mission as the Original Buddha. Only the Original Buddha is able to inscribe the Gohonzon, which is the en-tity of Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo. As the Original Buddha, the Daishonin served as the Object of Worship in terms of the Person while alive. In other words, his contemporary followers were able to attain Buddhahood by following his teachings and forming a relationship with his Buddha-hood. But what of future generations after his death?
As you know, the Daishonin clarified the Object of Worship in terms of the Person in the Opening of the Eyes and the Object of Worship in terms of the Law in The True Object of Worship. The Gohonzon can be called the Ob-ject of Worship not only in terms of the Person, but also in terms of the Law. The Daishonin established the Gohonzon so that people who would come after his death could attain Buddhahood without fail by chanting to it faithfully.
Let’s consider the relationship between the Person and the Law, which is very important, and you’ll under-stand why you are told to treasure and hold on to your Gohonzon, no matter what happens. Nichiren Daishonin is the Buddha who is one with the Law. That is, in his enlightenment, Nichiren Daishonin realized that his own life was Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo. He later inscribed it in the form of the Gohonzon. Thus, the Gohonzon too em-bodies the oneness of the Person and the Law.
In other words, the purpose of his alternating descrip-tions, which I supported from the Gosho before, is to clarify that the Person and the Law are united in the Gohonzon. To put it more precisely, the Person is the Law, and the Law is the Person. Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo is the life of Nichiren Daishonin, and he embodied it in the form of a mandala. This is the Gohonzon.
In his Reply to Lady Nichinyo, the Daishonin clearly teaches us the oneness of the Person and the Law. “The Great Teacher Dengvo wrote, ‘The entity of ichinen sanzen is the Buddha who obtained enlightenment for s himself ” (MWN vol. 1 p. 213) From this, we should t understand that ichinen sanzen, the totality of the universe t and the Buddha’s enlightenment, are one entity. This is inherent in the Gohonzon. And the Daishonin goes on to say:
“Therefore, this Gohonzon is the supreme mandala which has not appeared until more than two thousand, two hundred and twenty years after the Buddha’s death.” Also, in his orally transmitted teachings on the Gohonzon, the Dai-Gohonzon, the ultimate Gohonzon which he in-scribed as the basis for all other Gohonzons, and which he left for all mankind to worship, is like the reflection of his figure in a pond. We cannot see or touch the person, but the Dai-Gohonzon is the manifestation and reflection of his enlightened life as Person and Law. In the Reply to Kyo’o, the Daishonin writes: “I, Nichiren, have inscribed my life in sumi.” (MWN vol. 1, p.120) This is another way of saying that he embodied his enlightened life in the form of the Gohonzon. But another implication of this sentence is that the Daishonin devoted his entire life to the establishment of the Gohonzon for mankind with the same compassion with which he declared to his troubled con temporary Japan: “I will be the Pillar of Japan. I will be the Eyes of Japan. I will be the Great Ship of Japan. This is my vow and I will never forsake it.” (MWN vol. 1, p.120)
If we look at Nichiren Daishonin’s lifelong dedication to saving unhappy people, we become aware of his great compassion. If we ponder the True Law, we can under-stand its great power. In the struggle to propagate True Buddhism, both compassion and power are needed. In other words, both the Person and the Law are essential.
Since the Gohonzon is the embodiment of the Person and the Law, it contains both this compassion and power. By chanting Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo to the Gohonzon with sincere faith, we can attain the same compassionate life condition as Nichiren Daishonin. Through this prac-tice we can develop our own Buddha nature. Thus, there is no essential difference between his life and that of the common mortal’s. This is the ultimate teaching of the Daishonin’s Buddhism, and we believe that no other reli-gion can approach it.
We can become the Buddha, in complete unity with the Gohonzon, no longer needing to think about how our lives are entities of the True Law, but knowing it, and also knowing that so are the lives of all people. This is true, but is it easy?
The Daishonin’s compassion in the face of such ques-tions is always consistent and lasting. I would like to share this one passage from the Gosho with all of you. It was written for common mortals practicing to become Buddhas. “You have less knowledge of Buddhism than 1, and moreover, you are lay believers with lands, families and retainers.” Therefore, it may be impossible for you to sustain your faith throughout your life. This is why I want to tell you that because of your positions, it would be bet-ter to feign ignorance of the Lotus Sutra. No matter what may happen in the future, be assured that “I will never for-sake you or neglect you.” Thank you very much.
