Today, we will discuss the fifth stage of the Daishonin’s Gosho, Rissho ankoku- Ton, the treatise, “On Securing the Peace of the Land through the Propagation of True Buddhism.”
This stage is the fifth set of question-and-answer exchanges between the host and the guest. The host stated that the heretical principles disseminated by Honen, indeed, were the source of all evil. He further stated that it was more important to eliminate the single evil of the Jodo-Pure Land Nembutsu than to perform any type of special prayer. The guest was visibly enraged upon hearing the host’s words. Based on the conditions of the time, it was understandable that th e guest would be enraged. In those days; Honen’s Jodo sect claimed the highest prosperity and popularity of any religion in the nation. From those in power down to the majority of the common people, everyone passionately revered the Jodo sect.
Contents
The Allegation of the Guest
The guest asserted that Honen, since his childhood, possessed great wisdom. He had meticulously studied Ti’en-t’ai’s and Miao-lo’s analyses of the Sutras. The guest claimed that Honen had achieved a clear understanding of the doctrines of all the sects and possessed significant virtues that enabled him to understand the lifetime teachings of Shakyamuni, Following much Consideration, he finally established the special Nembutsu doctrine. For these reasons, everyone-nobility and commoner and men and women alike-was humbled by Honen and was drawn to him.
The guest criticized the host by saying that, in spite of these circumstances, the host lacked all such sentiments.The host had not only made light of the teachings of Shakyamuni; he also sought to find in Honen’s doctrines, the root cause for the continually occurring disasters and calamities in recent times.The guest accused the. host of presenting a foolish argument, comparing it to, ” deliberately blowing back the fur and hunting for flaws in the leather or deliberately piercing the skin in hopes of drawing blood.”
The guest was seething with anger. He said that he was afraid that he would receive karmic punishment for complicity by even listening to such talk. Thus, he rose to take his departure.
Japanese and Chinese Examples
The host smiled and called back the guest who was about to leave.He presented the guest with actual examples of how the Jodo Nembutsu caused destruction in Japan and China.
Shakyamuni’s sermons, which spanned fifty years of his lifetime, were classified into the teachings of the Five Periods. They were the Kegon, Agon, Hodo, Hannya and Hokke periods. Of these, the Kegon, Agon, Hodo and Hannya were considered to be the former segment, and the Hokke period alone was set forth as the latter segment.All of the sutras taught in the former segment were designated as provisional sutras, which were expounded as expedient doctrines, In contrast, the host revealed the distinguishing factor that the single sutra of the latter segment was.the essential sutra that expounded the true teaching.The host (the Daishonin) pointed out that T’an-luan, Tao-ch’o and Shan-tao all upheld the provisional teachings of the three Pure Land sutras and ignored the essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra.This was proof that these men had not delved into the true depths of Buddhism.
Honen, among others, did not realize that the view upheld by the three Chinese figures was erroneous and urged people to “discard, close, ignore and abandon” the true doctrine of the Lotus Sutra. The host (Daishonin) condemned Honen, saying that the sins of expounding this progressive evil heresy and slandering the Lo tus Sutra were incomparably grave.No amount of criticism could sufficiently describe the true gravity of this slander.
However, people in society believed in the teachings propounded by Honen. They revered him, and before long, his heresy spread throughout the nation.As a Result, the three calamities and seven disasters occurred one after another. Thus, the host (the Daishonin) clearly revealed the cause-and-effect relationship between heresy and chaos appearing in the nation.
The guest asked, “Why do you try to blame the sacred age of Honen for the disasters of recent years?” In response, the host gave the actual example of how, in the T’ang dynasty in China, Emperor W-tiung propagated Amidy Nembutsu throughout Chins nd cd the destruction of the nation then presented the more recent example of the period of Emperor Gotoba i Japan, when the Nembutsu flourished When the Jokyu disturbance occurred the imperial forces were completely defeated by the insurgent warrion who had been under imperial rule.As a result, the three emperors- Gotoba and the retired emperors Juntoku and Tsuchimikado-were sent into exile.This was solid proof of the causal relationship.The host declared that there was no doubt that this disaster, along with the disasters and calamities that had heretofore occurred, were all caused by Honen’s heretical teachings.
Transmission of the Heritage of the Law to a Single Person and the Salvation and Protection of All People
I have thus far presented a summary of the fifth question- and-answer exchange. Early on in this text, the guest criticized the host by saying the following:
You insist upon putting aside the venerable teachings of Shakyamunt Buddha contained in the Pure Land sutras and willfully speak evil of the writings concerning the Buddha Amida.
As it was evident from the host’s response,Honen’s Jodo sect and other sects, indeed, were the very entities that, from the beginning made light of the correct teaching of Shakyamuni and arbitrarily disseminated heretical doctrines.
Shakyamuni stated the following the “Parable” (“Hiyu”; third) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, the essential doctrine of the latter segment:
The realm where the people, steeped in delusion, now reside is the existence that they, themselves, possess.The people who Indeed, in this realm today, there is a great deal of distress and suffering.I, alone, am eminently capable of the salvation and protection of these children.(Kaiketsu, p. 168)
Thus, Shakyamuni , himself, revealed the relationship he held with all people.In other words, he definitively stated that there was no other master-teacher or Buddha in existence who was capable of saving all humanity in this world.
Despite this clear revelation, the Jodo sect revered Amida Buddha as its master-teacher, and the Shingon sect upheld Dainichi Buddha as its object of worship, and these sects sought salvation through their respective figures.This conduct directly opposed the doctrine of the Buddha, in which he asserted that he, alone, was capable of leading people to salvation, as he had declared in the Lotus Sutra, the essential doctrine.There, the teachings that promoted opposition were completely false. heresy could be deemed erroneous such and slanderous.
The fundamental way of the Buddha to provide true salvation for all people during the lifetime of Shakyamuni and during the two thousand years of the former and Middle Days of the Law was achieved by revering Shakyamuni and embracing the Lotus Sutra. Shakyamuni alone, was the master- teacher and he expounded the Lotus Sutra as the essential doctrine.
However in his Great Collection Sutra (Daijuku) Shakyamuni himselt placed a limit of two thousand years as the effective period of the fundamental Way of the Buddba. This period is designated as the Former and Middle Days of the Law. This meant that, during and after the fifth five-hundred year period following the passing of Shakyamun (two thousand years after his death), the Lotus Sutra and the other teachings of Shakyamani would complete their functions and then be rendered ineffective. Thus, Shakymni revealed that his power would then no longer be able to save the pepole. He designated the period following the two thousand years after his death as the Latter Day of the Law.
In order to clearly reveal the fundamental Way of the Buddha that must be upheld in the Latter Days of the Law ,Shakyamuni ,in the “mystic Powers” (“Jinriki” ; twenty- first) chapter of the Lotus Sutra,transfeered Nam-Myoho Renge-kyo,the essential law that is the core of the Lotus Sutra, to Bodhisattava Jogyo. The reincarnation of Bodhisattva Jogyo who makes his advent in the Latter Day of the Law and who possesses Nam- Myoho-Renge-Kyo, which was transferred to him from Shakyamuni, is the master- teacher of the Latter Day of the Law. He alone, is the individual who eminently provides salvation and protection to all the people.The Daishonin stated the following about the reincarnation of Bodhisattva Jogyo.
I, Nichiren, the great master of the Essential Teaching, am the reincarnation of Bodhisattva Jogyo, the Original Buddha of limitless joy.
(“One-Hundred-Six Comparisons” (Hyaku rokka-shol, p. 1685)
The Daishonin revealed that he Was, indeed, the reincarnation of Jogyo. Today, we are well into the period known as the Latter Day of the Law.There, the above passage from the “Parable” (“Hiyu”) chapter of the Lotus Sutra applies to none other than Nichiren Daishonin., we must understand that the Daishonin is, indeed, the one and only master-teacher of the Latter Day of the Law; He is, in fact, the True Buddha.
Our High Priest Nikken Shonin gave us the following directions on the occasion of the 40″ General Meeting of the Hokkeko Federation:
As you are aware, conflicts are ubiquitous and confusion and disorder prevail.This is caused by the existence of various heretical religions and erroneous ideologies. I am convinced that, under these conditions, we must consider the essential points based on the promotion of justice. Where can we find these essential points, given the current conditions of conflicts, resistance and confusion in the various heretical religions that do not characterize True Buddhism? The profound significance of the real propagation of True Buddhism, kosen rufu, as we proceed in the eternity of the Latter Day of the Law, exists in leading the people, based on True Buddhism.
In the fifth question-and-answer exchange of the Rissho ankoku-ron, the host pointed out the obvious examples of actual proof and admonished the guest by stating, “You should not be in doubt about the matter or consider it strange.” Moreover, the host urged the guest to refute heresy and uphold truth, based on the correct principles of True Buddhism. He said that the guest must promptly discard the heretical teachings of Honen’s Nembutsu – the source of all evil and the ultimate misfortune-and he must uphold True Buddhism.In order to obstruct the source of disasters and calamities, it is essential to refute the heretical principles of slanderous teachings and to put an end to the deterioration of the nation.
We, the Hokkeko believers, are the disciples, followers and children of the True Buddha, Nichiren Daishonin. We must propagate Nam-Myoho-Renge- Kyo, the Law that was embraced and propagated by the Daishonin, the True Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law. Leťs propagate the True Law throughout our nation and the entire world. of shakubuku, so that, together, we can construct absolute, indestructible peace.
